Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are in serious jeopardy of getting eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs for the third consecutive season.
The Indiana Pacers blew out the Bucks 126-103 on Sunday, taking a commanding 3-1 series lead. It’s looking pretty bleak for Antetokounmpo and his team, so much so that it might be time for both parties to address the elephant in the room.
Fans Are Already Predicting Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Next Team
As the Bucks were wrapping up their embarrassing home loss at the hands of the Pacers, the X account – BricksCenter posted a video of Antetokounmpo in which he seemed to be in deep thought. The caption of the post read: “Yeah Giannis is gone” with a crying emoji.
One fan responded to the video, writing, “He definitely needs a new team without a doubt.” This sparked plenty of speculation regarding the former MVP’s potential next destination.
Plenty of fan bases pleaded with Antetokounmpo to join their team.
“Welcome to San Antonio, buddy,” one fan wrote.
“Laker bound,” a Lakers fan wrote.
“Welcome to the Rockets,” an X user wrote.
Until the Bucks are eliminated, the star forward’s next team likely won’t be a topic of discussion. However, their exit from the postseason feels inevitable, and not just because they’re down 3-1 going back to Indiana. With Damian Lillard likely out for the rest of the series, that may put the final nail in Milwaukee’s coffin.
If and when the Bucks get ousted, Antetokounmpo will have to take a really good look at how the franchise has fared since winning the title in 2021. Since then, they have won exactly one playoff series, which was in 2022, and things seem to have only gotten worse from there.
Another factor that could impact the NBA star and his team’s decision is that the Bucks are pretty much out of draft assets, having used a chunk of them to acquire Lillard’s services. Since Milwaukee doesn’t have many options to improve its current standing, trading Antetokounmpo might be its best choice.
If they do trade Antetokounmpo, he will fetch a handsome return since he’s still in his prime. It will all depend on what the Bucks want for him.
If they want a rebuild package, the Rockets could make a very enticing offer for the Greek Freak. If they want a retool package, it can be done, but it might be hard to find equal value.