The Bucks have traded Giannis. What is their direction?
They finally did it.
After over a year of trade talk and speculation, the Bucks finally traded their franchise superstar.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Miami Heat, and the Bucks have officially entered a rebuild.
So how should Milwaukee navigate this massive shift in their franchise?
The total return for Giannis (and Bobby Portis) includes Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez, Kel'el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, and draft capital.
This is a massive return. The Bucks make away with a former All-Star, 2 elite young role players, and a former 1st-round pick.
Pair these additions with their current roster, and you have yourself a team full of valuable young pieces. Some argue this new roster could be a play-in-level team.
But is this really ideal for the Bucks?
On paper, it sounds great to be able to trade your franchise superstar and remain somewhat competitive, but when you look at the context, it is less inspiring.
Put simply, Tyler Herro is the face of the franchise, and that isn't an inspiring long-term outlook. Herro, while being an All-Star guard, doesn't give your team a high enough ceiling to lead your rebuild.
Another issue arises when you look at the payroll. This team is expensive. There are several $20 + million salaries that Milwaukee must pay out, including Herro, Kyle Kuzma, and Myles Turner.
So the Bucks need to capitalize on the value of these players as soon as possible, while shaving down costs along the way.
What they should do:
Waive: (G) Gary Trent Jr., (G) Gary Harris, (G) Andre Jackson Jr., (F) Alex Antetokounmpo
Trade 1:
Houston Rockets receive: (G) Tyler Herro, (F) Taurean Prince
Milwaukee Bucks receive: (G) Reed Sheppard, (F) Dorian Finney-Smith, (C) Clint Capela, 2028 1st-round pick (via HOU), 2028 2nd-round pick (via HOU)
Trade 2:
Golden State Warriors receive: (F) Kyle Kuzma, 2028 2nd-round pick (via HOU), 2028 2nd-round pick (via MIA)
Milwaukee Bucks receive: (F) Gui Santos, (C) Al Horford
Free Agency:
Resign (F) Ousmane Dieng to a 3-year, $18.75 million contract ($6.25 million AAV)
Sign (G) Keon Ellis to a 3-year, $18 million contract ($6 million AAV)
Sign (F) Rui Hachimura to a 5-year, $112.5 million contract ($22.5 million AAV)
Why this works:
Milwaukee has completely redefined its timeline.
To kick off their off-season, the Bucks let go of Gary Trent Jr., Gary Harris, Andre Jackson Jr., and Alex Antetokounmpo, clearing up 4 roster spots and creating room for the Bucks' next big additions.
In a trade with the Houston Rockets, Milwaukee moves off of Tyler Herro in exchange for Reed Sheppard, and gets a 1st-round pick to consume Dorian Finney-Smith (DFS) and Clint Capela's contracts.
Shifting from Herro to Sheppard gives Milwaukee a former top-3 pick with a higher ceiling than Herro.
The contract of DFS, while being large, isn't fully guaranteed, meaning the Bucks can waive him in the 2027 offseason and completely wipe his salary off the books.
For Houston, this trade gives them a much-needed addition at the guard spot, and marks an all-in move.
Moving on to Golden State, the Bucks yet again save money and move towards youth.
Trading Kyle Kuzma and 2nd-round picks in exchange for Gui Santos and Al Horford rids Milwaukee of Kuzma's $20 million salary and replaces him with a promising young player in Gui Santos and veteran leadership in Al Horford.
In Free Agency, the Bucks build long-term stability.
Signing Keon Ellis and Ousmane Dieng gives Milwaukee development pieces to look forward to, and bringing in Rui Hachimura solidifies a strong and stable forward rotation.
Milwaukee doesn't need to replace Giannis.
They need to replace the timeline he represented.
The next era won't be built around one superstar. It'll be built around giving themselves as many chances as possible to find the next one.
Milwaukee Bucks potential 2026-27 starting lineup + bench:
PG: Ryan Rollins SG: AJ Green SF: Jaime Jaquez PF: Rui Hachimura C: Kel'el Ware
G: Reed Sheppard, Kasparas Jakucionis, Keon Ellis F: Ousmane Dieng, Gui Santos C: Myles Turner, Al Horford