Damian Lillard’s Achilles Injury Destroys Bucks’ Present and Future

Damian Lillard’s Achilles Injury Destroys Bucks’ Present and Future

The Bucks’ Season is Over

The Bucks are now down 3-1 against the Indiana Pacers in their first-round playoff series. Lillard went down with a non-contact injury in the first quarter of Game 4, and the writing was on the wall. The Bucks were unable to rally behind their star’s exit and fell 129-103 to the Pacers, going down 1-3 in the series. 

They are on the brink of playoff elimination, and the news worsens. Now the Bucks won’t have their second-best player to support Giannis Antetokounmpo in his attempt to upset the Pacers and make a playoff run. The Bucks were already going to have a difficult time making it out of the first round with their roster; without Lillard, it will be almost impossible.  

The Lillard Trade Was a Failure

The Bucks won a championship with Antetokounmpo in 2021. Since then, they have had one conference semifinals loss and what will soon be three first-round exits in a row. This is not the type of contending that Antetokounmpo and Bucks fans were expecting after their 2021 ring. 

Last year, the Bucks got desperate to get more talent around their star. They traded for Lillard in hopes that he could help put the Bucks back in a position to contend. The Antetokounmpo and Lillard combination never really clicked, and with the announcement of Lillard’s torn achilles tendon, that experiment can officially be classified as a failure. 

Changes are Coming in Milwaukee

This moment marks a turning point for Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo has made it clear that he wants to be contending for a championship. If the Bucks aren’t able to put a team around him that makes that possible, don’t be surprised to hear about an Antetkounmpo trade request this offseason. 

The power is in Antetokounmpo’s hands. With Lillard likely to miss a significant amount (if not all) of next season, the Bucks won’t be contending. The Bucks’ front office also doesn’t have many assets to work with to change the team’s current trajectory. They are lacking both future draft capital as well as tradeable talent. With Lillard set to make $54 million next season and likely not help the team much, the Bucks are in a bad position. 

Antetokounmpo’s decision regarding his future in Milwaukee will likely determine the success of the franchise’s immediate future. Lillard will never be the same, and Antetokounmpo won’t have his services for most of next season. It may be time for the Greek Freak to read the writing on the wall. He isn’t winning again in Milwaukee, and if championships are his top goal, he may need a change of scenery.