NBA Rumors: Insiders Bash Giannis, Dame’s Bucks; ‘It’s Over. Just Move On’ | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors

ESPN’s Zach Lowe says “it’s hard to find people who are optimistic” about the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.

“It’s very easy to find people in the league who say, ‘It’s over. Just move on,'” Lowe said on Thursday’s episode of The Lowe Post podcast (17:09) “Start thinking about the next steps of the Bucks franchise, whatever, the transition.”

The Bucks are preparing to kick off their second season under the star duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard after last season’s title hopes were dashed following a six-game first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Milwaukee hoped the addition of Lillard to the roster would help Antetokounmpo’s team advance past the second round for the first time since the franchise’s 2021 title run.

But with Antetokounmpo sidelined with a calf injury and Lillard missing multiple games with an Achilles injury, the Bucks were unable to get the player-strapped team past the Pacers.

After losing Malik Beasley, who played 77 games for Milwaukee last season, to free agency, the Bucks have had a relatively quiet offseason since their first-round exit, highlighted by the signings of Taurean Prince, Delon Wright and Gary Trent Jr.

Khris Middleton, who played just 55 games last season, will have to recover from multiple ankle surgeries in the offseason to return to the starting lineup this fall.

“I think the ifs and buts and age are piling up to a point where it’s too much of a challenge for a lot of skeptics to climb,” Lowe said.

Besides deciding on a successor to Beasley at shooting guard and questions surrounding Middleton’s health at small forward, the Bucks appear to primarily plan to use last year’s running back lineup of Antetokounmpo, Lillard and center Brook Lopez.

Lopez was the subject of transfer rumors during the offseason, though Bucks general manager Jon Horst downplayed the reports in July.

Milwaukee is hoping a healthier version of the same 2023-24 core can carry them further next spring, even as there are reports NBA insiders have doubts about their title chances.