Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill and fantasy analyst Dan Titus discuss what Giannis Antetokounmpo will do if the Milwaukee Bucks have another losing season in this year’s NBA playoffs. Hear the full conversation on “Good Word with Goodwill” and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
The outcome of this series is going to determine whether Giannis decides to ask for out and They were a first round exit last year to the hands of the Indiana Pacers.
They’re looking like another first round exit to the hands of the Indiana Pacers.
But what’s more damning is that Look at what they have.
What are they, what is the franchise going to be able to do to get assets around Giannis to win?
You already mortgaged your future with getting Damian Lillard.
You’re probably better off keeping Chris Middleton in his no ankles than it was to, to acquire Kyle Kuzma because he’s just been trash.
And so Brook Lopez, old as hell, Tori and Prince, not a starting, uh, starting small forward.
I just don’t know where they can go.
Like, look at their draft capital for the next 5 years.
They don’t have a pick in 2025 because they owe that to New Orleans for the Drew Holiday trade.
2026, they got a pick swap with New Orleans, so that’s not gonna be good.
2027, no picks because that’s part of the Drew holiday.
2028, Portland has the right to a pick swap because of the Damian Lillard trade.
2029, no first round picks cause of Damian Lillard.
2030, another pick swap um with Damian Lillard.
So like they don’t, you don’t have draft capital, you don’t have enough sellable assets in a trade.
So what do you do?
I, I don’t know how you can literally sit there in an exit interview and tell Giannis, oh, we’re built to win for the next 3 years.
That window is shutting faster than they, than they thought.
And I think Giannis is gonna end up asking for out cause there’s no other option for him to win, win another championship.
It ain’t gonna be in Milwaukee.
Yeah, it’s, it’s a, he’s going to be in a tough spot.
He’s in a tough spot.
The franchise is in a tough spot.
No one wants to willingly tell their franchise guy who they’ve nurtured and have for 11 years.
He was drafted in 2013.
Like he’s been there already for a long time.
Um, I think the crazy thing is when you look at the recent NBA champions.
They have been teams who have grown their players through the draft.
Boston, Tatum and Brown.
Before that, the Denver Nuggets, Jokic, Murray, Porter.
Before that, Golden State, a different iteration, Steph, Jordan Paul, Draymond Green.
A lot of those guys, the, the core of those guys, 2021, Milwaukee, like that group.
It’s really hard to go somewhere else and say, OK, just add me and we’re going to win the championship.
Because you have to give up so much for a player like Giannis.
And you have to retrofit your team around a guy like Giannis.
And you have to wondering how much wear and tear is on Giannis Anteloumpo’s body already.
Like, remember, this is the first playoff series that he’s actually been healthy in the past couple of years.
So there’s a lot of questions on both sides.
