NBA Insiders Reportedly Doubt Bucks Can Build 'Contender' for Giannis amid NBA Rumors
Teams around the league are doubting whether the Milwaukee Bucks will be able to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay by building an Eastern Conference contender without Damian Lillard, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.
"Can the Bucks, between keeping their players and potentially trying to find a stopgap point guard, can they present Giannis with a team that can be a contender in the Eastern Conference? The league doesn't think so," Windhorst said on Get Up (h/t Real GM.)
Windhorst said he believes this doubt is part of the reason teams like the New York Knicks, Miami Heat and San Antonio held back on bidding on Kevin Durant before he was traded to the Houston Rockets.
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He also said teams' belief that the Bucks could be a non-playoff team next year is part of the reason the 2026 first-round pick moved in the New Orleans Pelicans' trade up in the first round of this week's NBA draft had so much value.
The Pelicans traded an unprotected 2026 first-rounder, which will end up being the more favorable of the Bucks' or Pelicans' selections, alongside the No. 23 selection in order to move up 10 spots and draft Maryland's Derik Queen.
"We saw a Milwaukee Bucks' 2026 first round pick traded on draft night with the expectation that could be a valuable pick, because teams are questioning whether the Bucks will be a strong team next year, because they are questioning whether Giannis is going to be there," Windhorst said (h/t Real GM.)
The Athletic's Jon Hollinger reported after the draft that NBA executives considered that pick to be a "superfirst" because both the Pelicans and Bucks could be lottery teams next season.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Thursday that Antetokounmpo is "closely observing" how the Bucks handle the draft and free agency before deciding on his NBA future.
What the Bucks decide in free agency negotiations with players like Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis and Gary Trent Jr. could impact both if Antetokounmpo ultimately seeks a trade and whether opponents see Milwaukee as a potential threat next season.
