The Milwaukee Bucks followed up their blockbuster trade for Damian Lillard with a tumultuous season.
Though they went 49-33, Antetokounmpo and Lillard didn’t gel quickly or naturally. Their defensive schemes were questioned. They fired a head coach (Adrian Griffin) who went 30-13 and his replacement (Doc Rivers) went just 17-19. It was an eyesore.
In an interview with The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Antetokounmpo addressed the heightened expectations in Year 2 of the Lillard experiment.
2-Time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo Teases Potential Bucks Trade
“Yeah, if we don’t win a championship, I might get traded,” Antetokounmpo quips. “Yeah, this is the job we live. This is the world we’re living in. It’s everybody.”
“On a serious note, this is the job,” Antetokounmpo continues. “It’s the profession that we’re in. At any given moment, if you don’t succeed, that might be it for us. It was the same way with the previous coaching staff, and the year before, the players before. … If you don’t do a good enough job, you’re out.”
Is Anybody Untouchable?
Antetokounmpo’s stance is one that can’t really be argued.
In 2022, the Utah Jazz traded face of the franchise Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. This offseason, the Atlanta Hawks were more motivated than ever to find a trade for face of the franchise Trae Young. This month, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded 2015 No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks. Towns had played in Minnesota for nine years.
From that standpoint, any player can be traded. Even LeBron James might have switched teams in 2023-24 if conversations between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors went any further.
Giannis’s Pros vs. Dame’s Cons
The Bucks are unlikely to trade Antetokounmpo anytime soon because there aren’t many ways they could get better by doing so. A two-time NBA MVP, he’s possibly the closest player to James, a four-time NBA MVP and four-time NBA champion.
Antetokounmpo’s a blur on the break and a terror in transition defense, yet he’s also devastating in the halfcourt. His combination of physical tools and mental acumen makes him elite at drive and kicks. Though he hasn’t mastered midrange, he’s become an increasingly adept scorer inside the arc. His finishing may be his best skill, as he score at seemingly impossible angles whether above or below the rim.
Amazingly, the Bucks have only won one championship with Antetokounmpo. They only have two Eastern Conference Finals appearances. For a player as talented as Antetokounmpo, at both ends of the floor no less, it’s disappointing. In fact, the impetus for the Lillard trade was the Milwaukee’s desire to quench Antetokounmpo’s thirst for another title run.
That being said, Lillard will have to show more improvement than any Bucks player this season.
In 2023-24, he posted his lowest effective field goal percentage (.510) in seven years. His tough shot-making is a gift, but he has to be a better decision-maker. The Bucks, including Antetokounmpo, also have to set him up with cleaner looks.
Furthermore, the defensive downgrade from Jrue Holiday to Lillard can’t be ignored. If he can’t hold up against his man, he’ll have to be hid, placing more pressure on his teammates.
Greek Freakstakes
If Lillard is the one struggling again, teams won’t be calling up the Bucks about him as much as for Antetokounmpo.
Frankly, it’s also possible Antetokounmpo would push for a trade. For as much as he adores Milwaukee, he’s made it clear he wants to compete for championships. If he can’t do that because Lillard isn’t playing up to his expectations, Khris Middleton can’t stay healthy, and the CBA doesn’t give them an easy way out, he could start fantasizing about greener pastures.
