Bucks deliver on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s demand with big-time trades for Jrue Holiday, Bogdan Bogdanovic

Last week, Giannis Antetokounmpo did an interview in Sweden in which he was asked whether he intends to sign a long-term extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, who can offer him a five-year, $220 million supermax deal as his 2021 free agency looms over the franchise and the league as a whole. 

“I do not know what the plan is,” Antetokounmpo told Aftonbladet, a daily newspaper based in Stockholm. “It depends on what decisions they make.”

Late Monday night, the Bucks made a pair of go-big-or-go-home decisions that they hope will signal to Giannis their dead seriousness about winning an NBA championship. First they reportedly traded for Jrue Holiday, sending Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and three first-round picks to the Pelicans, per Shams Charania of the Athletic, with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski adding that future pick swaps will be part of the package heading to New Orleans as well. 

Before there was time to process that move, the Bucks stopped the presses again by reportedly agreeing to a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings that will land them Bogdan Bogdanovic, as first reported by Wojnarowski, who then added that the Bucks will be shipping Donte DiVincenzo, Ersan Ilyasova and DJ Wilson back to Sacramento. 

It’s hard to overstate how perfect these moves are for Milwaukee. Bledsoe was a great defender, but so is Holiday, who has even better size and is a far superior offensive threat who slots perfectly as a secondary creator and credible shooter next to Giannis. 

Holiday thrived with the Pelicans when he shifted from a traditional point guard role, becoming one of the more active off-ball movers in the league. That will work wonders with Khris Middleton doing the same as teams try to keep one eye on Giannis at all times. The dilemma of whether to double down on Giannis and leave shooters open, or stay attached to shooters and allow Giannis a lane to the rim, just got even tougher. 

And that’s before we factor in Bogdanovic, another lights-out shooter who averaged 15 points per game and shot over 37 percent from 3 last season. And it’s not just the shooting percentage that impresses you. Bogdanovic has the kind of no-conscience shooting confidence that genuinely leverages defenses. His willingness to take, and his knack for making, clutch shots has long been a signature part of his game. 

Last season, Bogdanovic attempted 32 3-pointers — the same amount as James Harden — in clutch time, which the NBA defines as games within five points with five minutes or fewer to play. But while Harden made just 25 percent of his clutch 3s, Bogdanovic made 37.5 percent of his, which was the third-best percentage in the league for anyone who attempted over 30 such shots, per NBA.com. With all the open looks this dude is going to get with all the attention Giannis draws, he’s a legit 20-points-a-game threat. 

Between Holiday, Middleton and Bogdanovic, here are three guys who can take and make big shots next to an MVP, and who can create their own looks, too. There is a world in which the Bucks can have three All-Stars and two All-NBA players. That is championship material. 

Giannis remains a one-flaw player with his inability to shoot, and he can be a bit of a head-down driver who runs himself into trouble. These secondary creators and kick-out options are vital to his success, and by extension, Milwaukee’s chances of competing late in the playoffs when one single flaw can derail your entire attack. 

If these moves don’t convince Giannis to stay, what will?

A lot of people thought the Bucks made a big mistake when they let Malcolm Brogdon walk to the Pacers last offseason, and indeed they missed him in the bubble playoffs when they were exposed by the Miami Heat for their lack of offensive options and refusal to adjust their conservative, drop-defense coverage. 

Again, Holiday makes them better on both ends, and Bogdanovic is a big-time offensive weapon. The Bucks, who, remember, were on pace to win something near 70 games before the COVID-19 shutdown, just became a far better team. If Giannis is true to his word that winning is the only thing that matters to him, Milwaukee just made it pretty hard for him to look elsewhere.