After being waived putting an end to the next two years worth $113 million, Damian Lillard will hit the market as one of the hottest free agents in the league, but his exit from Milwaukee is only the tip of the iceberg of what is to come for the Bucks roster shake ups this offseason.
In what is seen as a likely exit from Milwaukee this offseason, Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the most talked about trade candidate heading into the offseason, and after the Lillard buy out, he could be next on the chopping block. It is rumoured that Giannis’ feelings were not too great towards the decision to waive Lillard in order to sign Myles Turner, and could fuel his plans to leave the team even more this summer as teams continue to explore the opportunity to sign him. But Giannis’ exit on top of Lillard’s would only start a mass exodus of players in Milwaukee, and a full rebuild could be imminent.
As players like Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and now Lillard exciting team in the last few years, it seems Milwaukee’s attempts to continue to build around their star haven't been as successful as they had hoped, and with a potential move for the Greek Freak, a full rebuild would be the ideal situation for the Bucks, and could be their only option. With a potential starting five of Kevin Porter Jr, Gary Trent Jr, Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner, and Giannis heading into next season, it looks likely that Giannis may look for a move given the current state of the team, and there Bucks could even consider moving all pieces, and use newly acquired Turner as the core player.
With only three first round picks in the next five years, and not a lot of valuable assets on the team, trading Giannis could be the only option in order to acquire some capital, and waiving Lillard yesterday may have been the sign that a move may be imminent. With the free agency still in full swing, trades will come for Milwaukee, and a batch of players will probably be moved, but the situation in Milwaukee looks one of a probable full blown rebuild in the next year or so, and without Giannis’, a new identity will have to be built in Milwaukee, and big decisions are definitely ahead.
Comments