The Milwaukee Bucks have been working diligently to assemble the right roster around their superstar, aiming to return to the pinnacle of the NBA. But, since their championship win in 2021, they haven’t been able to find nearly the same level of success.
Trying to run it back, adding Damian Lillard, or substituting him for Myles Turner, none of these options have worked out so far.
Bucks Have Running Mate in Mind for Giannis Antetokounmpo
The noise around Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially becoming a trade piece near the deadline has gotten louder than ever before. However, the team remains committed to keeping the best player in franchise history around. And one insider has revealed the next player Milwaukee believes could make it happen.
At 14-20, the Bucks remain out of the playoff hunt entirely in the Eastern Conference. Some of that has been a result of Antetokounmpo missing an extended period. Without him, though, the team couldn’t find virtually any success. Going 3-11 in the 14 games without him, they completely fell apart without the two-time MVP. His addition has revitalized the team once again. But the team clearly doesn’t feel like a unit that can make a legitimate run in the playoffs.
But rather than embrace a complete teardown with an almighty package for the Greek Freak, the Bucks are instead trying to find a new partner that could act as a secondary star to him. Jake Fischer, on the latest Stein Line, gave his insight on the noise around the league.
“It should come as no surprise that Milwaukee, league sources say, is evaluating Porter on top of the targets we’ve previously reported, whose contracts are actually pricier: Sacramento’s Zach LaVine and Portland’s Jerami Grant,” Fischer wrote.
The Porter in question here is former NBA champion Michael Porter Jr., who’s found a new home with the Brooklyn Nets and has shown off the most complete version of himself this year. As the leading scorer in Brooklyn, he’s averaging 25.8 points and 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 49.6% from the field and 41% from 3-point territory on an absurd 9.2 attempts. Signed to a five-year, $179,299,750 contract with the Denver Nuggets, he has one more season remaining on his deal after this one.
“Among the players referenced in this section, Porter might have the highest ceiling of them all. He has still yet to enter his prime and provides floor spacing Milwaukee badly needs to open up space for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s bulldozing drives.”
It’s unclear if a trade will come to fruition in the coming months or how the new-look Bucks core would work. But the combined pedigree of two champions could give them a new edge. With the growth Porter has shown in Brooklyn, it could translate to a much higher ceiling for this team and entice Antetokounmpo to remain in Milwaukee.
