The Nets have been quietly stockpiling assets for quite some time, all with the hope of landing Giannis Antetokounmpo if the opportunity ever arose.
But for now, the star player has chosen to stay in Milwaukee. Rumor has it he’d rather consider the Knicks over the Nets if he were to make a move.
This past Saturday served as a stark reminder of just how far the Nets are from adding Antetokounmpo—or anyone capable of enticing him to Brooklyn.
In a game that ended 116-99, the Nets took a hit against Antetokounmpo and the Bucks at Fiserv Forum. The stats tallied a total of 16,396 points—clearly, a rough outing.
To say the loss was one-sided feels like an understatement. Brooklyn was missing key players like Michael Porter Jr., Cam Thomas, and Egor Demin, while facing a seasoned Milwaukee team.
Antetokounmpo, making his second appearance after a groin injury, completely dominated the game, scoring 29 points on an impressive 12-of-15 shooting and adding eight rebounds in just under 19 minutes.
His return the previous Friday came against the Knicks, a team he apparently toyed with leaving the Bucks for this summer, according to reports.
After the Nets’ plans to team up Mikal Bridges with a star fell apart, they traded him to the Knicks for five first-round draft picks, effectively signaling a rebuilding phase.
Ironically, this move not only dashed Brooklyn’s championship aspirations but also cost the Knicks a chance at a pick they could’ve used to lure Antetokounmpo.
There were speculations about whether the Greek superstar would prefer joining an established team or having the freedom to create something new.
With his visible interest in the Knicks, it seems increasingly obvious that he leans toward the former. This makes Brooklyn’s rebuilding journey a tad clearer.
In June, the Nets gathered a record five first-round picks, led by lottery pick De Ming. However, he sat out Saturday’s game after a strong performance just a day before, where he had 23 points, nine rebounds, and five assists against the 76ers.
This past game marked another promising outing for the Brooklyn rookie, even if he wasn’t on the court.
Meanwhile, Demmin, who’s dealing with a plantar fascia tear, had scored all his points in the second half against Philadelphia. But Danny Wolf emerged as a bright spot, netting a career-high 22 points, with 17 of those coming in the first half.
Wolf’s free throw in the second quarter briefly brought the score to 42-40, but the Nets then let the Bucks go on a staggering 20-4 run.
“I think some of the rotations on offense could be better,” Wolf commented. “There were moments when we were playing really hard together as a team, but then we seemed to drop our intensity. That’s really not acceptable.”
Antetokounmpo and Wang Wang extended Milwaukee’s lead to 62-44 before halftime. By the end, the Nets had let the deficit grow to 32 points.
With a record of 3-16, the Nets now share the second-worst record in the NBA with Atlanta, but they hold the second-best odds for the upcoming lottery. They’re a half-game behind Washington, which currently has the best odds, while also trailing behind fourth-place Indiana.
