The words don’t matter anymore.
Whether it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo giving his side of this never-ending saga like he has so many times this season, or longtime Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst sitting down for a long interview with the team’s beat writers on Tuesday, the time has long since come for us to focus entirely on the actions.
And with that in mind, consider the recent choices from both of these feuding parties that send very clear signals about what’s truly going on here.
Let’s start with the Bucks.
Despite a long history of letting Antetokounmpo play on one leg when the games had meaning, the lottery-bound Bucks have been at odds with their franchise centerpiece since mid-March over whether he should be playing. They say he’s not medically cleared because of a bone bruise that’s related to the left knee hyperextension he suffered on March 17. He has been saying for more than three weeks now, both privately and publicly, that he’s good to go.
So … what changed with how Milwaukee handles Antetokounmpo’s ailments, and when did his once-celebrated willingness to play through pain become a liability instead of part of his superstar lore?
Well, the Bucks will be entertaining trade offers for Antetokounmpo again when their offseason hits. They have decided that now is not the time to make potential suitors, or themselves, nervous about his health — especially considering his age (31), his long history of injuries and the exorbitant cost of securing his services for his next long-term deal.
So when Horst said on Tuesday that this wasn’t about tanking, and that “it has everything to do with the health of the player,” it was a stance that would have likely passed the lie detector test. But the devil is in the details.
The Bucks are already up against it on the leverage front, with interested teams enjoying these dumpster-fire dynamics that improve their negotiating stance when the summer rolls around.
Yes, in other words, they need to be able to discuss the prospect of trading a fully healthy Antetokounmpo when all those rival executives come their way in the next few months. To hear one such executive tell it, all of this is the kind of front office fodder that will make the already-challenging trade talks that much harder for Milwaukee.
“They overplayed their hand and should have moved him at the trade deadline,” said the executive, who was granted anonymity in exchange for speaking freely about another team. “Egos can get in the way of doing the right thing.”
As for Antetokounmpo, who continues to insist that he sees a pathway to reconciliation with the Bucks while simultaneously wondering if he waited too long to push for a trade, his recent praise of Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was the kind of calculated commentary that sheds light on how he views this sensitive situation.
“Everything about my decision is based on winning, culture,” Antetokounmpo, who has one season left on his contract, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an interview that was published on Monday. “Like you saw, I talked with coach Joe Mazzulla. I said, ‘You had so many opportunities to make excuses, but you didn’t.’ ”
Of course, the Celtics somehow managed to remain among the Eastern Conference elite despite trading Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers last summer and missing Jayson Tatum (Achilles tendon tear) for most of the season.
“And (Mazzulla) said, ‘Oh, they’re good players,’ ” Antetokounmpo continued. “I said, ‘No. It’s about the mentality that you instilled in your place.’ ”
It’s a tricky distinction, but these words weren’t nearly as insightful as his choice to share them. Of all the times to heap praise upon an opposing coach — let alone one from a storied franchise that has been historically aggressive when it comes to chasing superstars — this was quite a time to do it.
And to highlight a narrative that is the polar opposite of what the Bucks have been through, with league sources confirming this week’s ESPN report that coach Doc Rivers is facing serious scrutiny from his players, was to broadcast the fact that he doesn’t think highly of the job that has been done in the Bucks’ house.
Not to mention the reverse tampering feel of it all.
The question now is where the Bucks go from here. More specifically, how can they walk this tightrope — selling Antetokounmpo on staying by way of the extension he’s eligible for on Oct. 1 while also exploring his trade market — one more time? Rivers and his uncertain future are the first order of business.
The recently-inducted Hall of Famer sounded like someone who was done coaching on Tuesday night, when he told reporters that he has “grandkids that I want to see” when asked what might lie ahead. However, Rivers has one more season left on his deal, meaning he would lose a hefty chunk of change if he walked away (he signed a deal worth a combined $40 million when he took over in January 2024).
Per league sources, that scenario isn’t in the cards. Rivers, who headed the LA Clippers’ front office from 2014 to 2017 while also coaching, could potentially choose to take a different role within the organization to continue with the Bucks on his current contract while not having to endure the rigors of the regular-season schedule.
Despite the aforementioned disclaimer that words are virtually meaningless at this point, it is worth noting that Horst gave a full-throated endorsement of the job Rivers has done during his interview on Tuesday. League sources say Rivers is expected to meet with Bucks ownership and Horst soon to discuss what might come next.
From there, the Antetokounmpo story becomes a waiting game of sorts. As you watch these forthcoming playoffs, pay close attention to the teams that suffer the most severe endings to their seasons. Those are the ones who might come calling with enough desperation to get a deal done.
The core four that were there at the deadline, when the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks were known to be in the market for Antetokounmpo, will almost certainly be back if they fall short.
However, how might the Orlando Magic feel if they fall short of expectations, with their current Play-In status nowhere near what they had in mind when they went all-in for Desmond Bane last summer?
And what about the Houston Rockets, who signaled a disinterest in pairing Antetokounmpo with Kevin Durant in February but might change their stance if they get eliminated early?
Ditto for the San Antonio Spurs … or the Los Angeles Lakers … or the Atlanta Hawks. Even the Celtics, who have the ‘Two Jays’ back now and look fully capable of winning it all, are known to be interested and discussed in league circles as potential suitors.
That’s why public words don’t matter anymore. The Bucks need to see what’s in front of them when the Antetokounmpo discussions ramp up again, and to gauge that against whatever vibe there is between him and the only NBA organization he has ever known.
The time will come, believe it or not, when Antetokounmpo’s next chapter is crystal clear. And everything that was said between now and then will have almost nothing to do with how this ended.
