Giannas and The Temptations

The Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers in five games. The series wasn’t close as Giannis Antetokounmpo was the only Buck who consistently played well.

Giannis was fantastic in the series, averaging 33 points, 15.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, one steal and one block per game. He was also efficient, shooting 60% from the floor. This was not nearly enough as the supporting cast did not show up as they were needed to.

The second leading scorer for Milwaukee was Gary Trent Jr. , who averaged 18 points per game. The person who is supposed to be the second option for the Bucks is Damian Lillard. Lillard only played three games in the series as he was coming back from a blood clot issue and then tore his Achilles tendon after returning.

The former Portland Trailblazer is going to miss most of next season, if not, the entire season. Lillard had a good regular season, averaging 25 points and 7.1 assists per game. It is very hard to replace that level of production and attention from the defense. Now, all that attention and coverage goes right back on to Antetokounmpo.

The Greek Freak as he is lovingly known as, is stuck in a situation where he is in his prime but the team around him has no path to get better. They have traded away all of their first round draft picks for the near future. The Bucks don’t have control of their own first round pick until 2031.

This puts them in a horrible position to acquire new talent, not only are they not able to draft new talent but they have no draft picks to use to help trade for new talent. Milwaukee also does not have the type of cap space it takes to drastically improve the team.

So, for right now, it looks like the Milwaukee Bucks will be Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Temptations. The roster is no where near good enough to win a championship.

What’s on the Line for Giannis?

In the right situation, the Greek Freak, could play himself into a top ten all-time player. His resume is already one of the best in NBA history. The former 15th overall pick has outplayed his draft position and expectations by light years.

Antetokounmpo is already a two-time most valuable player, one-time NBA Finals MVP, one-time defensive player of the year, nine-time all-star, been selected to five all-defensive teams, eight All-NBA teams, and has a most improved player award as well.

For his career, Giannis is averaging 24 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game. These averages will go up if he continues to play at the same level he has for nearly a decade. He has averaged 29.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game over the last eight seasons.

Giannis is still in his prime and may be able to play at this very elite level for another three to five seasons. Which will continue to move him up the all-time rankings but there could be a ceiling to how high he can go.

To enter the top ten conversation, a player needs to have more than one championship.

Here are the top ten players of all-time, in my opinion

Top Ten NBA Players of All-Time

1. Michael Jordan

2. LeBron James

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

4. Magic Johnson

5. Tim Duncan

6. Kobe Bryant

7. Steph Curry

8. Larry Bird

9. Hakeem Olajuwon

10. Shaquille O’Neal

    
    

There are players not in my top ten that may be in yours, like Kevin Durant, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Oscar Robertson among others. All of the players listed, except Oscar Robertson, have at least two championships on their resume.

If the Greek Freak is not able to get that second championship, he will go down as an all-time great but not crack the top ten all-time conversation. If this is important to Giannis, then he needs to change teams to have a legit shot at winning more championships.

Here are a few trades that can be mutually beneficial for Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Giannis On Bourbon Street?

The New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in a situation where they have built their team around a star who is rarely healthy in Zion Williamson. Maybe a change of scenery is exactly what he needs and the Pelicans have the assets that could entice the Bucks into making a move.

Bucks get: Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, 2026 first round pick swap, 2027 first round pick swap, and a 2029 unprotected first round pick

Pelicans get: Giannis Antetokounmpo

This trade would give the Bucks a young superstar in Williamson and one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA in Herb Jones, along with picks to help build the team going forward.

For New Orleans’ side of things, they would get a dependable superstar in Giannis who is still in his prime to pair with emerging star Trey Murphy III and maybe a top three pick from this year’s draft.

Giannis and LaMelo?

The Charlotte Hornets have not made a playoff appearance since the 2015-16 season. There should be an urgency to improve as quickly as possible and adding Antetokounmpo would be a great way to become a playoff team.

Bucks get: Miles Bridges, Brandon Miller, Josh Okogie, Daquan Jeffries, unprotected 2027 first round pick, and an unprotected 2029 first round pick.

Hornets get: Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Hornets would get to build around Giannis and LaMelo Ball as their one, two punch, Which sounds like a nightmare for opposing teams trying to stop them. While the Bucks get former second overall pick, Brandon Miller and consistent 20 point per game scorer Miles Bridges to build around with draft picks.

The Greek French Connection?

The San Antonio Spurs have a true generational talent in Victor Wembanyama. He is going into his third year as a NBA player and is already considered the best defensive player in the league and a top ten player overall.

When a team gets a talent like that, it speeds up the team building process. This type of talent puts pressure on the organization to be good right away. San Antonio acquired all-star point guard De’Aaron Fox during the season and now may have the chance to make a big three while Wemby is still on his rookie contract.

Bucks get: Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, and the 2nd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

Spurs get: Giannis Antetokounmpo

This trade would make the Spurs one of the favorites in the western conference. Trying to score while Giannis and Wemby are on the court at the same time would be an absolute nightmare for their opponents.

The Bucks would get a very handsome return in this trade including, 2024-25 Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle. Castle may turn into a superstar one day and be the reason the Bucks are competitive in the future.

This off-season is going to be a very interesting one, where we could see Giannis Antetokounmpo traded and the landscape of the league changed for the immediate future.