The Milwaukee Bucks have approached Giannis Antetokounmpo about sitting out the rest of the 2025-26 season, in accordance with NBA insider Sam Amick.
Amick reported on March 18 that the group raised the likelihood, however the former MVP “stays bored with such an strategy,” signaling his intent to return as soon as wholesome.
Milwaukee’s file stands at 28-40, putting the crew eleventh within the Japanese Convention and out of doors the play-in image.
The hole to the tenth seed is important at this stage, with restricted video games remaining and up to date outcomes trending within the incorrect route.
The dialogue comes as Antetokounmpo offers with a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise, an damage that already has him sidelined with a re-evaluation scheduled inside every week.
From a basketball perspective, the damage timeline intersects with the standings, making a shutdown a logical possibility for a crew going through lengthy postseason odds.
Even in a shortened season, Antetokounmpo has maintained elite manufacturing.
He’s averaging 27.6 factors, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists whereas taking pictures 62.4% from the sphere, numbers that replicate environment friendly inside scoring and constant playmaking.
His shot profile stays closely weighted towards the paint, with 15.4 two-point makes an attempt per recreation at 64.7%, reinforcing his function as the first rim strain creator.
Nevertheless, Milwaukee’s supporting construction has not transformed that effectivity into wins.
Kevin Porter Jr. is averaging 17.4 factors and seven.4 assists because the lead guard, whereas Ryan Rollins provides 16.8 factors on 41.2% taking pictures from three-point vary.
Frontcourt contributors Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, and Myles Turner present spacing and rebounding, however the group has lacked defensive consistency, particularly throughout latest losses.
Turner’s calf challenge, which stored him out of the March 17 recreation towards Cleveland, additional limits inside safety throughout a vital stretch.
The Bucks have struggled to maintain two-way execution, mirrored in a 2-8 file over their final 10 video games.
That stretch has successfully pushed the crew out of life like postseason rivalry, rising the relevance of long-term planning.
Shutting down Antetokounmpo would enable Milwaukee to prioritize restoration whereas evaluating youthful rotation items in expanded roles. It will additionally cut back the chance of aggravating a knee damage in video games with restricted aggressive stakes.
