It certainly sounds as though Giannis Antetokounmpo’s days are numbered with the Milwaukee Bucks. Late Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that, for the first time, the team is earnestly considering suitors’ advances. Giannis, meanwhile, is “ready for a new home.” The gradual escalation of incidents, reports, and details leading to this potential breaking point makes it a hard case to argue that a trade isn’t coming at some point, either by the February 5 deadline or in the summer.
A subplot to the Giannis saga is the role Doc Rivers has played as head coach in orchestrating a poor season that has the Bucks, 18-27, staring down placement in the draft lottery. Rivers has, it’s true, done a very questionable job in managing rotations, lineups, and the overall team culture. For his part, former Buck Jae Crowder (2022-23 to ’23-24) is of the mind that the hire was a critical point along the way to Milwaukee’s impending Giannis-era demise.
Crowder highlights Doc Rivers hire first nail in proverbial coffin
Where the Bucks sit now, multiple games outside the play-in and with Giannis hurt, ending up in the lottery would hardly be the end of the world – really, tanking for a pick, the worst of Milwaukee’s or New Orleans’ because Atlanta owns swap rights, is the best strategy for the future.
It’s not, however, how anyone in Milwaukee wanted or expected the season to go. Given Rivers’ lack of playoff success, the flaw he was ostensibly brought in to fix, many fans hated the hire when it happened, midway through 2023-24 campaign. Rivers replaced first-year coach Adrian Griffin with the Bucks sitting at 30-13.
Feb 27, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) celebrates with forward Jae Crowder (99) in the third quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Crowder was part of that team, which was rocked by Griffin’s sudden dismissal. They played three games under an interim coach before Rivers was hired and took over. Now that the Giannis era is crumbling to a close, the former player reminded the world of what he believes got the snowball rolling.
WE WERE 30-13 BTW. TO BRING IN DOC. THIS IS WHAT STARTED THE AVALANCHE https://t.co/BGh2ZaulRx
— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) January 28, 2026
In response to a fan who noted the team’s seemingly uplifted spirits after Griffin’s firing, Crowder posted the following:
WE WASNT DANCING BC HE GOT FIRED WE DANCED TO TRY AND SHAKE THE VIBES IN A POSITIVE LIGHT BC WE WERE ALL BLINDSIDED AND HAD A GAME TO PLAY WITHOUT A HEADCOACH. WHAT WERE WE SUPPOSE TO DO BE SAD ON THE COURT AND GET BLOWN OUT?
— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) January 28, 2026
Those were the days, when 30-13 wasn’t good enough for the Giannis and Damian Lillard Bucks.
How times have changed.
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