The Milwaukee Bucks made a somewhat surprising move by letting head coach Mike Budenholzer go.
Some think it was a long time in the making, while others believe they did their championship-winning coach wrong.
Whatever the case, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes it could be the first of many franchise-altering moves and pretty much the beginning of the end for the Bucks’ title chances.
.@WindhorstESPN says there are problems looming over the Bucks 😳
"[Marc Lasry sold] because of the thundercloud that's on the horizon. We are now hearing the first rumblings. … The Bucks are in a quagmire and we have the first move with the firing of [Mike] Budenholzer." pic.twitter.com/6eWjZtBw6A
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 5, 2023
In the latest edition of Get Up, Windhorst explained how the Bucks’ owner sold his stake mid-season because he saw trouble was looming around.
The new CBA will penalize high-salary teams, and the Bucks will be deep into penalties next season.
More than that, they have two free agents in their 30s in Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, so re-signing them could be a tricky quest.
Also, Giannis Antetokounmpo still has two years left on his contract, and he might not sign a contract extension until he sees the team is willing to pay up, which is ironic because his teammates might not want to commit long-term if they don’t know for sure he’s coming back.
Of course, maybe the previous owner just sold his stake because of the massive payday he was about to get, and nothing more.
But as much as Windhorst could be getting ahead of himself, it does make sense.
The Bucks’ roster is aging.
Giannis still has 10 years of elite play ahead of him, but restructuring the roster around him will be tricky, and you know he’s not going to be happy with a rebuild, either.
So, we’ll have to wait and see how this pans out.
NEXT: Analyst Shares A Stunning Fact After Bucks Coach Was Fired
