Coming into the 2020 NBA playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks were expected to make the NBA Finals. However, they were knocked out in the second round by the Jimmy Butler led Miami Heat.
Following another disappointing playoff exit, questions arose about Giannis and the Bucks. Is Giannis’ game too one-dimensional? Is the Bucks roster good enough to win a championship? Could Mike Budenholzer and the coaching staff make the necessary in-game adjustments against the league’s best coaches?
With so many questions about the Bucks and Giannis’ free agency looming after next season, Antetokounmpo could leave Milwaukee in pursuit of a championship.
Two of the most infamous examples of megastars leaving their teams were in 2010 when LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers, and in 2016 when Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In both scenarios, James and Durant faced similar problems as Giannis in 2020. Could the Cavs surround LeBron with a championship-caliber roster? Could the Thunder finally bring home a championship after years of coming up short?
History shows that superstars won’t hesitate to leave their teams if it means finally bringing home a championship. If Giannis feels he won’t be able to win a championship in Milwaukee, he’ll leave to join a team that gives him a better shot.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the league’s biggest stars, so letting him go for nothing could be detrimental to Milwaukee’s future. Trading Giannis, on the other hand, could land the Bucks one of the biggest returns in NBA history.
They’d certainly be set up for the future with tons of draft capital, and possibly for the present with multiple solid, young players.
While it may seem like trading their franchise star seems like a boneheaded move, it makes a lot of sense for Milwaukee.
Photo Credit: Kim Klement / USA Today Sports
