Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks at odds over whether to finish out the season: Sources
With lower than a month remaining in the NBA’s common season, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are at odds over whether the two-time league MVP ought to finish out Milwaukee’s 14 remaining video games.
The Bucks, per league sources, have made it clear to their franchise centerpiece that it might be of their shared curiosity for him to sit out with the staff at the moment 6 1/2 video games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the closing Play-In Tournament spot. While accidents have compelled Antetokounmpo to miss 32 video games already this season, league sources inform TheAthletic the 10-time All-Star ahead has knowledgeable the staff he has no need to reduce his season brief.
Antetokounmpo, who has been the subject of fervent trade rumors all season however remained with the team At final month’s deadline, he has been on a minutes restrict often this season, as he has labored his manner by way of accidents to his calf, groin, ankle and knee. He has appeared in 36 video games and averaged 27.6 factors, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 28.9 minutes.
When reached for remark, a staff supply famous that Antetokounmpo continues to be injured and never cleared to play at this time, and an replace shall be despatched when that modifications.
The newest harm for Antetokounmpo is a left knee hyperextension suffered in the third quarter of the Bucks’ 134-123 win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Following that recreation, Antetokounmpo advised reporters that I believed he was finethought he may have returned to the recreation and wouldn’t want additional imaging on the harm. Bucks coach Doc Rivers advised reporters earlier than Tuesday’s recreation that Milwaukee had its star ahead undergo an MRI on Monday to make certain.
“The good news was it was a really good image, so there was no damage. Nothing,” Rivers mentioned. “It was really just good news. But I don’t know the next part (about a timeline for his return).”
Even with a clear MRI on his left knee, the Bucks declared Antetokounmpo out for Tuesday’s 123-116 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers two hours earlier than typoff. While Antetokounmpo was already listed as questionable on the harm report with a left ankle sprain, Milwaukee up to date its harm report to say he was out with a bone bruise attributable to a left knee hyperextension.
After saying that Antetokounmpo would miss Tuesday’s recreation, Rivers was requested when he thought the danger of the Bucks’ finest participant struggling one other harm would outweigh the reward of placing him on the ground with a postseason look wanting far-fetched.
“That’s a good question,” Rivers mentioned. “I don’t have the answer, but it’s a very good question. … Honestly, that’s all I have, but it’s a good question. It’s something we will talk about, but that’s about it.”
Bucks management has already approached Antetokounmpo about the concept of not enjoying one other recreation for Milwaukee this season, which the franchise’s all-time main scorer firmly rebuffed, league sources advised TheAthletic Tuesday.
Losing as a lot as potential at this level in the season helps the Bucks’ long-term prospects. The staff is in place to safe a lottery choose in the 2026 NBA Draft, one in every of the most loaded drafts in recent memory. While Milwaukee doesn’t management its personal choose this season, a choose swap with New Orleans — which the Pelicans despatched to the Atlanta Hawks — means the Bucks will get the lesser of their choose and the Pelicans’ choose.
As of Wednesday morning, the Pelicans — whose choose will go to Atlanta — have the NBA’s seventh-worst file, whereas the Bucks are tied with the Chicago Bulls for the ninth-worst. Whether the Bucks use this 12 months’s first-round choose in a commerce to enhance the staff round their celebrity or choose a younger participant to assist construct a new-look roster, that choose having stronger lottery odds can be to their benefit. Losing extra can solely assist enhance these odds.
Sitting Antetokounmpo would make losses extra seemingly. The Bucks are 11-21 with out Antetokounmpo and 17-19 with him this season.
While the franchise finally held onto Antetokounmpo by way of the Feb. 5 commerce deadline, common supervisor Jon Horst listened to gives from opposing groups in the lead-up, a stark distinction to his typical strategy concerning Antetokounmpo’s future. There is an expectation that trades may once more be explored this summer season.
Ensuring Antetokounmpo is wholesome heading into the offseason can be finest for the franchise, whether they decide to commerce Antetokounmpo or select to provide him a supermax extension on Oct. 1 after fortifying their roster throughout the offseason.
Throughout his tenure as common supervisor, Horst has often turned away opposing groups wanting to commerce for Antetokounmpo and as a substitute tried to encompass the celebrity with as a lot expertise as potential to preserve the Bucks in competition for NBA championships. Even with first-round playoff exits in every of the final three seasons, Milwaukee has been in the dialog for title competition at the begin of the final seven seasons and gained an NBA title in 2021.
Following Tuesday’s recreation, Rivers mentioned he believed Antetokounmpo can be becoming a member of the staff in Salt Lake City for Thursday’s recreation in opposition to the Utah Jazz, Milwaukee’s first contest in a four-game Western Conference street journey.
While it stays to be seen whether this disagreement leads to Antetokounmpo returning to the ground quickly, the opposing beliefs from each events about how to transfer ahead are price watching intently with a pivotal offseason quickly approaching.
