What is best for Giannis: seek a title with the Bucks or move?
The Greek celebrates 30 years on Friday and shines on a veteran team in Milwaukee, but he could win again with another team.
The Milwaukee Bucks They had a difficult start to the season, in which they went 4-9, which set off alarms within a franchise that since it won the NBA title in 2021 has not reached decisive stages, despite adding talent at every break.
All this raises doubts about the future of his figure, Giannis Antetokounmpoone of the eternal candidates for the Most Valuable Player trophy, who has already won twice, but who plays for a small market team, after renewing for three years until 2028 for $186 million.
It was the same Greek who opened the door to a possible departure before that date when in the summer he spoke about the possibility of being changed in case the squad does not obtain another championship soon, because according to him, the coaching staff and the protagonists.
Milwaukee has picked up pace since that mediocre startwith a 42-point triple-double by Giannis against Washington on November 30 as part of a seven-game winning streak, but doubts about his permanence may soon reappear, as he is a sought-after talent around the NBA and he is one of those stars who could decide his destiny if he loses patience just after turning 30.
Reasons to stay
The first argument in favor of the continuity of Antetokounmpo is that he has already shown that he can be crowned with that jersey, without having to get into one of the winning cars, as happened with Kevin Durant when he arrived in Golden State; The Bucks only reached the throne in 2021 to end a five-decade wait.
It was the perfect script for the European, with him as the maximum reference, both offensively and defensively, with Khris Middleton as a complement and a group of names like Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker, Brook Lopez, Pat Connaughton, Donte DiVincenzo and Bobby Portis willing to sacrifice for collective success.
Giannis knows the path to glory with Milwaukee, which had the third best record in the East on that occasion and eliminated the Miami Heat in a row, the Brooklyn Nets in Game 7, the Atlanta Hawks and came back against the Phoenix Suns in the Finals, with Devin Booker and Chris Paul in their ranks.
Antetokounmpo He knows that he is in an organization committed to the pursuit of victory, willing to get the necessary pieces to make him feel comfortable so that he can exploit his potential, without compromising his preeminence in the locker room.
He is capable of attracting big names, despite not being in California or New York, as happened with Damian Lillard, who ended his career with the Portland Trail Blazers when he was sent to Milwaukee in September 2023, with all his eight nominations to the All-Star Game and the gold medal won in Tokyo 2020.
Although he is a great figure in the NBA, Lillard’s profile fit well with Giannis because he is someone who opens the floor with his three-point shot, who can also find it under the basket with assists and because his personality does not call into question who is number one in the locker room, although when shooting to win a game , you can do it without hesitation.
It is, furthermore, a board that recognizes the value of the 34 on the field, without having to find another team to do so, as proven with the contract signed a month after Dame’s arrival to have a salary for this season. $48,787,676 million, 12th highest in the Association, tied precisely with Lillard.
Management is also not afraid to make decisions, as happened the previous year, when despite having a 30-13 record, the second best in the Conference, it fired coach Adrian Griffin in January to hire Doc Rivers, who has experience as NBA champion and aims to give the roster that leap in quality.
However, the off-field scenario is also ideal terrain for Antetokounmpo: “The city shows me its love and when I go out to spend time with my family, they give me space, which is incredible. “People respect me as a person and what I have done for the city and that is why I cannot turn my back on it, not now, not in the future, never, I want to commit, I want to give back to the city of Milwaukee,” he said when signing the extension. .
Reasons to leave
On the other hand, After that parade in July 2021, the Bucks have had little reason to celebrate. In 2021-22 with the core of the coronation and the same coach, Mike Budenholzer, they were third in the East, but fell in the Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics.
The following year they progressed in the regular season, as number one in the sector, but they found themselves against the Heat and with a knee injury. Giannis to be eliminated in the first round of the postseason, which led to the coach’s firing. It was a strange move, less than two years after lifting the Larry O’Brien.
For the 2023-24 season, a new era began in Wisconsin, with Griffin as coach, after being an assistant in Toronto for a long time and with the arrival of Lillard, one of the best shooters in the NBA, although the change involved the departure of Holiday and Grayson Allen, two great defensive players.
The situation did not work out in the eyes of the board, which opted to fire Griffin in the middle of the schedule and hire Rivers to exploit the duo’s potential. Giannis-Lillard. However, they could not achieve it either and the third in the East were again left out at the beginning of the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.
That is why Giannis He spoke about his possible departure if he doesn’t get another title soon. The board bet big on both the players and coaches and the results have not appeared and at any moment they could press the reset button and let some pieces go.
The window seems to be closing for a veteran team. Brook Lopez is already 36, Lillard is 34, the increasingly injury-prone Middleton is 33, Connaughton will be 32 in January and Taurean Prince is 30.a group that Giannis joins on December 6 so that all the starters are in the triple ten.
In Milwaukee there has not been an effective transition and by betting on the same base and the arrival of Lillard, the organization mortgaged the future, which is only in the hands of Gianniswhich leaves the Greek in a predicament, because if success is not achieved soon, the sensible thing would be to leave.
To begin with because Antetokounmpo He would experience the end of his career as the leader of a renewal from which he would no longer see the positive results, while his teammates leave or say goodbye, and because in the NBA there are several squads that seem to be on the right path to success.
Therefore, Giannis could do the same as Lillard and break his love affair with a team to look for titles over money elsewhere, in a project that offers him earnings in the short term, just as he approaches retirement, but still at the highest level.
He himself opened the door with his statements that he could be traded, but it would not be to a franchise with fewer aspirations. On the contrary, any contender would be happy to have one of the best players, who can contribute points, rebounds and blocks.
Besides, The two-time MVP already knows what it is to get a ring, he does not have the debt that, for example, LeBron James carried with Cleveland. He will always be a legend in Milwaukee, regardless of whether he can go to another destination to add another championship, because at this moment in his career, the Greek no longer needs money or individual trophies, but rather returns to glory, whether it is where he has always state or elsewhere.
