The Milwaukee Bucks are taking the risks they have to

They gutted their bench and mortgaged their future, but it’s a risk worth taking for the Milwaukee Bucks to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to remain put.

After a theatrical night of trade drama on Monday night, the Milwaukee Bucks sit in a better position to retain Giannis Antetokounmpo than they were before the NBA lifted its trade moratorium at 12 PM that same day.

New additions Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic fix many of the halfcourt offensive woes that undid the Bucks in the playoffs while offering the type of defense and 3-point shooting that has vaulted Milwaukee up the league’s hierarchy.

But whether through an extension this offseason or as an unrestricted free agent in 2021, nothing is guaranteed until that supermax deal is signed. Giannis is getting that $250 million no matter what. He might want to wait and see how all this change affects the only bottom line he cares about.

In the interim, the worst must be considered, which Milwaukee has only exacerbated following its recent activity. Their bench will have to be filled with minimum deals. The ability to improve through the draft has dissipated tremendously. All to entice the signature of one man.

We’ve seen this type of risk before, right?

The Brooklyn Nets went all-in by surrendering most of their draft capital in pursuit of a championship back in 2013. The title window closed just as quickly as it opened and the Boston Celtics wound up reaping the benefits of Brooklyn’s misery for years to come.

By dealing Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, Donte DiVincenzo, DJ Wilson, Ersan Ilyasova, three first-rounders and two pick swaps for Holiday and Bogdanovic, the Bucks have opened themselves to that potential reality as early as next summer, with Brooklyn’s past serving as a prime example of just how ugly it can get.

The Nets had to watch Boston draft franchise pillars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum at their expense. The LA Clippers might be in the same boat by this time next year after their mega-deal with the OKC Thunder forced the surrendering of seven first-round picks for just two guaranteed years of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Losing a star of any caliber hurts, much less a megastar like the reigning two-time MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Not being able to benefit from that crater of a void left behind is so much worse. Milwaukee could’ve hedged its future to soften the blow of a potential Giannis departure. Doing so would mean they were avoiding giving him a reason to stay.

A future without Antetokounmpo is not one the Bucks should grow content with, no matter how many of their lottery picks they get to make.

He is at worst the second greatest player in franchise history already. Nothing that immediately follows his tenure with the franchise will come close to replicating the same type of championship legitimacy he brings at the moment.

If the ultimate goal of every NBA team is to win a title and the Bucks have a realistic shot with a 25-year-old megastar leading the way, you do whatever you can to keep that window open as long as possible. Should Giannis still wind up leaving for what he feels are greener pastures elsewhere, the organization can take comfort in knowing they did all they could instead of wondering whether they did enough.

There is still much work to be done for Milwaukee to further solidify its case for Antetokounmpo’s future. The rotation has to be properly set and a greater sense of tactical creativity must be fostered within Mike Budenholzer to right the wrongs of their most recent playoff shortcomings.

Then if only for the days before free agency begins and the Bucks must find ways to fill out their bench, Jon Horst and Co. did what was necessary to help Giannis make a decision their silence was previously doing for him.