When and if Giannis Antetokounmpo does decide to leave the Milwaukee Bucks, he would be leaving behind a stellar legacy only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar clearly exceeds. The 2021 NBA Champions have been put under considerable pressure this offseason after being knocked out in the first round of the playoffs for three years running.
In their bid to build a competing team around the Greek Freak, they waived Damian Lillard, stretching his contract over five years, and have signed Myles Turner to effectively be Giannis’ new partner-in-crime. Milwaukee has responded to the pressure this offseason by extending Bobby Portis and re-signing Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr., while also adding Cole Anthony and Gary Harris.
That may have added elite rim-protection, energy and depth, but plenty of concerns remain about their ability to actually compete for the championship.
Giannis to return to top-2 in MVP rankings
Let’s clear the simple things out first. Giannis is still on any given day one of the best players in the league, and his two-way impact simply cannot be explained by numbers alone. The nine-time All-Star averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while shooting at over 60% overall last season and the Bucks have made adjustments to play to his strengths better from the upcoming campaign.
Milwaukee is now better equipped to be a fast-transition team and have in Turner another elite rim-protector who single-handedly does away with some obvious weaknesses that were obvious through the entirety of the last campaign. We also expect Giannis to improve on his playmaking numbers.
With Dame out, his offensive duties and ball-handling may take on the kind of visibility that was evident during his stint with Greece at the EuroBasket 2025. For these reasons, we expect Giannis to finish at least in the top-2 of the MVP rankings for next season, which will be his best finish since the 2019-20 campaign.
The Bucks will not have a deeper playoff run
For the fourth year running, we expect the Milwaukee Bucks to not go beyond the first round of the playoffs. Antetokounmpo himself has been extremely vocal about his belief in this new-look team.
“I really believe in this team. I love that we’re younger. … We have energy. I think this is a team full of dogs, guys that know their role and (are) gonna try to do their best to figure into their role and try to help this team be great, so I’m excited,” he recently said, per The Athletic.
Despite the confidence, we are looking at a team that may simply not have the offensive firepower beyond Giannis to compete with the top teams in the East. Myles Turner averaged 15.6 points per game last season and the Bucks have limited their financial flexibility for the coming seasons.
And while the move towards a new identity, one that relies on transitions and running the floor is evident, the Bucks may simply not have the firepower or the defensive personnel to compete with the best of the NBA, just yet. However, their biggest star has a clear timeline.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will push for a trade in the coming offseason
Giannis was not physically present at the Bucks' media day and instead answered questions on video. Earlier in the offseason, he had taken aim at Shams Charania after the journalist had suggested he was actively exploring other options. However, Antetokounmpo did finally admit he had thought about a trade.
“Of course, yes. Guys, every summer, there's truth to every report. (It's) the same thing I've been saying my entire career. I want to be on a team that allows me and gives me a chance to win a championship,” he said.
Milwaukee may have made positive moves this offseason, but they do not seem enough to help Giannis actually compete for a title. The entire league can be expected to be reduced to a standstill when and if he actually becomes available for a trade, and we expect that to happen in the next offseason.
For 12 years, he has remained loyal to the Bucks while being extremely professional and not making public statements about any desire to leave. However, despite the confidence he expressed, we expect the Bucks’ eventual inability to compete in the upcoming season to be the final straw.
Multiple big-market franchises, like the Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors and even the San Antonio Spurs can be expected to emerge as frontrunners next offseason.
