Will the Greek Freak part ways with the Milwaukee Bucks? The NBA will spend another offseason filled with rumors surrounding the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo after the Bucks fizzled out early in the NBA Playoffs once again.
Former Philadelphia 76ers veteran Danny Green recently touched on the topic, noting that if Giannis’ mindset is simply on winning a title, asking for a ticket out of Milwaukee is the only way he’ll get where he needs to be to accomplish his second NBA Championship.
“These numbers that he’s putting up right now, we’re not going to see this last for a very long time. His window is about two, three years, at best, of doing this. If he wants to win again and be competitive, he’s going to have to explore that option. He’s going to have to have that conversation,” Green said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back.
At this stage in his career, Antetokounmpo remains one of the most dominant two-way players in the game. His dominance helped lead the Bucks to an NBA Championship win in 2021. Unfortunately, since then, the Bucks have made it out of the first round in just one out of the following four seasons.
This year, Giannis and the Bucks came up short against the Indiana Pacers with a 4-1 loss. The future doesn’t look so bright. Former Giannis co-star Khris Middleton is no longer with the team. Milwaukee’s blockbuster acquisition from last season, Damian Lillard, is likely to miss all of next season.
While the Bucks struck a notable deal to acquire Kyle Kuzma from the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline, the forward hasn’t moved the needle for Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo hasn’t requested a trade just yet, but there’s smoke building in Wisconsin.
“If he just wants to play with his brother, be a legend in Milwaukee, and stay there and finish out with the team he started his career with, everybody will still respect it and love him regardless,” Green added. “I think he’s a guy who still wants to win. If you still want to win, you’ve got to explore the option of doing it elsewhere, because you can’t do it in Milwaukee.”
Although Green hasn’t played alongside Antetokounmpo and isn’t in the building with the Bucks, the veteran forward is certainly qualified to speak on what a title team looks like, since he’s won three with three different organizations. A quick revamp isn’t impossible, but the Bucks don’t have a lot to work with. They are a team to keep an eye on as potential sellers, starting with Antetokounmpo, as his future is rumored to be in doubt.
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