The Milwaukee Bucks missed their shot at the NBA title this season and almost immediately the speculations run wild that the team could lose Giannis Antetokounmpo. Should that be the case, will the Greek Freak consider heading to Western Conference and win his championship ring there with the Portland Trailblazers?
The scenario was dreamed up by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, who seemed to doubt that Antetokounmpo will get to accomplish his mission of becoming an NBA champion with his current team. One option for the reigning league MVP is to hook up with a stronger squad and he can make that move in the offseason.
Smith might be assuming too far ahead but the result of the Bucks' playoff showdown with the Miami Heat is hard to ignore. Milwaukee entered the postseason as No. 1 seed and the early favorites to win the NBA title but they bowed out of the series and nearly swept by Miami at 4-1.
Antetokounmpo working with Damian Lillard at Portland is nothing short of earthshaking. Smith said the Bucks superstar has a greater chance of finding success with Dame Dolla. The 24-year-old will likely pick up more MVP wins and start winning NBA titles.
"Those are the kind of things that could be options out there if he can't get it done in Milwaukee," NBC Sports reported the ESPN analyst as saying.
The pairing of Antetokounmpo and Lillard is an exciting prospect and Portland can make this happen by tempting the Bucks with promising talents. Putting Zach Collins on the table and packaging the offer with cash that will be hard to resist should the trick, the report added.
However, the best attention-grabber has to be the assurance that Antetokounmpo making the move is all worth the trouble. That should mean the Trail Blazers will need to further strengthen the roster before making the case on the Bucks superstar. It will be easier to convince the power forward if he is to link up with the highly competitive squad.
For Antetokounmpo's part, the defeat suffered by the Bucks should prod him to search for better opportunities, possibly outside of Milwaukee. The Ringer said the star has a big decision to make moving forward and it will not easy for him.
One option is to exercise patience and see how the Bucks will make the adjustment for a better campaign next season. Or Antetokounmpo can take matters in his own hands and act like the superstar that he is - make demands for changes like how LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard are doing.
Antetokounmpo can also just walk away and play for a team strong enough to win him an NBA title or two. In doing this, Antetokounmpo will take a hit on his reputation but such is the prize of stardom and success in the NBA, the report noted.
