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By Justin Grasso
Contributing Sports Writer
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Stephen A. Smith has had enough of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s run with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The ESPN host went to First Take on Thursday morning with a fiery rant, demanding that the Bucks finally cut ties with Antetokounmpo following the Bucks’ blowout loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
“The Milwaukee Bucks need to wake the hell up and trade him,” Smith said. “You're not going anywhere.”
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The primary argument that Smith makes is the fact that Antetokounmpo remains a top-five player in the game, but he’s competing for a franchise that isn’t set up for short-term or long-term success. Wednesday’s loss was Milwaukee’s 25th of the season. They’ve won just 41 percent of their games.
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Without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks don’t have a shot. With him, they are much better but clearly not good enough. Since the veteran forward is hungry for another title, Smith wants to see the former MVP get a chance to join a contender, so he avoids wasting the final years of his prime.
“They’re not good… Period!” Smith said of the Bucks. “You have no shot to win a championship.”
What Happens Next?
The NBA world has been preparing for a Bucks-Antetokounmpo split for quite some time.
The Bucks won’t declare he’s on the block, and Giannis won’t formally request a trade, leaving them in the same position they’ve been in. There needs to be a breaking point. Ultimately, it will have to come down to Antetokounmpo asking for a change. The Bucks need him a lot more than he needs them.
But that doesn’t mean the Bucks would be left totally empty-handed. Considering Antetokounmpo’s value would still be sky-high with his 28.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG, and 5.6 APG, while shooting 64 percent from the field, Milwaukee would certainly see a nice return to help them re-tool or start from scratch with draft assets.
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“The man is a champion. He's a two-time league MVP. He's a top-five player on the planet, and he plays for a team that sucks—plain and simple. You don't leave him in that situation. You maximize and exploit his talent by using him to get an abundance of assets,” Smith added.
The trade deadline is still weeks away. The latest update regarding the Bucks’ plans suggested that they were operating as buyers, with hopes of satisfying Giannis and keeping him on board.
The longer the season plays out without a deal, the more losses the Bucks are piling up. More losses equal more frustration, causing some real friction between Antetokounmpo and his organization.
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