The Milwaukee Bucks had the best regular season record in the NBA and are led by the (soon to be) two-time MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. They entered the NBA "Bubble" in Orlando as the favorite to win the East and were one of the favorites to win the championship.
The championship hopes of Dairy Land are now expiring, as the Bucks are down 3-1 to the Miami Heat in their second round playoff series. Giannis is doubtful to even play in Game 5, as he sprained his ankle in Game 3 and then re-injured the ankle again in Game 4.
With the Bucks on the verge of an early and disappointing playoff exit, their attention will turn to the future.
Giannis, who is under contract through next season, is eligible to sign a "Super-max" contract extension with Milwaukee this off-season. At age 25, he could sign the richest deal in NBA history to commit to the Bucks through the 2025 season.
The issue is the make-up of the Bucks roster. Giannis is not surrounded by an elite partner and while they are good enough to dominate the regular season, the roster is full of holes that playoff teams can exploit. It happened last year in the East Finals against Toronto and it's happening again right now against Miami.
If he does not agree to the "Super-max" this off-season, the Bucks stand to lose him for nothing the way the Cavaliers lost LeBron James to Miami in 2010 and Los Angeles in 2018 and how the Thunder lost Kevin Durant in 2016.
Milwaukee cannot afford to get nothing for Giannis. They need to act aggressively to determine whether or not to keep Giannis in Wisconsin.
The Bucks first order of business should be to offer him the extension. If he signs it, great news for them. They can start to shuffle their roster and draft pick assets to re-shape their team to better contend for a title. This is the best-case scenario.
However, if he does not commit to the full extension, then the Bucks need to find a trade partner that fits their needs.
Dealing a (soon to be) two-time MVP who will be 26 during next season is no easy task. But, if the Bucks strike quickly, then they can make the best of a bad situation.
There are a few deals that can happen to match salary for Giannis. These include being dealt to Dallas for Krystaps Porzingis or to Philadelphia for Joel Embiid. Neither makes much sense for Milwaukee, other than salvaging something in exchange for Giannis.
One deal that makes sense is with Golden State. The Warriors are coming off of an injury-plagued rebuilding year after an epic stretch in which they won 5 consecutive Western Conference championships and three NBA titles. They have Steph Curry and Klay Thompson coming back and also hold the #2 overall pick in this year's draft.
The Warriors could package this year's first round pick and the first round pick they are owed from Minnesota from the D'Angelo Russell trade (top 3 protected for 2021 and then unprotected in 2022) along with Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green to get back Giannis, Brook Lopez, and Ersan Ilyasova.
The Warriors reboot their title chase with Giannis, Steph, and Klay and Milwaukee can stay in contention with Khris Middleton, Wiggins, and Green plus the hope that the second pick in this draft becomes a cornerstone player and that the Minnesota pick will also yield a promising player.
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