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It appears that the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Damian Lillard era of the Milwaukee Bucks is over after just two seasons.
Last night, Lillard, who recently made an unprecedented return from a blood clot, suffered what is believed to be a torn Achilles tendon during Game 4 of the Bucks' first-round playoff series vs. the Indiana Pacers. The injury, if confirmed, will almost certainly keep Lillard out of action for the entirety of the 2025-26 season and could have a major impact on the rest of his career.
In the short term, Lillard's injury may also prove to be the death blow to Milwaukee's championship window, however open it may have already been, with the star guard and Antetokounmpo leading the way.
The Bucks, who have dealt with injuries to key players every season since winning the NBA championship in 2021, are likely to lose in the first round of the postseason for the third consecutive year. The lack of playoff success, coupled with the bleak outlook for the team's future without Lillard, may ultimately lead Antetokounmpo to demand a trade.
If he does, popular NBA podcaster Bill Simmons believes there are about five teams that realistically could acquire Antetokounmpo: the Houston Rockets, Brookly Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic.
“Houston, I think, has to be a consideration, because Houston can make a four-for-one with picks, get Giannis, keep a couple guys, and be really good,” Simmons said on his podcast. “Brooklyn has been the rumored one, but I don’t know if Brooklyn can give them enough picks back that they still stay competitive. OKC has to be mentioned. There’s a Knicks trade with Towns, and pick [either] Anunoby or Bridges for Giannis, something like that, that I don’t think is realistic. Then [producer Steve] Ceruti’s Orlando Magic. I think those would be the five teams, right? They’re not giving up Paolo for Giannis, I don’t think, but could you do Franz and Black and a bunch of picks. Maybe, I don’t know.”
Trading for a superstar is an inexact science, as this season has shown with the Dallas Mavericks-Los Angeles Lakers trade involving Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis. But if Milwaukee decides to pull the proverbial trigger and trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, the team would effectively be committing itself to a long, arduous rebuild.
Antetokounmpo's three-year extension, which is projected to be worth about $175 million, begins next season. Similarly, the two-year extension Lillard signed with the Portland Trail Blazers in July 2022 is set to begin next season as well. Lillard is projected to make about $54 million guaranteed in 2025-26 and $58.5 million in 2026-27 as long if Lillard picks up his second-year player option.
The Bucks, down 3-1 in the series, will head back to Indiana for Game 5 vs. the Pacers tomorrow.
