The Milwaukee Bucks have been warned. If they fail to make a deep run in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the team will be a major point of discussion once their offseason rolls on.
The Bucks are in danger of exiting the first round of the playoffs, which is why Antetokounmpo’s future has been creating a lot of buzz in recent days.
Milwaukee Bucks Set To Get Plenty of Suitors for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Before the Bucks won Game 5 against the Pacers to cut their series lead to 3-2 and stay alive in the postseason, Antetokounmpo has been the talk of the town as fans and experts alike debate what he could potentially do should they suffer a first-round exit for the second straight year.
Interestingly, Tim MacMahon of ESPN revealed on Brian Windhorst’s Hoop Collective podcast that teams with a “stockpile” of draft picks have been mentioning Antetokounmpo as a potential target. MacMahon noted that the Greek Freak “comes up very, very early, if not right off the bat” in those discussions, with the said teams hoping to leverage their draft assets to trade for a superstar like the Bucks forward (via Bleacher Report).
It will be interesting to see what the Bucks will do should they suffer another playoff fail. While Giannis isn’t someone that comes out as a diva who will ask out when the going gets tough, it should be remembered that the two-time MVP has shared before that his focus is on winning.
His public statement on his desire to win is likely one of the biggest factors why the Bucks traded for Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers.
If the Bucks don’t show Antetokounmpo a path back to the championship, and with Giannis entering his 30s next year, the eight-time All-Star could really ask out of the only franchise he has known.
More Smoke on Potential Giannis Antetokounmpo Exit From the Milwaukee Bucks
For what it’s worth, after that report from MacMahon, NBA insider Marc Stein doubled down on the massive interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo should the Milwaukee Bucks fail to advance in the 2024 playoffs.
The veteran reporter highlighted that team’s will be monitoring Antetokounmpo’s reaction to the potential exit. And should he ask for a trade, those franchises will be ready to pounce.
“You can rest assured that multiple teams around the league are poised to immediately begin tracking the Bucks’ offseason closely — monitoring, of course, is the go-to Twitter verb for these situations — to see how Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts to such a disappointing outcome,” Stein shared on Substack.
While it’s hard to see Antetokounmpo demanding a trade, you can never say never in the NBA. A lot can happen. If Lillard was able to force his way out of a situation he didn’t want, then Giannis can do it as well.
Hopefully, the Bucks don’t get there and they are able to make a deep playoff run.
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