Giannis Antetokounmpo heaps praise on Mavs coach, discusses potential Bucks exit
With Giannis Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee already appearing to be on the rocks, the two-time league MVP further fueled talks of his potential Bucks exit on Wednesday during an interview on the " 48 Minutes" podcast.
“If there is a better situation for me to win the Larry O'Brien I have to take that better situation,” Antetokounmpo said.
Could that better situation be with the Dallas Mavericks?
During his appearance on the podcast, Antetokounmpo had high praise for Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, labeling the Hall of Fame player turned coach a "genius."
Kidd, now entering his third season in Dallas, previously served as Antetokounmpo's coach in Milwaukee for four seasons beginning in 2014-15. When the Bucks opted to fire Kidd following the 2017-18 season, NBA reporter Chris Haynes reported that Antetokounmpo was "devastated" over the decision.
Since Kidd's departure, Antetokounmpo has developed into a perennial All-Star and a surefire top-five player in the NBA — much of which he attributes to his former coach.
"He was a big part of my success,” Antetokounmpo said of Kidd following the coach's firing. “He trusted me, he put the ball in my hands, he motivated me on a daily basis, he pushed me to be great and not to be mediocre."
After winning an NBA title in 2020-21, the Bucks have taken a sizeable step back, failing to advance past the conference semifinal round in back-to-back seasons. This offseason, Milwaukee fired coach Mike Budenholzer and hired first-time head coach Adrian Griffin.
Despite Antetokounmpo's brilliance, it's reasonable to question whether Milwaukee's championship window has closed. Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton have an average age of 33.3 years old. The latter's scoring average dropped 5.0 ppg last season, while the former has hinted at retirement after his current deal with the Bucks expires following the 2024-2025 season.
Set to turn 29 years old this season, Antetokounmpo has been extremely outspoken regarding his desire to hoist another Larry O'Brien trophy in his career — if not multiple. Teaming up with Kidd and fellow superstar Luka Doncic in Dallas would undoubtedly boost his chances of doing so.
While questions of Kyrie Irving's fit next to Doncic remain prevalent in Dallas, swapping Irving out for Antetokounmpo would give the Mavs one of basketball's most dominant one-two punches. The combination of Doncic and Antetokounmpo, two top-five scorers from a season ago, would solidify Dallas as a title contender for years to come.
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