Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are off to an abysmal 1-6 start to the season, which makes it easy to speculate about the future of the franchise.

And whether that future will include trading cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"I don't think right now there's any discussion about trading Giannis," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said during Wednesday's episode of Pardon the Interruption. "I don't think Giannis wants that. I don't think the Bucks are looking for that. But if you're asking me whether I think that's something that could happen at some point on the horizon? Yes. I, and many other people in the league, are keeping an eye on that."

Antetokounmpo is signed through the 2026-27 campaign with a player option for 2027-28, so there is no immediate urgency when it comes to making a decision.

It's not as if the Bucks risk losing him during the upcoming offseason for nothing if they don't make a move, and they can continue building around him and hoping for a turnaround in 2024-25. After all, seven games is hardly a sample size too big to overcome during the course of an 82-game season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ye0-8fCO1g

But it's fair to wonder about the long-term viability of the roster as currently constructed.

Brook Lopez (36), Damian Lillard (34) and Khris Middleton (33) are all older veterans who could be past their peaks in the near future. If Milwaukee doesn't turn things around this season, it isn't reasonable to expect it to be better in 2025-26 when they are all a year older.

Perhaps that is when the Bucks will consider a complete reset by trading Antetokounmpo and landing significant draft-pick compensation in return.

CBS Sports' Bill Reiter reported last month that one Western Conference executive said, "teams are circling—and hopeful" when it comes to a possible Antetokounmpo trade. An Eastern Conference executive said in the same report that the future Hall of Famer may want to end up on the Miami Heat or Brooklyn Nets.

Any type of bidding between multiple teams for one of the league's brightest stars would only work in the Bucks' favor, as they could drive up the price and accelerate an eventual rebuild after he is no longer on the roster.

But it doesn't sound like they are ready to make that decision.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton remains out indefinitely as he recovers from his offseason ankle surgeries, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Charania reported Tuesday on NBA Today that the Bucks "have recognized that this is taking much longer than they anticipated." Middleton has yet to resume five-on-five action on the court.

The three-time All-Star experienced issues with each of his ankles during the 2023-24 season and used his time off over the summer to have arthroscopic surgeries. It marked the third successive offseason in which he had a procedure of some kind after getting a torn wrist ligament repaired in 2022 and then alleviating some knee soreness in 2023.

There's no question the 33-year-old's absence has played a role in Milwaukee's start. He'd give the team another proven scorer, and he'd help the Bucks' three-point shooting as they sit 13th in average makes (13.0) and 15th in three-point percentage (35.4).

It's nowhere near as simple as putting Middleton back in the rotation and watching Milwaukee thrive, though.

The Bucks are 22nd in defensive rating (116.5), per NBA.com, and they sorely lack the kind of presence they had on the perimeter with Jrue Holiday. Having the NBA's seventh-oldest roster is showing up in how opposing guards are blowing by whoever Milwaukee is throwing at them, too.

Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell dropped 30 points in a 114-113 win over the Bucks last Saturday. Two nights later, Darius Garland went off for 39 points as the Cavs won again, 116-114.

In short, turning around a 1-6 start will require more than a healthy Middleton.

Milwaukee Bucks center Bobby Portis said during a message on social media Sunday that his home was burglarized on Saturday and posted a video of the alleged perpetrators.

I consider Milwaukee my home. Last night, while I was at work, my home was burglarized, and many of my prized possessions were stolen. If you have any tips or info, please send them to info@bobbyportis.com. Rewards for info leading to recovery or arrests! pic.twitter.com/ORNYHxNC1c

— Bobby BP Portis (@BPortistime) November 3, 2024

In the video, a pair of people were seen attempting to gain access to Portis' property through one of his doors.

Portis requested that any information or tips regarding the burglary be sent to his email.

The 29-year-old has become a fixture as Milwaukee's de facto sixth man off the bench. In parts of five seasons, he's averaged 13.5 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from three. The Bucks are built around the star trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton, but Portis has become an incredibly valuable role player.

Portis, who has a $13.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season, also has felt embraced and at home in Milwaukee.

"The love you guys give me here isn't something that I ever felt before in my NBA career, and I've been in the league for 10 years," he said in his video. "... I've always felt like I've had to give it right back to you guys. I've tried to uplift the community and make Milwaukee a better place."

The Milwaukee Bucks have underwhelmed early in the 2024-25 season amid a 1-4 start that has left the team searching for answers and other organizations keeping a close eye the superstar face of the franchise.

CBS Sports' Bill Reiter reported that teams are, per executives, "circling -- and hopeful" that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be available via trade. "I wouldn't be surprised if it happened by the trade deadline," a top executive told the insider.

Reiter's report named the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets as Antetokounmpo's preferred destinations.

Teams can take glee in the Bucks' early struggles and circle around the two-time NBA MVP all they want but it would be asinine for Milwaukee to even consider a deal at this point in the season.

Or at all.

The 29-year-old is the face of the franchise, the best player on the roster and the piece around whom the organization has been built. He led the Bucks to the 2021 NBA title and was the Finals MVP.

While the team has not made it past the opening round in the last two seasons, they have been in the playoffs every season since 2016 and a large part of that can be attributed to his development into the best player on the team and one of the legitimate superstars in the NBA.

Through the first five games of this season, the big man from Athens, Greece has averaged 30.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks. He ranks fourth in the league in scoring and ninth in rebounds. He is ranked first in defensive rebounds.

This is not a player whose skill set is diminishing or whose level of play has taken a sudden downturn. He is still an elite player in the league whose stats rank right up there alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokić, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Edwards.

Dealing Antetokounmpo, either now or later this season, would admit defeat to the rest of the league and essentially set the Bucks organization back several years. If not longer.

A player of that magnitude, both on the court as a leader of the team and off as the face of the entire franchise, does not walk through the door every day. He is not someone who the Bucks can trade away to the Heat in return for draft picks or Jimmy Butler (or both) and hope to pick up where they left off.

Giannis is a generational player, a franchise savior, and a champion.

You build an organization around him and then make trades to improve the roster elsewhere.

Not the other way around.

That is the step the Bucks need to take next, especially if the early season struggles continue. Find other role players and depth additions to surround him with. Make it appealing for him to stay so that any desire he may have of leaving the only team he has ever known dissipates.

Or, better yet, give the roster more than five games to get into a rhythm and gel before blowing things up to the extent that they trade away one of the best players of the last decade for a haul that will never adequately equate to what Antetokounmpo has brought and meant to the organization, the city, and its fans.

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers is taking responsibility for the team's 1-4 start, saying the following after the team's 122-99 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.

Doc Rivers: “The defensive transition was still awful tonight and so that’s on me. Everything is on me until we get it right. We gotta fix this.”

— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) November 1, 2024

The Bucks have allowed 122.25 points per game during their losing streak. All four of those losses have been by double digits.

On Thursday, Memphis shot 52.4 percent from the field and led by as many as 31 points. The Grizzlies also scored 40 first-quarter points and out-rebounded the Bucks 56-38.

Rivers took over as the Bucks' head coach early in the second half of their 2023-24 campaign following the dismissal of head coach Adrian Griffin. Milwaukee has since gone 20-27 under Rivers (including playoffs).

The Bucks' defensive effort has been particularly worrisome. Entering Thursday, Milwaukee ranked 24th in defensive rating, per Basketball-Reference. Other stats, and the tape, tell the story as well.

The Bucks so far have the:

- 2nd worst transition defense
- 3rd worst transition offense
- dead last in drives per game
- dead last in passes

All of this is uncharacteristic for a team built around Giannis Antetokounmpo.

— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) November 1, 2024

Broke down the Bucks’ defensive issues for like 30 minutes earlier this week with tape after their games against Chicago and Brooklyn.

These thoughts continue to be accurate. https://t.co/kxcBpFiLI8

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) November 1, 2024

Milwaukee notably allowed plenty of open shots to Memphis, especially in transition. The Bucks also saw Ja Morant, who had a triple double, lob an assist while sitting down on the court.

WHAT A DIME 👏 https://t.co/ponHfHoR89 pic.twitter.com/OI0lv56cFD

— NBA (@NBA) November 1, 2024

Fans are naturally pessimistic about this team's prospects.

The Bucks are getting run out of the gym by a depleted Grizzlies team. This defense is beyond bad. I think we are about a month away from Giannis asking out of Milwaukee. They are going nowhere incredibly fast.

— Jonny Rizzo (@jonspicks) November 1, 2024

I don’t even know how you fix this Bucks team. But it starts on defense.

— Anthony Birch (@AnthonyEBirch) November 1, 2024

Is it just me or are the Bucks even worse on defense than last year

— BRⱯNDON 🗽 (@GPIsCooked) November 1, 2024

The Bucks defense is Swiss cheese….

— KD (@KG1BS0N) November 1, 2024

The good news? This season is five games old, and the Bucks still have two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-way superstar, aboard.

The bad news? The Bucks look like one of the NBA's worst teams right now, and the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers are up next for a home-and-home two-game set.

Game 1 there will go down on Saturday in Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Bucks fell to 1-4 after the Memphis Grizzlies blew them out 122-99 on Thursday evening, with point guard Ja Morant posting a 26-point, 14-assist, 10-rebound double-double.

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo did all he could, scoring 37 points on 17-of-22 shooting alongside 11 rebounds. The rest of the Bucks largely struggled, particularly Damian Lillard, who scored four points on 1-of-12 shooting. Lillard and fellow starters Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince made just 1-of-19 three-pointers.

Memphis outclassed and outhustled Milwaukee all night. Examples include the rebounding discrepancy (56-38) and a 40-point first quarter. Memphis led by as many as 31 en route to the 23-point win.

The 2024-25 season has featured a nightmarish start for the Bucks, whose NBA Finals win three seasons ago seems lightyears away now. Milwaukee opened the year with a 124-109 win over a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team missing Joel Embiid and Paul George, but the Bucks have lost four straight by an average of 14.5 points ever since. Each game has been a double-digit loss, and the Bucks have allowed 122.25 points a contest during that span.

Milwaukee is without three-time All-Star Khris Middleton, who is recovering from surgery on both ankles. It's still hard to see light at the end of the tunnel for a team that had championship aspirations one year ago when it brought Lillard aboard.

Fans are particularly upset with head coach Doc Rivers, who has not fared well since taking over the team at midseason last year.

Milwaukee fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin despite a 30-13 start. Including playoffs, In Griffin's stead, Rivers is 20-27 as the Bucks' head coach, and that's a record hard to fathom considering Milwaukee's recent success coupled with the fact that the team rosters one of the NBA's elite talents in Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP.

Hiring Doc Rivers is one of the worst decisions this franchise has ever made

— Ryan (@BrewPack8) November 1, 2024

Giannis forced Adrian Griffin out the door just to get Doc Rivers. He deserves ALL of this.

— The Big OG said FIRE MOREY! (@OHGEENiCK) November 1, 2024

When are we going to admit that Doc Rivers has been living off that 2008 title for almost a decade at this point?

— Hamz Talks Hoops (@hamztalkshoops_) November 1, 2024

Doc Rivers and Darvin Ham wearing coach costumes this Halloween 👻.#nba pic.twitter.com/lvG5maOT06

— Filipe Viola (@Filipe__Viola) November 1, 2024

Doc really did break the Bucks huh

— Duncan Smith (@DuncanSmithNBA) November 1, 2024

Not a coincidence that the Bucks have Doc Rivers and Darvin Ham manning the ship and they look dead in the water.

That team and that franchise is COOKED.

No assets either.

— Witness King James (@WITNESSKJ) November 1, 2024

Doc Rivers hate watch going good rn pic.twitter.com/WUbSdWlFly

— PBMTalksBall (@PBMTalksBall_) November 1, 2024

https://twitter.com/mikesuszek/status/1852168340489330959

The Bucks hiring Doc Rivers is still hilariously bad. Probably the most overrated coach in NBA history & he has this Bucks team looking so bad

— Adam Samuels (@SamuelAdams_12) November 1, 2024

Doc Rivers is the most overrated coach in sports history. Not just NBA, all of sports. I’ve never seen someone so terrible at their job get so much respect.

— Matt Horner (@Sharp_Side_) November 1, 2024

I, for one, am shocked that Doc Rivers can’t coach. If only there was a large body of evidence that could’ve warned the bucks against this hire

— Nate Huempfner (@NateHuempfner) November 1, 2024

What needs to be scrutinized heavily is the Milwaukee Bucks firing Adrian Griffin last season after going 30-13 for Doc Rivers whose been absolutely much worse as head coach

— Nets Drip (@NetsDrip) November 1, 2024

The Doc Rivers effect pic.twitter.com/rKv0ZzvLIk

— ooooobk (@FeelLikeOBK) November 1, 2024

Doc Rivers and Darvin Ham really broke my team 😭 pic.twitter.com/1hUPeXebGQ

— JBond (@jbondwagon) November 1, 2024

Might be time to admit the Bucks gave up on Adrian Griffin too soon. Doc Rivers ain't it.

— Madril (@MadrilSmith13) November 1, 2024

The saving grace is that the season is just five games old, so Milwaukee has plenty of time to turn this around and the talent to do so.

It's really ugly right now for the Bucks, though. The skid could very well continue, too, with a home-and-home set up next against the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday and Monday.

NBA executives say there is anticipation growing around the league that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo could be traded this season.

"Teams are circling—and hopeful," an anonymous executive for a Western Conference team told CBS Sports' Bill Reiter.

Another NBA executive told Reiter that they "wouldn't be surprised" if an Antetokounmpo trade happened by the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

A third executive for an Eastern Conference team said they have heard Antetokounmpo's preferred trade destinations would be the Miami Heat or the Brooklyn Nets, per Reiter.

Antetokounmpo has averaged 28.8 points and 11.8 rebounds through the Bucks' 1-3 start to the 2024-25 campaign.

The Bucks opened the season with Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combining for 55 points in a 124-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Strong performances from Antetokounmpo and Lillard haven't been enough to save the Bucks from three straight losses since then. The two Milwaukee stars most recently combined for 63 total points in a 119-108 defeat to the defending champion Boston Celtics on Monday.

After expressing frustration about the Bucks' lack of "identity" after last Sunday's loss to Brooklyn Nets, Antetokounmpo shared a more optimistic perspective when speaking to reporters following the next day's loss to the Celtics.

"At the end of the day, we have a great team. I believe we will keep on playing better, learning from our mistakes," Antetokounmpo said. "Eventually, we are going to start winning games. I don't think we are far off.

"I do not care about the record. I care about keep on building, people being healthy, and get where we want to get."

After the Bucks suffered a second straight first-round exit from the playoffs last season despite their blockbuster trade for Lillard last September, the pressure is on Milwaukee to make a deeper playoff run to keep both him and Antetokounmpo bought in to the franchise's hopes of repeating its 2021 title run.

Heat star Jimmy Butler is potentially entering free agency following this season (he has a 2025-26 player option), although previous reports indicate Miami has little interest in trading him. Nets forward Cam Johnson has also been the subject of trade rumors amid the franchise's focus on acquiring draft stock.

If the Bucks continue to flounder and eventually consider trading Antetokounmpo, those names would likely come up in discussions of a possible deal with either team.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't happy with the team's 1-2 start to open the new NBA season.

"Right now, we don't have an identity," he told reporters following a 115-102 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. "How are we going to win the game? Are we going to defend for 48 minutes? Are we going to move the ball for 48 minutes? Are we going to attack? We've gotta find an identity. We don't have that right now."

While Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 43 points, the Bucks shot 30.3 percent from beyond the arc and turned the ball over 18 times. The rebuilding Nets also had a 47-43 edge in rebounding and outscored Milwaukee 38-34 in the paint.

It's far too early to ring any alarm bells, but Giannis' comments are concerning because the Bucks have lacked a firm identity since the start of last year.

Some will argue the championship window with their current core has already closed. Lillard didn't have his expected effect on their offense last season. Khris Middleton had surgery this offseason for the third year running. Doc Rivers posted a losing record as the Bucks' head coach in the second half of last season after replacing Adrian Griffin.

The hope was that having a full offseason with Rivers at the helm would make a difference. It was also tough for Lillard to find a comfort zone in Milwaukee when he got traded so close to opening night and then had to adjust to a coaching change.

Here we are, and the Bucks are still waiting for everything to click.

Falling short of the conference finals would probably be considered a disaster for the organization given its aging roster and few remaining assets that it can leverage to augment the squad.

That outcome is steadily looking more likely.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. was involved in a single-car crash Saturday following a team workout.

The Bucks said Jackson was the only person in the vehicle and didn't suffer any injuries.

Jackson is in his second season with the Bucks, who acquired him after the Orlando Magic selected him 36th overall in the 2023 NBA draft. He appeared in 57 games as a rookie, averaging 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per contest.

The former UConn star was briefly on the floor for Milwaukee's 124-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in its opener. He was then absent from Friday's 133-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls.

According to Mary Spicuzza and Drake Bentley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a spokesman for the Bucks confirmed Jackson will be with the team for Sunday's clash with the Brooklyn Nets, which kicks off a three-game road trip.

So far, so good for a Milwaukee Bucks team that will be under the spotlight all season after two straight first-round exits.

Milwaukee started its 2024-25 campaign with a 124-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Wednesday's Eastern Conference showdown at Wells Fargo Center. The result largely boiled down to the visitors having their two biggest stars while the 76ers didn't.

Damian Lillard finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists while shooting 6-of-12 from deep, while Giannis Antetokounmpo posted 25 points, 14 boards and seven assists on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. Both performances were important, as Khris Middleton was out for the Bucks.

"AS THAT MAN CONTINUES TO NAIL THREE-POINTERS!"

6 triples & 29 points for Dame on ESPN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vGMaKRmcN9

— NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2024

Philadelphia was missing more, though, with Joel Embiid and Paul George sidelined.

Tyrese Maxey tallied 25 points but shot just 10-of-31 from the field as the 76ers didn't have the firepower to keep up with an Antetokounmpo and Lillard combination that drew plenty of reaction from social media:

DAMIAN LILLARD!

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 24, 2024

damian lillard looks like portland dame this season and the league should be terrified

— sydney fink (@sydn3yfink) October 24, 2024

DAME IS UNBELIEVABLE

— 🦌 (@SnellSZN) October 24, 2024

Few things make as happy as watching Dame Lillard hit a ridiculous three. pic.twitter.com/NAmUt9IRiQ

— kenny jacobs. bsky.social 🌻 (@kennyjacobs) October 24, 2024

Damian Lillard is back pic.twitter.com/WLfQ51K0lZ

— Russ' TD ⚡ (@RussFcb) October 24, 2024

Damian Lillard. Sir. pic.twitter.com/0uf1coJO8z

— Tony Atkins (@TonyAtkinsTV) October 24, 2024

Damian Lillard is my PG

— GiannisMuse 💫🦌 (@GiannisMuse) October 24, 2024

Giannis letting dame be dame https://t.co/Cmz150UFeG

— Edgyx (@Chatterbucksx) October 24, 2024

God our offense is looking different... Others are cutting, can put the ball on the floor, along with Giannis and Dame being Giannis and Dame

— Alexander The Great (@crycrysnowflake) October 24, 2024

https://twitter.com/jeremywick/status/1849265353253171494

Giannis jumper back? pic.twitter.com/NgXr8QKizz

— 🦌⌚️ (@GiannisEffect) October 23, 2024

It's hard to win when you're giving up this much size

Bucks' rim defense shut down every Sixers drive and the Sixers couldn't single cover any of Giannis/Lopez/Portis

Going to be an uphill battle until Embiid and PG get back and maybe even (to a lesser degree) after that

— Mike O'Connor (@MOConnor_NBA) October 24, 2024

Crazy how good the Bucks defense is when Giannis is on the floor

Now that Dame is coming back into form, it makes it that much easier for Giannis and Brook to focus their energy on the defensive end

— Brady 🦌 (@BucksBrady) October 24, 2024

This was a high-profile potential playoff preview between two of the presumed challengers for the Boston Celtics' crown, but it also wasn't representative of what this matchup could be down the line with Embiid, George and Middleton all sidelined.

Lillard and Antetokounmpo still brought the star power with the former attacking the basket off the dribble and finding space beyond the arc, while the latter set the tone with quick inside baskets. Yet neither of them were as aggressive as Maxey, who launched 19 field-goal attempts in the first half alone.

Unfortunately for the home team, that aggressive approach wasn't the most efficient one. The Bucks jumped out to a 58-47 halftime lead as Maxey struggled with his shot both inside and outside the three-point line.

We know an opponent hates to see Giannis coming. pic.twitter.com/mXEsuAbbBx

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 24, 2024

Lillard then took things into his own hands in the third quarter and caught fire from deep.

He poured in 15 points in the quarter and took full advantage of the spacing created by Antetokounmpo's gravity. He wasn't the only one, as offseason addition Taurean Prince found his stroke from deep as well as the Bucks continued to pull away.

The game was never truly in doubt during the fourth quarter after Lillard's onslaught, and Brook Lopez made sure the 76ers didn't cut too much off the deficit with his interior defense on the way to six blocks.

Milwaukee will now look to build some early momentum when it hosts the Chicago Bulls in its home opener on Friday.