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There have been “no rumbles” pointing toward Giannis Antetokounmpo contemplating his future with the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Windhorst said Monday on Get Up that “we’ll see how the offseason plays out.”
The idea of a blockbuster trade centered around Antetokounmpo has again become a point of conversation after the Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Only last summer Antetokounmpo signed an extension with Milwaukee that kept him under contract through at least 2026-27. Based on past precedent, that isn’t much of an impediment to him requesting a trade now, though.
Kevin Durant penned a four-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets in August 2021 and then angled for an exit the following offseason.
In the past, the Bucks shook up the status quo to help sell their best player on the front office’s long-term vision. His decision to sign a supermax contract in December 2020 came after Milwaukee acquired Jrue Holiday and history basically repeated itself with Damian Lillard’s arrival coincided with Giannis formally reaffirming his commitment.
The problem for Jon Horst now is that he doesn’t really have an ace up his sleeve. Trading for Lillard was the last big swing the Bucks could take while building around their current core.
The early returns from that gambit aren’t encouraging.
The Lillard/Antetokounmpo wasn’t the offensive cheat code many expected as Milwaukee finished sixth in offensive rating (117.6), per NBA.com. Lillard’s 35.4 percent clip from beyond the arc was also the third-worst of his career.
Firing head coach Adrian Griffin and hiring Doc Rivers didn’t help, either, as the team went 17-19 with Rivers at the helm.
Absent a change, it looks like Antetokounmpo is willing to stick it out in Milwaukee. Maybe having a full offseason with Lillard and Rivers in the organization can lead to the necessary improvements on the court.
But there’s no question Horst is feeling a level of urgency right now.
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