The Milwaukee Bucks went all-in this past offseason with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, hoping it would put them over the top in the NBA Playoffs. With the team’s championship odds fading and Milwaukee uncertain to make it out of the first round, NBA teams are reportedly keeping a very close eye on the situation.
Milwaukee made a series of changes over the summer to appease Antetokounmpo. After winning 58 games and then losing in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bucks parted ways with coach Mike Budenholzer. Antetokounmpo hand-picked replacement coach Adrian Griffin, but the former assistant was ousted after 43 games when the Bucks’ locker room turned on him.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo contract: $48.787 million salary in 2024-’25, three-year $186 million contract extension kicks in after 2025
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The trade for Lillard also hasn’t worked out. Not only has the All-Star point guard never appeared comfortable in Milwaukee, but the Bucks’ defense has also rapidly declined with little improvement from its offense. While the team still seemed to be on track to finish with the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, that all changed after Antetokounmpo’s calf injury.
With the All-NBA forward poised to miss the start of the Pacers vs Bucks series, trouble has been brewing in Milwaukee. NBA rumors are already surfacing that Lillard might want a change of scenery and there’s been speculation regarding Antetokounmpo’s future. It appears the questions regarding Milwaukee’s long-term outlook are shared in the NBA.
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On a recent The Lowe Post podcast, ESPN’s senior NBA writer Zach Lowe said that teams around the league are watching the Bucks closely in the first-round series against Indiana. If Milwaukee loses, some around the NBA believe there’s a real possibility of the Bucks making major changes.
- Milwaukee Bucks record this season: 49-33 (58-24 last season)
The issue for Milwaukee would be how it goes about making changes. The Bucks’ future draft picks are limited, with no future first-round picks able to be traded. Milwaukee also drained some of its bench talent in the trade to acquire Lillard before the regular season.
The lack of viable alternatives may compel Milwaukee to just run it back next season. There is a precedent for new All-Star tandems to take more than a year to gel and in their second season together, a team sees significant improvement. If the Bucks decide to part ways with Lillard, though, his trade value will be even lower than it was last summer when the Portland Trail Blazers needed months until they found a suitable deal.
