Milwaukee Bucks: Welcome to the NBA’s purgatory! With the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade now a reality, a new chapter begins. But before we look ahead, it’s important to understand how we got here.
Whenever a superstar and a team break up, the blame game begins. Critics look to see what went wrong and why. We should hit the pause button in this instance and recognize the Bucks did everything they could to keep Antetokoumpo in Milwaukee, keep him happy, and contend for Larry O’Bs.
No, Milwaukee wasn’t perfect.
Their last meaningful draft hit was Donte DiVincenzo in 2018, taken 17th overall. Granted, they only had two first-rounders in that stretch, but whiffed on each attempt.
Before DiVincenzo, Malcolm Brogdon, a second-round selection in 2016, was the only other rotational draft pick the Bucks made since grabbing Antetokounmpo in 2013 (Jabari Parker’s injuries shortened a once-promising career).
To make up for that ineptitude, they swung big in trades at every at-bat.
It started with the acquisition of Eric Bledsoe in 2017. Bledsoe was a clear upgrade at point guard and helped Milwaukee catapult from a fringe playoff team to a legitimate championship contender.
When it was clear Bledsoe wasn’t a starting-caliber point guard on a legit championship team, Milwaukee flipped him (and a ton of draft capital) for Jrue Holiday in 2020. The Bucks' bold gamble paid off as they immediately won the championship that season.
In 2023, the Bucks went hunting for another upgrade. Just weeks before tip-off, they traded Holiday and more picks for Damian Lillard. The gamble fizzled, but you can’t fault Milwaukee for aiming high.
However, those moves worked from the Antetokounmpo perspective. The Bucks convinced him to sign extensions on three separate occasions.
At least, it worked for a little while.
Milwaukee Bucks never wavered in their dedication to competing around Giannis.
The Bucks have made bold moves at every turn to convince Antetokounmpo to stay in Milwaukee. Unfortunately, it seems like they’ve been hit by bad luck at every turn in response.
While trying to defend their championship in 2022, Khris Middleton went down with a fluke injury when he slipped on the court in their first-round series against the Chicago Bulls. He missed the rest of the postseason and watched from the bench as Milwaukee fell to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the second round.
Antetokounmpo himself suffered several untimely injuries in the playoffs. Antetokounmpo and Lillard never had a healthy postseason run together, with Lillard tearing his Achilles in the first round in 2025.
That was a franchise-altering injury for the Bucks and directly led to Antetokounmpo’s departure.
In desperation, Milwaukee waived Lillard last summer and used the freed-up cap space to sign Myles Turner. Looking back, it was a clear last-ditch effort to win in 2025-26 and persuade Antetokounmpo to stay.
Let’s be honest, the Bucks’ front office made its share of mistakes. They prematurely fired Mike Budenholzer and now find themselves on their third coach in three years.
But what else is a small-market franchise to do?
Milwaukee is a city that deserves more love, but it’s hardly a magnet for NBA stars. Their biggest free agent splash in recent memory is…Greg Monroe.
The best way franchises like the Bucks can acquire a star is to draft one. After striking gold with Antetokounmpo, they pulled every lever to keep him. Future be damned, they prioritized winning now, knowing full well what it meant for the second half of this decade.
Sure, you can blame them for not hitting on their draft picks or making a bad move here or there. However, you can’t blame them for trying.
Time and again, they shoved their chips into the center, going all in for stars when few believed they could. They unearthed hidden gems in free agency and revived careers. Lack of effort was never the reason for the Milwaukee-Antetokounmpo divorce.
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