The Milwaukee Bucks find themselves in a tough spot, coming off three seasons that have fallen short of expectations, following their first NBA championship win in half a century in 2020-21. With Giannis Antetokounmpo entering his age-30 season, the team’s window of contention, with him as a young superstar, may be closing. The pressure is on the Bucks front office to make significant moves to upgrade the roster and satisfy their star player.
Antetokounmpo’s discontent is a significant factor in the pressure facing the Bucks. They have made big moves in recent offseasons in an effort to upgrade the roster. Their mega-deal in trading Jrue Holiday for Damian Lillard was a gamble that has yet to pay off, as the Bucks flamed out in the first round of the playoffs, while Holiday helped the Boston Celtics to win a championship.
While the Bucks could reasonably attribute their previous postseason exits to injuries, they cannot continue to rely on that as the roster continues to age. There is a sense of urgency to make another big trade to return to championship contention and challenge the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
Three players are likely to be on their way out as the Bucks look to make a significant trade. The team and its fans are becoming impatient as they seek to return to the level of success experienced in the championship-winning 2020-21 season.
The Milwaukee Bucks, the reigning NBA champions, are facing the challenge of maintaining their contention status around superstar player Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is no longer considered one of the young talents in the league. To satisfy his expectations, the team needs to make big moves and upgrade their roster. For this reason, the Bucks are expected to trade some players, and Brook Lopez, an aging center, is one of the likely candidates. Although Lopez has been an essential part of the team’s defensive strategy, being one of the league’s best rim protectors and providing scoring and floor-stretching abilities, he is becoming more of a liability on the perimeter and is not elevating Milwaukee’s average defense. Moreover, his contract will expire after this season, making him an attractive trade target for teams that are keen on adding size at the rim or want to shed salary. However, if Milwaukee decides to trade Lopez, the team will need to change its playstyle and acquire multiple athletes on the perimeter that can defend, shoot, and handle the ball, skills that the Bucks are lacking. The team will need two or three of these players to reach the championship-contending tier again and satisfy Antetokounmpo’s championship aspirations.
The Milwaukee Bucks are facing the need to make significant moves to rebuild their roster back to contention. Having won their first Larry O’Brien trophy in 50 years in the 2020-21 season, the team has experienced three disappointing seasons. As Giannis Antetokounmpo enters his age-30 season, the pressure for the Bucks to make big moves and upgrade their roster to satisfy the superstar’s expectations is mounting. In recent offseasons, the team has been urged to make significant trades, and as the fanbase grows impatient, a more urgent sense of pressure is arising.
Milwaukee’s last three postseason exits can be explained by injuries suffered by key players. However, this cannot be an excuse for the future. The team is getting older, and the roster is stagnant, making it incredibly difficult to contend with the top teams in the league. As such, the Bucks must make another big trade to get back to championship-level contention.
The aging roster is one of the team’s most significant weaknesses. Brook Lopez, a massive part of the Bucks’ ascent to championship contention, remains a crucial piece, but his contracts make him an expensive trade possibility. He provides some scoring and rim protection and stretches the floor better than most big men. However, Milwaukee is now an average defensive team, and Lopez is declining rapidly with age. While his contract will expire after this season, he is still the team’s biggest tradeable asset, and the Bucks must acquire two or three athletic guards and wings who can defend, dribble, shoot, and compete in the physical areas of the game.
Bobby Portis is another player whose value lies in his valuable contracts, making him a trade possibility. He has been excellent for the Bucks, having just had a career year in 2023-24. He averaged 13.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, shot 50.8% from the field, and 40.7% from three in just 24.5 minutes per game. While having a sixth man who can reliably give the team crucial points off the bench is valuable, Milwaukee needs athletic guards and wings who can improve its defense and speed. Portis has done a lot in his four years with the Bucks, but the team may have to trade him for a better-fitting star or two solid role players who can improve the team’s makeup.
Pat Connaughton, one of the less famous Bucks players, is also a valuable trade chip. His contracts amount to $9.4 million dollars for next season and a player option in 2025-26. He was a significant contributor to the 2021 Bucks championship team, but he has been declining for a couple of years now. Once a dead-eye shooter with some sneaky athleticism, Connaughton’s accuracy from deep has waned, and coupled with his aging, the team’s biggest problem, slow foot speed, has been exposed on the perimeter. He becomes nearly unplayable when paired with a lineup of four other guys. When he is out there with Lillard, Middleton, Lopez, and Antetokounmpo, they don’t have a single guy who can defend the ball competently, making it impossible for the Bucks to keep up with the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
To have a chance of winning a seven-game series against top teams in the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee must trade one, two, or three of these players for several players who fit better in the modern NBA. The team’s lack of athletic players who can defend, dribble, shoot and compete in the physical areas of the game has been exposed, and the Bucks must address this issue to remain competitive.
