The Milwaukee Bucks are at a crossroads. After years of contending at the top of the Eastern Conference and delivering a championship in 2021, the team has now slipped out of the Play-In picture-and with that slide comes the looming possibility of a franchise-altering decision: moving on from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks’ struggles this season haven’t gone unnoticed, and plenty of former players have voiced frustration with how things have unraveled in Milwaukee. But Charles Barkley?
He’s not joining the chorus of critics. In fact, he’s giving the Bucks front office something they haven’t heard a lot of lately: credit.
“You have to give [the Bucks front office] credit, they have tried everything,” Barkley said during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “They went out and brought Damian Lillard, that didn’t work.
They went out and got Myles Turner, that didn’t work. They gave both his brothers jobs, that definitely didn’t work.”
That’s vintage Barkley-blunt, but also fair. And he’s not wrong.
The Bucks have made bold moves over the years to keep Giannis happy and in Milwaukee. Trading for Damian Lillard was supposed to be the game-changer, a move that paired one of the league’s most dynamic scorers with a two-time MVP in his prime.
On paper, it looked like a title-winning formula. On the court?
The chemistry never quite clicked, and the results have been underwhelming.
Adding Myles Turner was another attempt to shore up the frontcourt and give Giannis a defensive-minded big who could stretch the floor. Again, the fit didn’t translate into wins.
Even giving roster spots to Giannis’ brothers-Thanasis and Kostas-was part of the franchise’s ongoing effort to build around their superstar both on and off the court. None of it, though, has been enough to keep Milwaukee in the contender conversation this season.
“He’s not having the greatest time with booing and doing other stuff,” Barkley added, referring to the growing tension between Giannis and the fanbase. “But they’ve got to break this up and it was best for everybody.
He’s a great player, great kid and he don’t want to alienate Milwaukee, I admire and respect that. But they got to find a way to make the best deal possible.”
That’s the reality now facing the Bucks: if this era is ending-and all signs point to that-it has to end the right way. Giannis has meant everything to this franchise.
He’s not just the face of the team, he is the team’s identity. But if the Bucks are going to move forward, they’ll need to maximize the return in any potential trade.
That means draft capital, young talent, and a clear path toward rebuilding what comes next.
It’s not an easy decision, and it’s not one the organization is taking lightly. But Barkley’s comments serve as a reminder that Milwaukee hasn’t been sitting on its hands.
They’ve been active, aggressive, and at times, even desperate to keep their superstar engaged and competitive. It just hasn’t panned out.
Now comes the hard part: turning the page. And if Giannis is indeed on the move before the trade deadline, the Bucks will need to ensure that the next chapter-whatever it looks like-starts with the right foundation.