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It’s been a strange and turbulent 12 months in Milwaukee. They've gone through blockbuster trades and baffling exits. The Bucks have also seen MVP-level brilliance and frustrating offensive lulls. Giannis Antetokounmpo remains one of the three best players on the planet, but the team around him looks increasingly fragile and, worse, incomplete. With the East seemingly wide open next season, Milwaukee can’t afford to coast. The right signing this summer could be the difference between fading into the pack and chasing one last title with this core.
Big Risks and Bigger Questions
Milwaukee’s 2025 offseason reads like the script of a sports drama.
An eight-game winning streak to close the regular season salvaged a fifth seed and helped the Bucks avoid a nightmare early collision with the Celtics. That run came despite losing Damian Lillard for the final 14 games due to deep vein thrombosis.
Even with Lillard healthy earlier in the season and Giannis playing at an MVP pace, Milwaukee’s offense sputtered. They finished just 10th in offensive rating. And then came the bombshell: the Bucks waived Lillard in a historic waive-and-stretch maneuver. As such, the team absorbed a monumental cap hit to clear space and reconfigure the roster. Soon after, Pat Connaughton was shipped to Charlotte. Those moves left Milwaukee’s backcourt virtually unrecognizable.
Instead, the front office pivoted to size. Brook Lopez’s departure was offset by signing Myles Turner. The Bucks now boast a frontline of Turner, Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, and of course, Antetokounmpo. It's a $115 million frontcourt gamble in a conference that suddenly feels it's anyone's for the taking.
Still, the message is clear: this version of the Bucks can’t lean on what worked yesterday. And with the guard rotation paper-thin, the next move becomes critical.
Here we will look at the one move that the Milwaukee Bucks still must make to improve their roster during 2025 NBA free agency.
Bring in Chris Paul
Let’s be honest, the Bucks need help. Desperately.
There is no version of this team that competes deep into the playoffs without a floor general. Sure, Chris Paul may be pushing 40. However, he remains one of the smartest, most surgical point guards in basketball. According to reports from both Shams Charania and Marc Stein, the Bucks have already initiated conversations with Paul.
It makes sense. Paul’s passing, pick-and-roll prowess, and calming influence could be exactly what this shaken roster needs. He wouldn't be asked to log 35 minutes a night or carry the scoring load. The seasoned playmaker just needs to orchestrate the offense, get Giannis the ball in the right spots, and stabilize a locker room that’s undergone massive upheaval.
Paul is also reportedly considering offers from the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns. Both are familiar homes with emotional pull. That said, if Milwaukee can offer him a real role and a chance to win right away, it might just tip the scales.
It Makes Narrative Sense
There’s poetic potential here, too. Remember, it was Giannis who denied Paul his best chance at a championship in the 2021 NBA Finals. Now, a few years older and maybe a bit wiser, they could finally join forces under the same banner.
Doc Rivers is back for another year on the Bucks’ bench, too. While expectations are low for his group, that could work in their favor. Milwaukee might just be headed for a classic overachieving campaign. Note that CP3 has made a career out of defying expectations. Pairing him with Giannis in a revenge-tinged season would create headlines and more importantly, functional basketball.
Paul won’t fix everything, but he solves one of the team’s most pressing issues. That's on-ball creation and high-IQ execution in crunch time. There’s still a risk, of couse. His health, age, and fit are concerning. Still, given what’s available and what the Bucks have left in their war chest, it’s a risk they need to take.
And If It’s Not Paul… Then Who?
If CP3 ultimately heads back West, Milwaukee still can’t stand pat. One wildcard alternative? Russell Westbrook.
Yes, THAT Russell Westbrook.
The idea sounds chaotic on paper. Westbrook’s style is the antithesis of Paul’s, but it’s not without merit. He plays hard, gets downhill, and would give the Bucks some much-needed speed and explosiveness in the open court. Could Giannis and Russ co-exist? It would be unorthodox, but entertaining. And let’s face it: the Bucks don’t have many other outs.
Other names like Monte Morris or Delon Wright might be safer, lower-profile targets. However, none come close to the potential ceiling that Paul (or even Westbrook) offers. This is the kind of swing Milwaukee has to consider.
One Shot Left
Antetokounmpo is still in his prime. Milwaukee still has elite defensive personnel and a revamped, skilled frontcourt. None of it matters, though, without someone who can organize an offense and take pressure off their superstar.
Paul may not be the long-term answer. However, for this team, right now, he’s the best possible bridge between chaos and coherence. If the Bucks want to keep their title window cracked open even just a little longer, then this is the move they must make.
