Milwaukee Bucks’ Future Looks Grim: Franchise Is Facing 6 Huge Problems

Just four seasons removed from hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the Milwaukee Bucks find themselves teetering on the edge of collapse. Their 2025 playoff exit, a humbling five-game defeat at the hands of the younger, hungrier Indiana Pacers, was bad enough. 

But the bigger blow came when Damian Lillard, their prized co-star, tore his Achilles during the series. At 34 years old, Dame is now staring down a year-long recovery, and his best days may be behind him. 

That leaves Giannis Antetokounmpo, still in his prime at 30 and fresh off another All-NBA season (30.4 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 6.5 APG), openly questioning whether Milwaukee can build a winner around him. Multiple league sources say Giannis held closed-door meetings with Bucks leadership to discuss his future, and those conversations carry seismic weight for the franchise.

The problems go deeper than just one injury or one superstar’s frustration. Their once-vaunted defense has slipped to the middle of the pack, and the offense, so heavily reliant on Giannis and Dame, looked stagnant and predictable, especially when teams like the Pacers exposed their lack of speed and versatility. 

In short, this could be a full-blown crisis as we head to the 2025 offseason. As we break down the six biggest problems facing this franchise, it’s clear: the golden era in Milwaukee is fading faster than we would have thought.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo Could Request A Trade This Summer

Giannis Antetokounmpo has always been loyal to Milwaukee, but even loyalty has limits when the walls are closing in. Reports are out that Giannis held private meetings with Bucks ownership and front office following their playoff collapse: a clear sign that he’s reassessing his future. 

With Damian Lillard out for the next year and the supporting cast crumbling, the two-time MVP, who averaged a dominant 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists this season, faces the grim reality that this team isn’t close to title contention anymore. He’s 30 years old now, firmly in his prime, and as a top-five player in the world, Giannis knows he can’t waste more seasons waiting for the Bucks to retool.

Adding to the frustration is the failed Kyle Kuzma experiment. Milwaukee brought Kuzma in at the trade deadline to be the versatile scoring wing they lost when Khris Middleton’s decline set in, but Kuzma flamed out spectacularly, shooting just 34.3% in the playoffs (posting 5.8 PPG) and disappearing during clutch moments. 

Giannis already saw Jrue Holiday and Middleton leave or fade; now, without Dame for 2025-26, he’s left carrying a broken roster. If Giannis demands a trade this summer, it would represent the most devastating player exit in franchise history, eclipsing even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s departure in 1975.

2. Damian Lillard Is 34 Years Old And Could Be Out Until 2027

Damian Lillard was supposed to be Giannis’ co-star for a new championship run. Instead, it’s been a nightmare. Dame tore his Achilles during Game 4 against Indiana, and the prognosis is grim. 

At 34, the timeline for full recovery could stretch beyond a year, meaning the earliest realistic return is mid-to-late 2026, and even then, Achilles injuries have historically robbed players of their explosiveness. 

Dame hasn’t quite been “Portland Dame” since arriving in Milwaukee, despite his averaging 24.9 points per game on 44.8% shooting. He already showed slippage on defense and burst, and the odds he returns as a superstar after a major injury are slim.

Even more painful is what Milwaukee gave up to acquire him: Jrue Holiday (who helped Boston win the NBA title last year), multiple first-round picks, and their defensive backbone. This was a go-for-broke move, and now the Bucks are staring at a player (making $58,545,211 next season with a $63,228,828 player option in 2026-27) recovering from one of basketball’s most devastating injuries. 

3. 6 Important Players Are Free Agents This Summer

It’s not just Giannis and Dame that the Bucks have to worry about; the supporting cast is on the verge of collapse, too. Six key players could walk this summer. Brook Lopez, the 37-year-old anchor of their interior defense, is an unrestricted free agent. 

Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr., both relied on for spacing and wing depth, are also hitting the open market. Meanwhile, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and Kevin Porter Jr. all have player options, and early signs suggest at least two could decline those options to test free agency.

Losing this much depth in one summer is catastrophic for a team already short on resources. Lopez, despite his age, was still Milwaukee’s best shot-blocker (1.9 blocks per game) and stretch big. 

Portis provided instant offense (13.9 PPG off the bench) and toughness that this roster sorely needs. Without them, the Bucks would be forced to rely on minimum contracts and bargain bin free agents. In other words, a team that was already thin and old is about to get thinner and older.

4. Bucks Do Not Own First-Round Picks Through 2028

Thanks to the Lillard trade and prior win-now moves, Milwaukee’s cupboard is bare when it comes to draft assets. They do not own their own first-round pick outright until 2028, and their 2025 pick is already owed via swap rights. 

That means any dreams of a quick youth infusion, either through drafting or trading up, are dead in the water. In an era where teams like Oklahoma City are stockpiling picks and building sustainable cores, Milwaukee is stuck with aging veterans and no path to add young talent.

This lack of flexibility has crushed their ability to pivot. Even if Giannis stays, there’s no clear path to improve the roster meaningfully without mortgaging even more future picks. If Giannis leaves, the rebuild would be among the slowest in the league because the Bucks couldn’t even tank properly without controlling their own picks.

5. Defensive Identity Is Lost, Seemingly For Good

Remember when Milwaukee’s calling card was defense? From 2019 to 2021, the Bucks were consistently a top-5 defensive team, anchored by Giannis, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, and Khris Middleton. Fast forward to 2025, and that identity is gone. 

Milwaukee finished 13th in defense this season, allowing 113.0 PPG, and were exposed badly by Indiana’s pace and perimeter shooting in the playoffs. The losses of Jrue and Middleton, both elite defenders in their primes, have left gaping holes on the wing that have yet to be filled.

Milwaukee’s pivot to an offensive-first roster hasn’t worked. Dame and Gary Trent Jr. struggled on defense all year, Kuzma didn’t move the needle, and even Giannis couldn’t cover up every breakdown. 

Their rim protection is slipping, too, with Lopez aging and Portis a step slow in rotations. The Bucks once had an intimidating, physical defense that could strangle opponents; now, they’re an average unit that gets shredded by quicker, younger teams. 

6. Doc Rivers Is Not The Answer Moving Forward

When Milwaukee fired Adrian Griffin midseason and brought in Doc Rivers last year, they hoped for veteran leadership to stabilize the ship. Instead, they got more turbulence. Rivers, now 63, has not looked like the championship coach he once was. 

Under his watch, the Bucks have gone just 66-54 in the regular season and playoffs combined, and Rivers has looked uninspired and predictable during their first-round playoff loss. Rivers’ playoff struggles are well-documented, as he is often criticized for blowing 3-1 leads. That isn’t the best look for him right now. 

Milwaukee has already burned through two coaches in less than a year, and while firing Rivers would cost money and continuity, keeping him risks further stagnation. Simply put, if the Bucks want to rebuild their culture, it’s hard to justify Doc Rivers as the leader to guide them through this crisis.