The Milwaukee Bucks will begin their new season with a new-look roster.
Despite having the dynamic duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard for the last two seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks severely underperformed during the playoffs.
It was evident from the team’s back-to-back first-round exits in the postseason. The Bucks moved on from Dame in favor of former Indiana Pacers star Myles Turner.
However, many believe that waiving Lillard was a poor decision as it could ultimately lead to Antetokounmpo departing as well.
Credit: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesDavid Dennis Jr. questions the Milwaukee Bucks’ front office’s financial decisions
While Lillard’s return to the Portland Trail Blazers is a heartwarming development, the Bucks have to burden huge financial liabilities due to their decision.
After all, Lillard will receive around $22m annually over the next five years due to the Bucks waiving his contract.
Now, having more than $20m in dead cap space each year is a huge handicap, especially for a team with a superstar of Antetokounmpo’s caliber in the prime of his career.
“It boggles my mind that Milwaukee has made these moves without Giannis already having bought in,” David Dennis Jr. said on ESPN’s First Take.
“If they have made the moves to stretch Dame Lillard and put those $20 million on their cap for the next few years to pay Myles Turner and put that on their cap, and Giannis has not already agreed, this could go down as one of the most fiscally irresponsible moves in the NBA in the last 20 or 25 years,” he added.
While Turner is a talented player, it’s unlikely that just his addition will help the Bucks win an NBA title. So, when the time comes to add more talent around Giannis, the Bucks could regret their decision to waive Dame.
Milwaukee Bucks took a big risk, says David Dennis Jr.
Throughout the offseason, Antetokounmpo’s name remained a mainstay in NBA trade rumors. In addition, there have been reports about Giannis not completely sold on the Bucks’ current roster.
In that case, what Dennis Jr. said makes sense as he pointed out the huge risk that the Bucks have taken.
“So I would hope there have been some discussions for Giannis to be a part of this team. If that’s not the case, it’s one of the biggest risks that I could imagine a team making,” he stated.
Even if Giannis gets on board with the decision, the Bucks still have flaws in their roster that need to be urgently taken care of.
Otherwise, it’s highly unlikely that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will reach the NBA Finals, albeit playing in the weaker Eastern Conference.