The Milwaukee Bucks really feel like they’re on the verge of catastrophe barely every week into the 2024-25 NBA season, and it solely retains getting worse.
On Thursday, Milwaukee misplaced to a Memphis Grizzlies staff with out Desmond Bane and enjoying on the second evening of a back-to-back. The Bucks at the moment are 1-4 on the younger season, and now have losses to the lowly Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets. Milwaukee was one of the vital determined groups within the league coming into this season after two straight first-round playoff flameouts. With an getting older core of veterans, no cap flexibility, and nearly each future asset already traded, it was now-or-never for the Bucks to make Giannis Antetokounmpo’s pairing with Damian Lillard work.
On Thursday, CBS Sports activities printed a report stating rival executives are carefully watching the Bucks with a perception that Giannis may turn into obtainable if the staff doesn’t proper the ship. That’s actually simply frequent sense, however the story does embrace two bits of data: 1) Antetokounmpo is seemingly eyeing the Miami Warmth and Brooklyn Nets as potential locations, 2) these rival executives assume a Giannis deal may occur this season earlier than February’s commerce deadline.
Antetokounmpo signed a three-year extension with the Bucks one yr in the past following the franchise’s commerce for Lillard. He’s locked in for the following two seasons after this one, after which has a participant choice for greater than $62 million in 2027-28. He turns 30 years outdated in Dec., and already has an NBA championship, an NBA Finals MVP, two NBA MVP trophies, and one Defensive Participant of the 12 months award on his mantle. I’d say Antetokounmpo is the second-best participant on this planet behind Nikola Jokic proper now, although your opinion on which will range.
Bucks followers have been via this music and dance so many occasions earlier than Giannis even reaches his thirtieth birthday. Let’s take a fast journey down reminiscence lane for some outdated rumors about Antetokounmpo leaving the Bucks as one other spherical begins to warmth up.
2019: Giannis free company speak heats up after Jap Convention Finals loss
Antetokounmpo received his first NBA MVP in 2019 by powering the Bucks to the an NBA-best 60 wins. The Bucks reached the Jap Convention Finals, the place they took a 2-0 lead on the Toronto Raptors. It positive appeared like Giannis can be enjoying within the NBA Finals for the primary time in his profession.
As an alternative, the Raptors received 4 straight video games, and finally received the championship over the Golden State Warriors when Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson every suffered brutal accidents. As Giannis reported for coaching camp the following yr, there was already rampant hypothesis about his future. Right here’s how he addressed it coaching camp:
“I really feel like when you’ve got a terrific staff, and our objective is to win a championship and be the final staff standing and get higher every day, I feel it’s disrespectful in direction of my teammates speaking about my free company and what I’m going via,” Antetokounmpo mentioned. “So when the time is true, we’re all gonna speak about it. I don’t assume the time is true.”
Shortly after, there was a quote attributed to Giannis from a Harvard Enterprise College interview that mentioned “If we’re underperforming within the NBA subsequent yr, deciding whether or not to signal turns into much more tough.” This was apparently completely bogus.
Giannis refuted the quote attributed to him within the Harvard Enterprise College case examine. Stated his girlfriend requested him yesterday if he actually mentioned that. “Should you form of learn the final quote, I’ve by no means used these phrases in my life,” he responded.
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) October 24, 2019
2020: Giannis hypothesis reaches fever pitch after bubble defeat
The Bucks had been once more the most effective staff in basketball in 2019-2020 regardless of the season being interrupted by the Covid pandemic. Milwaukee received an NBA-best 56 video games, and Antetokounmpo received his second straight MVP.
Because the season restarted within the bubble, it felt like Milwaukee had huge strain on their shoulders. They couldn’t deal with it: The Bucks dropped the primary three video games of their second-round collection towards the Warmth earlier than Giannis went down with an ankle harm. He didn’t play in Sport 5, and the Warmth put the ending touches on a surprising playoff collection win.
Giannis mentioned he wouldn’t request a commerce after the elimination, and met with Bucks possession to debate his future shortly thereafter.
“Some see a wall and go in [another direction]. I plow via it,” he mentioned. “We simply must get higher as a staff, individually and get proper again at it subsequent season.”
On the time, I wrote about all of the methods the Bucks failed Giannis, and never the opposite method round.
2021: The Jrue Vacation commerce, the contract extension, and Giannis’ first championship
The Bucks needed to come out swinging after their bubble elimination to the Warmth. They responded by finishing an enormous commerce with New Orleans for Jrue Vacation, with three first spherical draft picks, Eric Bledsoe, and George Hill going again within the deal. Milwaukee thought it had a commerce for Kings shooter Bogdan Bogdanovic too, however that fell aside amid rumors of tampering.
On Dec. 15, Antetokounmpo ended the reckless hypothesis about his future by signing a max extension with the Bucks. Milwaukee slipped to the No. 3 seed within the East in the course of the common season, and Nikola Jokic usurped Giannis for MVP. All of it got here collectively for the Bucks within the playoffs.
The Bucks one way or the other survived a second-round collection towards the Brooklyn Nets when Kevin Durant’s tippy-toe was on the road for a possible game-winning shot in Sport 7. Milwaukee reached the NBA Finals, the place they went down 2-0 to the Phoenix Suns earlier than rallying again for 4 straight wins. Giannis put up 50 factors, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks within the Sport 6 clincher. I wrote about Giannis’ superb life story representing every thing good in sports activities.
2023: Giannis commerce rumors warmth up once more earlier than Dame commerce
The Bucks bid for back-to-back titles fell quick within the 2022 NBA Playoffs when the Boston Celtics eradicated them in a basic seven-game second spherical collection. Khris Middleton missed the whole collection with harm.
The Bucks regarded formidable once more in 2023 till Antetokounmpo suffered an harm in Sport 1 of the primary spherical collection vs. the Warmth. Giannis would return for the ultimate two video games of the collection, however it wasn’t sufficient. Miami had eradicated Milwaukee once more in embarrassing style once more.
The Bucks fired head coach Mike Budenholzer, and changed him with first-time coach Adrian Griffin, who Antetokounmpo reportedly signed off on. It was then time for one more spherical of Giannis commerce hypothesis, this time introduced out by Giannis himself with a number of feedback made on podcasts and options.
“I am a Milwaukee Buck, however most significantly I am a winner. … If there’s a higher state of affairs for me to win the Larry O’Brien I’ve to take that higher state of affairs.”
Giannis on his future with the Bucks. pic.twitter.com/XzucRXtmOv
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 13, 2023
However most significantly, I’m a winner. I wish to win. And I’ve to do no matter it takes for me to win. And if there’s a greater state of affairs for me to win the Larry O’Brien, I’ve to take that higher state of affairs.”
It felt like Giannis was soft-launching a commerce request. In one other interview with the New York Instances, Antetokounmpo utilized direct strain to the Bucks to stay aggressive:
“Subsequent summer season it could make extra sense for each events. Even then, I don’t know,” Antetokounmpo mentioned. “I might not be the most effective model of myself if I don’t know that everyone’s on the identical web page, everyone’s going for a championship, everyone’s going to sacrifice time away from their household like I do. And if I don’t really feel that, I’m not signing.”
The Bucks responded by pulling off a commerce for Damian Lillard out of nowhere. Giannis signed his present extension firstly of the season after the commerce.
2024: Ought to we imagine these newest Giannis rumors?
The primary yr of the Bucks’ Lillard experiment was nothing wanting a catastrophe. Griffin was fired halfway via the season, and changed by Doc Rivers. The 2-man sport between Giannis and Dame that was alleged to be the NBA’s most unstoppable power lacked chemistry and cohesion. The Bucks received 49 video games, however at no level did they ever actually seem like a championship menace. As quickly the playoffs rolled round, Antetokounmpo acquired harm once more and missed the playoffs with a calf pressure. The Bucks had been eradicated within the first spherical by the Pacers.
Milwaukee’s made just a few good additions on the margins this summer season with Gary Trent Jr., Delon Wright, and Taurean Prince, however they principally stored their veteran core collectively. The strain is on this season for the likes of Brook Lopez, Middleton, Pat Connaughton, and Bobby Portis because the remaining items of the 2021 championship staff. Thus far, the Bucks have regarded disjointed. It in all probability wasn’t signal when Dame and Giannis mentioned they didn’t work out collectively all offseason.
Antetokounmpo has made it clear along with his earlier feedback that he’s not happy with one championship. The Bucks don’t have many strikes left to make at this level, and possibly waited too lengthy on dealing Portis and Middleton at minimal. The newest Giannis rumors make some logical sense, however then once more that was additionally the case prior to now. At each alternative, Giannis has stayed loyal to Milwaukee.
I don’t doubt the CBS report that different executives are carefully monitoring Antetokounmpo’s availability. After all they’re. On the identical time, the concept that Giannis desires the Nets — anticipated to be one of many league’s worst groups this season — doesn’t move the sniff check. For now, that is a lot ado about nothing.
It positive looks like this Bucks season goes to worsen earlier than it will get higher, although. This staff has little or no depth, Lillard seems to have misplaced a step, they usually’re noticeably disjointed at each ends of the ground. When their eventual playoff flameout comes, it appears like one thing has to offer, whether or not Milwaukee tries to commerce Lillard/Lopez/Middleton, or whether or not a Giannis commerce lastly occurs. No method will Milwaukee commerce Antetokounmpo except he totally pushes his method out. We’ve seen different stars do it earlier than. For Giannis, after so a few years of hypothesis, it’s solely proper to imagine it when it truly occurs.
