The NBA trade deadline is a stressful time for players on all teams, but perhaps no more so this season than for the Milwaukee Bucks amid a vortex of Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors. Ultimately Giannis went nowhere; the rest of the roster remained largely intact. For breakout guard Ryan Rollins, the passage of the deadline without any massive upheaval came with a wave of relief as he watched all but two of his teammates, now-Phoenix Suns Amir Coffey and Cole Anthony, stay put in Milwaukee as the clock struck a figurative midnight.
Rollins relieved to see most of his teammates remain Milwaukee Bucks through deadline
After the Bucks’ 105-99 win over Indiana, giving them their first 3-game win streak this season, Rollins admitted that it’s possible to feel a bit freer now that the deadline is no longer hanging over everyone’s head.
“Yeah, I would assume so, for everybody, probably a little weight off their back, just the pressure and uncertainty of what was gonna happen,” Rollins told The Athletic’s Eric Nehm when asked about the potentially lifted burden.
“I’m glad everybody – most of everybody, sad to see my guy Cole and Amir leave, for sure – but majority of the team’s still here.”
In addition to all the Giannis drama, some speculated whether the Bucks would try to move Kyle Kuzma or Bobby Portis even if Antetokounmpo stayed put. Nothing happened, leaving the current squad together at least until the offseason.
Forward Ousmane Dieng also joins the fold after lily-padding from the Thunder to the Bulls to the Bucks in the trade involving Coffey and Anthony.
“I feel like we got a great camaraderie, great group. We got a lot of season left, so I think we can do a lot of good things, for sure.”
With the win against the Pacers, the Bucks improved to 29-21 on the season. They remain 12th in the Eastern Conference, two games behind the surging Hornets for the final Play-in bid.
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