The saga continues in Milwaukee as two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo makes waves for his latest act of defiance. In a report by Bucks Insider Eric Nehm of The Athletic, he detailed the ongoing strife within the franchise as they try (and fail) to shut down their superstar for the rest of the season.
“The Bucks, per league sources, have made it clear to their franchise centerpiece that it would be in their shared interest for him to sit out with the team currently 6 1/2 games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the final Play-In Tournament spot,” wrote Nehm. “While injuries have forced Antetokounmpo to miss 32 games already this season, league sources tell The Athletic the 10-time All-Star forward has informed the team he has no desire to cut his season short.”
Giannis, 31, hasn’t played since March 15th after hyperextending his knee. He also suffered a bone bruise, leading the Bucks to rule him out for at least the next week. The Bucks would rather he not return at all, but Giannis is set on taking the court again. Unfortunately, the soonest he could gain clearance is next Wednesday against the Trail Blazers.
“When reached for comment, a team source noted that Antetokounmpo is still injured and not cleared to play at this time, and an update will be sent when that changes,” reported Nehm.
The Bucks almost surely have selfish motivations for wanting to shut down their superstar. At 11th in the East (28-40), the best the Bucks could hope for is to catch the Hornets at 10th for that final play-in spot. Of course, Charlotte is still 6.5 games up in the standings with only 14 matches left on the schedule.
In short, the Bucks have nothing to gain from Giannis’ return. They aren’t winning anything this season, and any injury to Giannis now could jeopardize his value this summer, when he’s projected to be available on the trade market. After failing to find a suitable deal before the deadline, it’s no secret that Milwaukee plans to revisit a Giannis deal in hopes of securing a haul of assets.
Among other teams, the Knicks, Lakers, Heat, and Warriors are expected to show interest in Giannis, but the Bucks can only get the return they want if he’s fully healthy and available to play. He’s already got a string of prior injuries this season, and many more could tank his value at the worst possible time for the Bucks. That’s why it’s in their best interest (and arguably his) if Giannis doesn’t play again at all.
Despite that, Giannis wants to see it through this season; not for the team, or for himself, but for the fans. He knows it could be his last stretch in Milwaukee, and he wants to give his loyal supporters one last show before it’s over. Fortunately, with averages of 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game on 62.4% shooting and 33.3% shooting from three this season, his standards have not dropped at all.
In his last act of loyalty, Giannis is going to risk it all by playing through the end of a failed season. If this is really his last days with the Bucks, he wants to close the book on his own terms, and that means playing with the same effort and passion in the final stretch of this season as he has for his entire career.
