The time has come for Giannis Antetokounmpo to jump ship

The Milwaukee Bucks have suffered their second straight first-round exit with a Game 5 loss to the Indiana Pacers. To make matters worse, Damian Lillard has suffered an Achilles tear. 

Milwaukee heads into the offseason with similar questions to previous years. No matter what the front office does, nothing seems to be moving the needle. With each passing year, Giannis Antetokounmpo is inching away from his prime. 

Antetokounmpo, 30, has spent his entire career with the Bucks, winning them a championship in 2021. He has also shown tremendous patience as his supporting cast has slowly declined. However, even the addition of Lillard has failed to stem the bleeding.

According to former NBA guard Gary Payton, who was speaking on a recent episode of Shannon Sharpe’s “Nightcap” podcast, Milwaukee will likely look to trade Lillard this summer.

“I think they’re gonna retool this whole team,” Payton said. “I don’t even think Dame is gonna be there next year. I’m going to be honest with you. This team is not the same.” 

After two failed seasons on the East Coast and coming off an injury, Lillard’s trade value is minimal. The Bucks won’t get anything of genuine value in return for the veteran guard. Furthermore, Milwaukee is limited in terms of its own tradable assets. 

So, why would Antetokounmpo want to stick around? Is he willing to put loyalty ahead of legacy, or does he view them as two parts to the same puzzle? Only he can answer those questions.

But if Antetokounmpo wants to win championships, he must find a way out of Milwaukee. The Bucks aren’t going to be at the required level any time soon. By the time they even get close, Antetokounmpo will be on the decline, and potentially unable to spearhead that type of postseason run. 

Milwaukee is at a crossroads. In turn, so is Antetokounmpo. This postseason has proved that Doc Rivers’ team isn’t ready to mix it with the likes of the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. Antetokounmpo deserves to be rewarded for his steadfast commitment to the Bucks franchise. 

Unfortunately for both parties, that reward should come in the form of a trade to a contender.