The Boston Celtics-Milwaukee Bucks matchup had all the makings of a trap game for Boston last night. Jaylen Brown and Neemias Queta were out, it was the backend of a back-to-back (on the road), and it was their fifth game in seven nights. And yet, the Celtics not only blew them out but controlled the game from start to finish.
In so doing, they reminded Giannis Antetokounmpo, who returned to the Bucks after a five-week absence, that he made a huge mistake: not asking for a trade when he had the chance.
The Bucks' downfall in the Giannis era has been well-documented over the last three years. From being embarrassed in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs to the Damian Lillard trade being a bust to now falling so low that they're outside of the play-in, it's gotten bad.
Many wondered why Antetokounmpo didn't want out of this mess when it all came crashing down, as most all-time players in this position in his shoes would (and have). To be perfectly honest, that still remains a rhetorical question, and last night proved he should have asked out because the Celtics just showed him how far away the Bucks are from contending for a title.
Losing to the Celtics without the Jays is pretty damning
Anyone with two eyes could have told you the Bucks weren't title contenders anymore before last night even happened, sure, but the Celtics obliterating them with an undermanned roster not only proves that they are a wagon, but also that the Bucks are as far away from contention as it gets, with little hope of ever reclaiming that status even with Antetokounmpo.
Last night was a golden opportunity for the Bucks to get closer to the play-in while also sending a message to the league that they're not completely out of luck. Losing badly because of the likes of Hugo Gonzalez and Payton Pritchard going off, not being able to score on a team down their two stars, and Derrick White has an off night, is bulletproof evidence of how hopeless Milwaukee's aspirations have become.
Sure, the Bucks weren't completely healthy themselves, but is anyone really going to compare missing Kyle Kuzma to missing the Jays and Queta with a straight face?
Giannis has two choices at this point
Antetokounmpo has skirted around this issue long enough. He hasn't asked out in part because he doesn't want to burn up the goodwill he has built in Milwaukee. Well, because he's an all-time player, the Bucks certainly won't trade him unless he puts the request in.
Teams only trade the all-time player on their rosters if said player makes a trade demand. So, the two-time MVP has two choices: either watch his prime fritter away on a team that has no hope with him on the roster, or bite the bullet and ask out.
The Celtics will still be a threat to Antetokounmpo no matter what he does, but at this stage of his career, he needs to make it clear that the team he plays for is a threat to them. Last night was the giveaway that the Bucks don't fit that bill anymore.