The Milwaukee Bucks have been NBA title contenders, on at least some level, for the past seven seasons, dating to their 60-win season in 2018-19. This qualifies as an outsize window in the modern era, where repeater taxes and aprons have been installed to make this sort of run a real challenge.
But most importantly, the Bucks won a championship in 2021 and validated everything and everyone. Having said that, they have lost steam. They’ve exited in the first round of the playoffs in three consecutive years and haven’t made it past the second round since the title run. They have traded their first-round pick or its swap rights for the next six years and traded their second-round selection for the next six years, hampering their ability to restock the roster.
Over the past four years, they have paid about $940 million in salaries and luxury taxes and won one playoff series. In April, their chances were submarined by Damian Lillard‘s devastating torn left Achilles. The Bucks will pay him $54 million next season uncertain how much he will be able to contribute.
There is a lot in those three paragraphs. They don’t cry out for maintaining the status quo. The Bucks’ franchise player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is fully aware of the situation but has not taken any action.
The Bucks feel as if they have come to a crossroads: continue to build around Antetokounmpo despite their challenges or look for a new way forward. Here’s a look at both paths.
— Brian Windhorst
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