Bucks Can't Afford to Replicate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Situation With Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Milwaukee Bucks might be in a situation in which they have to trade their best player. Giannis Antetokounmpo is considering being traded for the first time in his career.

Antetokounmpo has been loyal to Milwaukee up to this point. He has said multiple times that as long as the team is able to compete for a title, he wanted to be there.

This isn't the first time that the Bucks have been in this position. Back in the 1970s, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar demanded a trade, specifically to either New York or Los Angeles.

Abdul-Jabbar was the best player that the Bucks have had until Antetokounmpo came around. Before Antetokounmpo won the title in 2021, the last title Milwaukee had won was back in 1971 with Abdul-Jabbar.

Milwaukee has to avoid a similar situation that they faced with Abdul-Jabbar. The Bucks need to make sure that he doesn't dictate exactly where he wants to go, if he wants to be moved.

Doing that would significantly affect the return that the Bucks could get in exchange for him. That would limit the offers that they could receive from other teams.

In an ideal world, the Bucks don't have to trade him. They want to keep him for as long as possible in Milwaukee. Ideally, they would keep him for his entire career.

Antetokounmpo isn't just the best place on the Bucks, but he is one of the best players in the entire league. That's why Milwaukee should get so many offers for him if he wants out.

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Milwaukee will likely know what Antetokounmpo wants to do within the next couple of weeks. Once he makes a decision, they can start making plans for this season.

Without Damian Lillard playing most of next season, the Bucks will likely not contend for a title. It could be a good time to reset some of the starting lineup that they have, regardless of whether or not Antetokounmpo is still on the roster.

This season, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. He shot 60.4 percent from the field, and 22.2 percent from three.

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