Ever since the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship back in 2021, they have not been able to reach the conference finals or advance past the first round since 2022.
The Milwaukee Bucks were the number one seed in 2023, but they became one of the few teams to lose in the first round as a 1 seed, falling to the Miami Heat in five games. After that loss, Bucks GM Jon Horst decided that the team that won the 2021 championship wouldn’t be enough to contend for another title, so he opted for a roster shakeup.
In the summer of 2023, Horst traded for nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, in a three-team deal involving the Phoenix Suns that sent Dame to Milwaukee.
Portland received Jrue Holiday, Toumani Camara, DeAndre Ayton, a 2029 unprotected first-round pick and two pick swaps in 2028 and 2030. Phoenix acquired Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Keon Johnson and Nassir Little.
Expectations were high for the star duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, but their only success was two first-round exits in consecutive years by the Indiana Pacers. During the first-round series against Indiana, Lillard tore his Achilles tendon in game 4, causing him to miss the entire next season, sparking rumors that Giannis might push his way out of Milwaukee.
The talk of this NBA offseason has revolved around whether Giannis will be traded, but multiple reports indicated he wanted to see how the Bucks performed in the offseason before making a decision.
The Bucks made a surprising move in free agency by signing Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million contract, reportedly at Giannis’s urging, after losing Brook Lopez to the Clippers. To make room for Turner, the Bucks had to waive Damian Lillard after stretching his contract, which was a five-year, $113 million deal.
According to Chris Hayes, Giannis had no idea the Bucks planned to waive Lillard and was said to be unhappy with that decision. Rumors about Giannis’s future reignited, with teams like the Heat, Celtics, Knicks, Cavaliers, Warriors, Lakers and Rockets seen as potential destinations for the former MVP of 2019. NBA insiders widely expect Giannis to decide whether he will stay or leave Milwaukee by the end of summer.
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