The idea of Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving the Milwaukee Bucks has seemingly kept them fearful of trading away draft capital in their hunt for upgrades this season. They don't want to empty the asset cabinet and end up with nothing if things don't pan out. However, with the Greek Freak once again displaying his commitment to the Bucks, the front office should be more open to a big move.
He's said it before, but recent rumors have clouded the narrative. Yet, in a recent interview with The Athletic's Sam Amick (subscription required), Giannis reaffirmed his commitment to Milwaukee, telling the insider, "There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment that I will come out and say 'I want a trade.'" Giannis wants to stay. It's time for the Bucks to give him more reason to do so.
Bucks' need to be as aggressive as they've ever been
As constructed, the Milwaukee Bucks are not a good basketball team. For a while, health looked like the primary concern, but this group is largely healthy now. That's no longer an excuse. Although they showed some fight during a recent 4-1 stretch, it came against fellow subpar opponents. In their last game against the Golden State Warriors, an above-average team, they lost. The schedule only gets tougher from here.
The team is currently 16-21. If they keep rolling out the same squad and game plan every single night, their hopes of turning things around may never get off the ground. The team is flawed. It appears they are committed to Doc Rivers, so a coaching change may be out of the cards, but that shouldn't stop them from making roster moves to try and stop at least some of the bleeding.
The Bucks are rumored to be aggressively working the phones right now. NBA insider Jake Fischer recently said that Milwaukee is looking at every player fans can think of. Recent rumors had linked them to Trae Young before he was moved. Anthony Davis is another name making the rounds. The team is leaving no stone unturned, and they shouldn't be afraid to spend big right now.
Through all of the chatter, the one name that continues to make the most sense is Michael Porter Jr., a player Amick (subscription required) linked to the Bucks recently. For a team that has been depleted at the small forward spot all season and could use another go-to scorer, Porter would help knock out two birds with one stone. It'd be an expensive move, but at this point, it's what Milwaukee needs.
There's no telling what the Milwaukee Bucks will do, but Giannis Antetokounmpo once again showing his commitment to the franchise should only apply more pressure to make a big splash. Their first round pick in 2031 or 2032 is valuable, but so is not wasting Giannis' prime years.
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