“As long as we are in for a championship, we are all good.” Two summers ago, Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed that he has no problem staying with the Bucks as long as their goals are aligned. So, the Bucks front office immediately got to work and pulled off the massive Damian Lillard acquisition. Despite the promising move, they failed to get past the first round in last year’s playoffs. Unfortunately, this season’s outcome was no different. And this constant failure has raised major uncertainty around Giannis’ future in Milwaukee.

Although Giannis’ three-year $186 million extension kicks in next season, many believe The Greek Freak might look to get traded this summer. After all, he wants “to be a winner” and the Bucks have come nowhere close to winning since their 2021 title run. So, a change seems imminent. In case Giannis leaves, the move will not be sudden and out of the blue, like it was for Luka Doncic in Dallas. At least that’s what veteran insider Bobby Marks believes.

“I will say this, it ain’t gonna be a Dallas situation where Jon Horst basically trades the guy in the middle of the night and doesn’t tell him, if it ever got to that. The guy’s meant too much to the city. He’s won them a championship. He’s probably been the loyalist player.” Marks said, addressing Giannis’ future. Yes, the Greek Freak has given twelve years to the Milwaukee franchise, and arguably earned the status of the greatest Buck of all-time.

Unlike Nico Harrison’s doubts about Luka, Giannis’ commitment and conditioning have never sparked concern in the Bucks front office. He has always stayed in top form, contending for MVP since he made his first All-Star team in 2017. Even in the series against the Pacers, while the Bucks were eliminated in five games, Giannis left his mark. He averaged 33 points and over fifteen rebounds, trying his best to keep his team’s title dreams alive. So, Horst is unlikely to trade him out of the blue, considering his impact on the franchise.

Due to Giannis’ loyalty, Marks continues to have hope that he might give the Bucks one more chance, “That’s where a part of me says I could see Giannis saying after losing in Game 5, ‘You know what? Bring this group back. Get me Trent. Give me Portis. Add some things around the edges and we can compete.’” However, for that to happen, the front office will need to make some drastic changes over the summer.

Bucks face tough decision around two key players amid looming Giannis Antetokounmpo question

If Giannis somehow decides to stay in Milwaukee, the Bucks will have another issue to worry about. Building a championship roster around him. A decision that could cost them $201 million. Of course, they will need to reconsider Lillard’s future after his season ending Achilles injury. As of now, Dame has two years left on his deal with a player option for second year. Marks is sceptical about Bucks offering him a potential $112 million extension, “Lillard was on my board. I wrote about him, he was eligible for an extension. He has two more years left, they can add 65 million. It’s hard for me to see Milwaukee extending Damian Lillard.”

So far, the Dame-Giannis duo has not worked out for the Bucks and it would be too risky to invest more money on the former Blazers star. However, another key player who is more likely to receive an extension is AJ Green. “Probably one of the more underrated players. Shot the heck out of the ball man. I like him a ton. He’s on a non-guaranteed contract next year. I would seriously consider extending him. Extension eligible for 4 for $89 million.” Marks remarked.

Yes, Green was pivotal in the Bucks’ regular season success, averaging 7.4 points and over two rebounds. He showcased his true potential in the Pacers series, where he upped his scoring average to 11 points. He shot a whopping 51.4% from deep range. Surely, the Bucks could benefit by securing an elite shooter like him. Obviously, this is all considering Giannis gives this roster another shot.

If he doesn’t however, the Bucks will need to tackle an even more difficult question – What’s the next best move? As per Marks, Horst should not make the same mistake Nico made with Luka. “It ain’t gonna be like two firsts and whatever, no no. When you have a player that’s under contract for 3 years like Giannis and there’s a player option that third year, you’re basically going to max out as much just based on how limited you are.” Yes, the reporter wants the Bucks front office to get the best possible trade offer in exchange for Giannis, so that they can build the franchise’s future without him. It will be interesting to see what direction they take next. Thoughts?