The Bucks’ season ended on a sour note—again. They fell in five games to the Pacers, closing with a heartbreaking 119–118 loss in Game 5. Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo’s monster performance of 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 13 assists, the Bucks couldn’t stand a chance against Tyrese Haliburton’s late-game heroics. Milwaukee has now lost three straight first-round series, and its roster looks stuck. With Damian Lillard injured and the team aging, things don’t look promising for next year either. But it seems that the team’s troubles are not ending anytime soon!

Since then, the noise around Giannis has only gotten louder. Despite signing a three-year, $186 million extension in October 2023, rumors are swirling. That deal begins in 2025–26 and includes a player option for 2027–28. So technically, Giannis is locked in through at least 2026–27. But in today’s NBA, contracts often mean less than they used to. With Milwaukee’s aging roster and no control over their picks, some wonder if a quiet exit could still happen sooner than expected.

This week on Nightcap, Quentin Richardson and Shannon Sharpe tackled that very idea. “If you Milwaukee, I don’t care what you do—the last thing you could do, the last thing you should do, is get rid of Giannis,” Q argued. He believes the Bucks should explore every option to build around him instead. In his words, “You figure other avenues. You figure out ways to improve the roster around him, however you got to.”

Meanwhile, Sharpe pointed out that Luka Doncic was traded without asking out, proving that superstars can get moved anyway. “But see, that was the most shocking thing about the Luka trade. Luka didn’t request to be traded,” he said, recalling Luka’s unexpected exit.

Sharpe made one more powerful point that really makes you think. He looked back at history and said superstars usually move when they want to. “Kareem wanted to be moved. Shaq wanted his money.” Moreover, he substantiated Richardson’s claims by agreeing that a team should not trade Giannis unless the latter demands it. “You don’t move KD unless KD says ‘Move me.’ You don’t move a LeBron.”

He explained how even legends like LeBron have never been traded, only left after their contracts ended. So, according to the duo, the Bucks don’t have an option other than trying their best to keep their star player. But it all now comes down to Giannis, will he want to stay in the team or move on?

Giannis Antetokounmpo faces the mirror, not the microphones!

After another heartbreaking first-round exit, Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t point fingers, he looked inward. Despite giving it his all and achieving a historic performance, the team in the end couldn’t make it further in the playoffs. Their journey ending soon was a gut-wrenching feeling for the 30-year-old. “It doesn’t feel good, man,” he admitted. “Just got to look in the mirror and I just have to be better.” It was a quiet but powerful response from a star who’s growing tired of early exits.

He avoided questions about his future in Milwaukee, brushing them off with, “I’m not going to do this.” While he’s long expressed a desire to win again with the Bucks, doubt seems to be creeping in. He stated, “I’m not going to do that. I know how it’s going to translate. I don’t know, man. I wish I was still playing. I wish I was still competing and going back and working out.” Since that 2021 championship run, Milwaukee has only one playoff series win to show. That’s a brutal stat for a team built around one of the game’s most dominant forces.

What seemed to sting even more was the loss for Damian Lillard, who had returned early from a blood clot only to suffer a torn Achilles. “I felt like we owed this game to Dame,” Giannis said. That emotion was written all over his game. His triple-double was a franchise first in an elimination game, and proof that he’s evolving into a full-blown point forward. The next phase of Giannis’ game is coming, but whether that next chapter happens in Milwaukee remains the big, looming question.