The Milwaukee Bucks are in a weird spot right now, no doubt about it. Another early playoff exit, this time getting bounced in the first round by the Indiana Pacers, has everyone wondering what’s next. Damian Lillard, the superstar they brought in to chase another ring, went down with a brutal Achilles injury in Game 4 of that series, and now Giannis Antetokounmpo’s own future in Milwaukee is looking a little shaky, with trade rumors swirling and a massive meeting with Bucks management reportedly on the horizon.

So, with all that drama as a backdrop, what’s Giannis doing? Hopping on social media and dropping some serious opinions on the NBA’s all-time greatest shooters, and his answer shows that his injured running mate, Damian Lillard, is very much still on his mind.

It all went down on X (formerly Twitter), where a fan asked Giannis for his thoughts on Stephen Curry. The Greek Freak didn’t hesitate, and his reply was a straight-up mic drop: “Him and Dame greatest shooters of all time💯.” Steph Curry, the guy who basically rewrote the definition of shooting in the NBA? Yeah, everyone puts him on that Mount Rushmore. But Giannis putting his current teammate, Damian Lillard – especially a Dame who’s now facing a brutal Achilles recovery – right up there in the same breath as Steph as the two greatest ever? That’s a monster statement from the two-time MVP, and you better believe the timing is everything.

This isn’t just Giannis showing some love for his guy. You have to look at what a gut punch Lillard’s injury was. Giannis himself called it heartbreaking to watch Dame go down, saying, “You see your teammate being down and your first thought is, ‘Come on, get up, get up, get up.'” He even praised Dame’s incredible mental toughness back then. Now, with that “very, very crucial meeting” with the Bucks’ front office coming up – a meeting where, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Giannis will “talk about the direction of the team” – this public declaration feels significant.

Reports are swirling that Giannis is, for the first time, seriously considering if Milwaukee is where he can win more championships, especially with Lillard likely out all of next season and being virtually untradeable with his massive contract. The Bucks are in a bind, lacking the assets to easily retool around Giannis.

So, for Giannis to make such a bold statement about Dame’s shooting prowess right now? It’s telling. While Steph Curry is undeniably in his own stratosphere as a shooter – he’s the NBA’s all-time leader in made threes (over 4,000) with an insane career 42.3% accuracy on high volume, not to mention being the best free-throw shooter ever at over 91% – Damian Lillard is an absolute legend of the long ball himself.

Dame is top 5 all-time in made threes (over 2,800), shooting a very strong 37.1% for his career on a ton of attempts, and he’s near automatic (almost 90%) from the charity stripe. And then there’s “Dame Time” – those logo bombs that have become his signature. Giannis knows this. By putting Dame on that same pedestal as Steph, even with all the current turmoil, Giannis is sending a message: he still believes in the elite, game-changing talent of Damian Lillard.

Dame’s injury domino – Does it topple Giannis’s future in Milwaukee?

Giannis’s tweet anointing Dame Lillard a GOAT shooter alongside Steph Curry, right in the thick of a Bucks meltdown, definitely had GMs league-wide hitting refresh. Because let’s be real: Damian Lillard’s devastating Achilles tear isn’t just a heartbreaking setback for Dame Time; it’s a potential earthquake for Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee.

The timing of Giannis’s tweet is everything. He knows the score. He knows Lillard is likely out for all of next season, facing a monster rehab at 34 years old. He knows that massive contract Dame is on (around $112 million for the next two years!) makes him almost impossible to trade, especially now.

As The Athletic pointed out, any idea of trading Lillard this summer to reshape the roster? That’s pretty much “out of the question now.” So, the Bucks are stuck with a huge chunk of their salary cap tied up in a player who might not even see the court next year, and they’re light on draft picks and young assets to magically conjure up another co-star for Giannis. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a dude like Giannis, who’s 30 years old, in his absolute prime, and hungry for rings. He just saw his team get bounced in the first round for the third straight year!

This is where that “open-minded” comment about his future, reported by Shams Charania, gets really, really interesting. Every single team in the NBA would clear the decks for a shot at Giannis. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin wasn’t exaggerating when he said Giannis is “at the top of every GM’s mind” because he “immediately makes any team a contender.” We’re talking about a two-time MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, a Finals MVP, a guy who just put up a monster season (30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists).

The Lakers would love him, but as McMenamin said, they probably don’t have the young All-Star centerpiece or the draft capital to make a serious bid. But teams like the Rockets (Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, picks galore?), the Raptors (Scottie Barnes and picks?), or even the Spurs (Wemby and a treasure chest?) could put together some insane packages. Even the Warriors are reportedly keeping an eye on things, dreaming of a Giannis-Steph pairing. The league is basically a bunch of sharks circling, waiting to see if Giannis even hints he wants out.

Now, Giannis has always preached loyalty. Bobby Portis Jr. said it: “Giannis bleeds green. I think he wants that Tim Duncan, Kobe-esque, Steph Curry-type career where they play with one franchise.” And Giannis himself has always said he wants to win another one in Milwaukee. He hasn’t demanded a trade. He hasn’t thrown shade on social media.

But this Lillard injury? It changes the entire calculus. Can the Bucks, with their hands tied financially and Lillard on the shelf, realistically put a championship-contending team around Giannis right now? Only time will tell.