The situation in Milwaukee can only be described as precarious right now after another failed season with Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the Bucks failing to make it past the first round, Giannis’ loyalty was becoming increasingly unclear, and several rumors indicated he was seriously considering a trade for the first time in his career. But in a recent appearance on the Bill Simmons podcast, Bucks coach Doc Rivers shot down the trade rumors and explained why it’s in Giannis’s best interest to stick around right where he is.
“It’s so ridiculous and you don’t like it when you hear it because you know it’s not true,” said Rivers. “Your players hear it, and everybody else hears it. When I was in Boston on a treadmill working out, and they announced that the Boston Celtics were about to trade Rondo, to the Lakers or somewhere, and I was like ‘What?’ It was absurd, but Rondo heard it, and that’s the only thing I don’t like. I don’t know how many times Giannis has to say he wants to be a Buck, and I want to win a title with the Bucks. It’s so cool to me because it’s not the way it’s done anymore.”
In an era where player empowerment is at an all-time high, it would be easy for Giannis to give up on the Bucks and force his way to an easier situation. As an NBA champion, he’s already delivered a title to the franchise, and he has no desire to leave now when the going gets tough.
Despite how bad the situation looks for the franchise, the East is still wide open, and Giannis still believes his team can turn it around. In the era of ultimate parity, the Bucks may not be that far off from title contention.
“There’s never been a better time that I can remember in the NBA for you to win a title,” said Rivers. “There is no dominant team right now, there is nobody you’re scared of in the NBA.”
Antetokounmpo was drafted 15th overall in 2013, and he’s been with the Bucks ever since. Despite his quick rise to stardom, Antetokounmpo never left his loyalty up to debate, and he always re-signed with them every chance he got. In his championship run in 2021, Giannis’ loyalty was rewarded in full, but the prosperity was short-lived.
As the Bucks began to fade out of elite status, they took their biggest risk yet by trading their beloved championship point guard, Jrue Holiday, to the Blazers in exchange for Damian Lillard. They expected Lillard to be the piece that put them over the edge, but his addition has been a disaster so far, with back-to-back early playoff exits.
With multiple teams on his tail this summer, Giannis was believed to be on the block, and implications would have been massive for the NBA hierarchy in the East. At one point, even the New York Knicks were prepared to make a “monster” offer for the 2x champion.
Ahead of a pivotal NBA offseason, Giannis has done his part to deny these rumors, and he’s gone public to reaffirm his loyalty to the Bucks. Now all that’s left to do is prove the doubters wrong by leading the Bucks back to a place of prosperity in the East.
