Bucks should look to move Giannis Antetokounmpo even if he does not request a trade

For the third consecutive season, the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Milwaukee's disappointing finish to the 2024-25 season was magnified by Damian Lillard's unfortunate Achilles injury, which could hold him out for next season.

In addition to that injury, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis are impending free agents and unlikely to return, as they are both aging players.

Those circumstances may create the most polarizing storyline of the offseason: Will Giannis Antetokounmpo be made available via trade?

The 30-year-old averaged 33 points, 15.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists in the first round against the Indiana Pacers. Despite those lofty numbers, the Pacers made quick work of the seemingly one-man team of the Bucks.

Antetokounmpo is one of the most loyal players in the entire league, and because of that, he may not formally request a trade out of Milwaukee. However, even if he does not go to the front office and make his "wishes" public, the Bucks should look to trade away the 2021 NBA Finals MVP for a king's ransom.

Since winning the championship in 2021, Milwaukee has failed to get past the second round.

Antetokounmpo missed the entirety of the 2024 NBA playoffs with a calf injury. Over the last three postseasons, he has played in only eight games and is 1-7 in them.

There have been two specific problems regarding the Bucks' recent playoff woes.

First, Antetokounmpo and Lillard's health has never aligned during these playoff stretches. The two stars have played in only two full games together in the playoffs since Lillard was acquired from the Portland Trailblazers in 2023.

Second, because Milwaukee went all-in while trading for Lillard, the depth and effectiveness of the supporting cast has been lackluster.

Gary Trent Jr. (18.8 points per game), Bobby Portis (14), Kevin Porter Jr. (11.2) and AJ Green (11) rounded out the top performers for the Bucks against the Pacers.

A solution would be to draft notable prospects in the upcoming draft classes. However, Milwaukee does not possess the right to its first-round pick until 2031.

With the roster influx and no solution to building a formidable roster in the foreseeable future, the Bucks have no choice but to trade their superstar, recoup a haul of draft picks and enter a rebuild.

Antetokounmpo still has two years remaining on his current contract, making him even more valuable in a trade to the receiving team, which would not have to sign him to a new deal for at least one more year.

Losing Antetokounmpo would be detrimental, but Milwaukee has flamed out of the playoffs the last three seasons. Keeping him around would be wasting the rest of his prime while missing out on an opportunity to maximize the trade market.