The Milwaukee Bucks tried to make offseason changes this summer that Giannis Antetokounmpo would approve of. They decided to waive Damian Lillard and sign Myles Turner in his stead.
Milwaukee also signed Cole Anthony to help with the point guard spot off the bench. He will help them with their playmaking, as well as their defense in the backcourt.
While Antetokounmpo has been supportive of the decisions publicly, he apparently aired some grievances he had with the roster during an offseason meeting with GM Jon Horst.
According to Shams Charnia of ESPN, Antetokounmpo aired some concerns about the roster for this season to Jon Horst during an offseason meeting in Greece.
"After Horst expressed his confidence in the Bucks' roster and his moves, Antetokounmpo aired his concerns about whether this team could truly achieve championship contention, and he wanted to explore whether there would be an alternative path forward for both the team and the player," sources told Charania.
This is what led to Antetokounmpo allowing the Knicks to make some calls about a possible trade. Of course, that ended up not developing into anything, and Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee.
The Bucks are placing a lot of hope on Myles Turner to be a massively impactful player this season. He was the biggest signing that they made, and he should fit the archetype of the kind of offense they want to have.
Even with the addition of Turner, the Bucks will still go as far as Antetokounmpo. The Bucks need Antetokounmpo to help them beat up on a weakened East.
Turner should theoretically open the paint up for Antetokounmpo. He will be able to stretch the floor and protect the rim so that Antetokounmpo doesn't get beat up inside.
If these moves don't work out this season, there's a very good chance that Antetokounmpo looks for a real exit next summer. That would be the nightmare scenario for Jon Horst.
Last season, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. He shot 60.1 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
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