Giannis Antetokounmpo was rumored to be leaving Milwaukee all summer, but that didn’t happen.
Instead, the two-time MVP will start the season with the Milwaukee Bucks, a roster that still has a lot of room to play in its bid to win a second NBA championship.
When the Bucks put Damian Lillard on waivers and allowed Brook Lopez to leave, Antetokounmpo was pessimistic about his title chances. Milwaukee signed Myles Turner to improve its chances, but questions still remain over the Greek superstar’s future.
One of Antetokounmpo’s potential destinations this summer was the New York Knicks, but manager Stephen A. Smith said one of his key players was the reason the move didn’t happen.
Any team in the NBA would be willing to sell house to bring in Antetokounmpo, but it would take a sizable trade offer to convince the Bucks to move him.
That being said, many teams would have regretted the moves they made in recent months for lesser players instead of offering assets to Milwaukee for Antetokounmpo.
The Knicks could also be on that team. They gave up five draft picks in 2024 to acquire Mikal Bridges, who they just signed to a $150 million contract this offseason.
Smith criticized the Knicks for giving up draft capital for Bridges. “The key to everything is Mikal Bridges,” he said with Carmelo Anthony at 7 p.m. in Brooklyn. “I like my brother. He deserves it. Mikal Bridges is worth $150 million. That being said, you gave up five picks for that.”
“If the Knicks had that pick, there’s a good chance Giannis would already be here. Mikal Bridges, you’re the reason. He’s not a scrub, he can play. I have a lot of respect for him, but you’ve got to get it done. You’ve got to make sure we’re looking at you, at least make sure you’re an All-Star level player. You’ve got to at least do that.”
Knicks head coach Mike Brown has frequently praised Mikal Bridges this offseason. Brown expects Bridges to be named first-team All-Defense for the second time in his career.
But no matter how well Bridges performs, Knicks fans may be left with a bitter taste that he could have formed a Big Three with Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Bucks can’t theoretically give Antetokounmpo a championship-winning roster, but they can’t be accused of being complacent with their superstar.
Milwaukee sold its future to put a superstar around Antetokounmpo and will only have to pay off the debt this season.
They gave up a huge amount of money in the 2023 trade for Damian Lillard. Injuries were a big reason why Lillard was unable to work in Milwaukee, but when healthy, he and Antetokounmpo were one of the most feared duos in the NBA.
With Lillard gone, the most the Bucks could have done this offseason was sign Turner from the Indiana Pacers. But they have continued to show loyalty to their superstar since preseason.
The Bucks have signed Alex Antetokounmpo to a two-way NBA contract. He joins older brothers Giannis and Thanasis, becoming the first three brothers in league history to play on the same team.
They did everything in their power to keep Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. All they can do now is hope that their efforts will be rewarded with his loyalty.