Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks has been called into question as the team finds itself at the business end of a turbulent season.
The Bucks’ campaign has been marred by a series of bad losses and with a first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers looming, they’re heading into the postseason in rather unconvincing form. To make things even dicier, Antetokounmpo’s health status is uncertain for Game 1 against the Pacers.
All this suggests a first-round exit is entirely possible, and according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, that would result in some serious concern around Giannis’ future in Milwaukee.
“If they lose in the first round, the first person you’re worried about isn’t Dame, it’s Giannis,” Windhorst said on Get Up.
“If [the Bucks] go down in the first round again … I’m not sure where Giannis is going to be.”
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“You want to make sure Giannis is still committed, and also when you talk about this first round, you got to worry about where Giannis’s calf is, if he’s going to be 100%. But if they go down in the first round again, and they have that disappointment in back-to-back years, I’m not sure where Giannis is going to be.”
Windhorst went on to say the Bucks have found themselves in this position partly due to a flawed roster.
“No matter what happens, this is a flawed roster,” he said. “The panacea that they thought Dame Lillard was going to be wasn’t the case. They’re going to have to make changes one way or another, and they’ve basically mortgaged their entire draft in the future, so they’re going to have to get creative.
“And I do think it’s possible that Dame [being traded] could be looked at, but you got to make sure Giannis is committed to it first.”
Since winning the championship in 2021, the Bucks have failed to make it out of the first round. They lost to the Celtics 4-3 in the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals, and went down to the Miami Heat 4-1 in the first round of the 2023 playoffs.
Giannis is still under contract for next season, when he’ll enter the final year of his current five-year, $228 million deal. But recent NBA history is littered with star players demanding trades well before their contracts have finished. Milwaukee better hope Giannis isn’t the next one to follow the trend.
READ MORE: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Stance on Partnership With Damian Lillard
