Will Giannis Antetokounmpo Shock the NBA Again or Face an Unthinkable Challenge in 2025-26?

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo Shock the NBA Again or Face an Unthinkable Challenge in 2025-26?
Advertisement

It’s that, as someone smart recently reminded me, Lillard’s tragic Achilles rupture in the opening minutes of Game 4 of Milwaukee’s first-round series against the Pacers eliminated one potentially fruitful pathway to a brighter future: the possibility the Bucks could have rerouted Lillard for more raw materials with which to fashion a new, more competitive version of the team.

[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]

Even in the doldrums of a personal and professional downturn, Lillard averaged 24.6 points on .604 true shooting, 7 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 35.7 minutes per game across two seasons in Milwaukee, made consecutive All-Star appearances, and finished 10th in the NBA in points and assists per game and 11th in offensive estimated plus-minus last season. Even with two years and $112.6 million left on the contract of the 35-year-old Lillard, there’s a decent chance that general manager Jon Horst could’ve found a trade partner willing to part with some real stuff that would re-stock a Milwaukee cupboard that’s awfully bare; thanks to the 2020 trade that made Holiday a Buck and the 2023 deal that shipped Holiday to Portland for Lillard, the Bucks have traded away control of their first-round pick in every season from now through 2030.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Post Comment

WIN $500 OF SHOPPING!

    This will close in 0 seconds

      This will close in 0 seconds

      RSS
      Follow by Email