After the trade deadline, when Giannis Antetokounmpo stayed put, the Milwaukee Bucks thought their playoff hopes would be fruitful. But the Wisconsin franchise remains 6.5 games out of the Play-In, which has led to a new internal conflict. Unfortunately for the Greek Freak, a 17-year NBA veteran turned Phoenix Suns color analyst is not by his side.

“This is unfortunate. It truly is unfortunate, but Milwaukee, you should have traded before the season,” Eddie A Johnson was very blunt and direct with his take on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “You should have! Because everybody felt that it was going to lead to this. Giannis is so discombobulated right now in what he wants. He doesn’t want to tick the Milwaukee fans off, and that’s probably why he wants to play. He’s like, ‘No, no, I want them to still see me play. I want to give back to them.’ Maybe that’s in his heart. I don’t know.”

Johnson talked about the issue, which has escalated from inside the locker room to the headlines in the news. Against the Indiana Pacers, the 2x MVP suffered a left knee hyperextension. Thankfully, the MRI showed no structural damage. But that’s a surface-level problem. Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss at least a week because of the injury. But the Bucks want to push this timeline.

Reports have confirmed that the front office wants their superstar to sit out the final stretch of the season, prioritizing long-term health and draft positioning. However, Giannis has rejected that idea outright, making it clear he is not ready to walk away from the season.

Concerns from Milwaukee are valid. Health has been a recurring issue for Antetokounmpo throughout this season. This next stretch will be the third extended absence of the year for the Greek superstar after two calf strains and various other bumps and bruises kept him out of 31 games prior to this new injury. With their 28-40 record, there is no upside for Giannis to dress up.

With only 14 games remaining in the year, it’s all but impossible for the Bucks to bridge that gap and qualify for postseason play. But Giannis, being a competitor, doesn’t want to choose that option.

Another legend blames Giannis Antetokounmpo for the conflict

If the Bucks go the tanking route, they have set a roadmap for it. Even though they do not have full control of their own first-round pick, Milwaukee could still end up with a decent pick depending on how things unfold. Clearly, there is a certain incentive to lose in order to improve their lottery odds. But the Greek Freak is not aligned with this. That’s why even a former Celtics champion is not happy with the stance of the 2x MVP.

“Do I feel bad for Giannis Antetokounmpo? Hell no. You made this bed, lay in it,” Kendrick Perkins said on ESPN. “You knew that this team was on the verge of quote-unquote tanking. You didn’t put your foot down and demand what you wanted. And stand on business that you wanted to get out at the trade deadline. You weren’t loud about it. You wanted to be the nice guy. Being a nice guy in 2026 doesn’t cut the mustard.”

Shifting to tank mode for the rest of the year won’t make a massive difference, but could very well result in Milwaukee moving up a few spots in the draft lottery. But none of that matters if Giannis won’t go along with the plan.