😔Leave the letters? But the Bucks have no space & no first round & no new players. It may be a bit difficult to compete for the championship again.

Translator's note: This article was originally published from CBS, and the author is Sam Quinn. The data in the article are as of the original article as of June 12, local time. The views in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform.

This week, Giannis Antetokounmpo gave the strongest signal to date, indicating that he does not intend to file a trade application with the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason. "The Finals are a different scene," he said in an interview with a Brazilian media. "I hope to return to the finals stage soon with the Bucks."

Antetokounmpo has been firmly speaking in previous interviews that his priority is to win the second championship. Although he frequently mentioned his desire to stay with the Bucks, he also made it clear that winning a second championship was a bigger goal. It seems that he still has hope that he can achieve this in Milwaukee. In any case, bookmakers currently believe the Bucks are the team that is most likely to keep Giannis this summer (the odds of -190 on the DraftKings platform are available).

If he had a clear championship path in Milwaukee, then we might not have been "assuming" trading him to the championship team for the past month or so. For now, the Milwaukee Bucks' roster is in a dismal state. Just look at the current situation in addition to Antetokounmpo:

Last season, the Bucks players outside Antetokounmpo made a total of 343 starts. Only 142 of these starters are players with contracts next season (although in some cases, the player option may slightly increase this total). Of those 142 starts, 58 belong to Damian Lillard, who is expected to miss next season due to a torn Achilles tendon. Essentially, this means most of the Bucks' starters last season may not be retained next season.

Even if the Bucks intend to bring these players back... this is not a particularly attractive lineup. Except for Antetokounmpo and Lillard, no other player in the Bucks averaged 15 points last season. Brooke Lopez, one of the few core members of the 2021 championship, is now a 37-year-old quasi-free agent. Kyle Kuzma, who joined the trade deadline, used to be a valuable role player but was mostly down in Milwaukee last season. Bobby Portis can enter the free agent market through the player option, and although the data has only slightly declined, his form does begin to show signs of recession. There are also young functional players in the lineup (such as Andre Jackson, the defensive and AJ Green, the projective and AJ Green), but no one can clearly become a comprehensive and reliable positive contributor.

Despite the mediocre roster, if Portis, Connaughton and Kevin Porter Jr. choose to execute the player option, the Bucks will still pay nearly $13 million next season than the estimated salary cap. They may use full middle class exceptions or try to re-sign some of their own free agents. But they need to fill 5 roster spots and have multiple starting positions open. They have a long way to go, but the funds used to achieve their goals are too short. The Bucks will not regain their first-round pick until 2031, and the only second-round pick they can determine is the 47th pick before 2031.

It is reported that the Bucks are planning to perform some kind of "gap year" operation to try to reorganize the lineup, but how much can they do in a year if they cannot play badly in the short term, cannot trade draft picks in the long term, and have no salary space to introduce high-paid new players? Assuming that the Bucks still have Antetokounmpo in a year, they will still face serious asset shortages. They may still be paying superstars for their declining form. Even in the Eastern Conference, where the competitive environment is relatively loose, this is not a problem that can be solved within a year.

The fact is that if the Bucks want to be able to compete for the championship again at Antetokounmpo's peak period, they need to undergo a thorough lineup reconstruction that lasts for several years. They are currently out of the 2026 championship discussion (at the time of writing, their 2026 championship odds are +6000, ranking 17th), and 2027 is also out of the 2027. This will be about how to reorganize the roster, allowing the Bucks to return to the championship ranks at the end of this decade - by then Antetokounmpo may be close to the peak of his early 30s, but is expected to remain strong enough to become the No. 2 star of the championship team.

In short, this is a demolition reconstruction. The reason why it is not a complete rebuild is that Antetokounmpo is expected to stay in the team, but everything else needs to be pushed back and started over. So let's try to develop a plan that sets a viable path to high levels of competition for Milwaukee in the coming years.

What should I do in the free agent market in 2025?  

Brook Lopez's career in Milwaukee is coming to an end. At this stage, he may not have much value to sign first and then exchange (especially considering the various restrictions associated with sign first and then exchange), but if he wants to go to a place where he needs to sign first and then exchange, the Bucks should participate and strive to obtain some assets.

If Portis chooses to jump out of the contract, the Bucks should have let him leave too. He is now 30, and while the Bucks obviously need to tolerate Antetokounmpo's age, their goal should be to achieve youngerness in every other position. If he chooses to execute the contract, then trading him will be a reasonable choice. The Bucks signed him to almost certainly seem even more unwise when the theoretical title-window window opens in a few years – we want the cap space to remain relatively clean for reasons we will discuss in detail later.

If Trent or Prince can accept non-bird rights contracts (i.e. 20% higher than their base salary last season) stay, there is no reason why the Bucks don't do it. They are all qualified NBA rotation players. But when they joined the Bucks, they both hoped to improve their value in a championship team, and the Bucks are no longer a championship team, so if they can get a contract close to the base salary elsewhere, it is a reasonable choice to leave here.

There are two internal free agents who may need to be re-signed, the younger players on the team with some potential to tap: Ryan Rollins and Jericho Hims. Fortunately, both are restricted free agents and should be able to stay for quite a low price. They are potential stocks worth betting on. If the Bucks can sign them on a low-risk multi-year contract and give them a chance to prove they deserve a bigger role next season, they might have to. It goes without saying that if Sanassis Antetokounmpo wants to stay, he will also get a roster spot next season - we are trying to appease his brother.

Where is the external free agent market?  

Again, the Bucks should have full middle class specials available, a tool they can use to add one or two potential new stars. In fact, it is unlikely that they will get young free agents like Alexander Walker at this price point, as such players may get similar offers from more attractive teams. However, there are still a few players worth trying as potential stocks.

Santi Aldama is a restricted free agent, but it is worth discussing whether this big man who is just 24 years old and has excellent shooting ability can join the Bucks with a full middle-class special case and become an Atetokounmpo partner. The Grizzlies may be able to clear out the salary space they need to renegotiate and renew their contract without giving up their cap space retention, but Aldama will be the ideal adapter for the Bucks in basketball style.

Jack Laravia cannot play center, but he is a 23-year-old player with a high IQ, has certain shooting ability, and still has a lot of room for growth. If Portis's career with the Bucks is coming to an end, Laravia can serve as a replacement for the substitute power forward.

Trey Jones may be marginalized in Chicago's backcourt competition. But he has served as a starting point guard before, and the point guard market is so saturated, it is very likely that the Bucks have a chance to get him at a fair price. He is only 25 years old, and his shooting is a problem on Antetokounmpo's team, but he's pretty much competent in everything else, and the Bucks are in need of another starting point guard during Lillard's absence.

Achuwa is only 26 years old. As a big substitute, his ability to switch defenses is quite good, and he has shown certain shooting ability in the past. Maybe it's worth giving him a season to see if he can be a confident low-yield shooter.

The Bucks have signed Mamukailashvili before, and he has gradually grown into an offensive rotation player with the Spurs. Now that he has the ability to shoot, he may be able to play with Antetokounmpo in a short period of time.

Aldama is the only truly exciting player listed here and he is likely not able to get it. Other players are low-risk and high-reward attempts, and the Bucks may be able to sign several of them. The core idea here is to find practical role players with room for growth.