The Golden State Warriors have suffered plenty of heart-breaking, late-game losses over the past couple of years, but those pale in comparison to what the Milwaukee Bucks are going through right now after their season ended in disastrous fashion on Tuesday.
After missing their opportunity to close out a Game 5 victory in regulation, the Bucks remained in prime position to extend their first-round series as they held a seven-point lead with 40 seconds remaining of overtime in Indiana. Instead, some brutal Bucks mistakes and high-level shot-making from the Pacers allowed the hosts to close on an 8-0 run, claim a 119-118 victory, and advance to the second-round.
The Warriors' Giannis Antetokounmpo dream could become reality
With Milwaukee's season now over, and their future looking bleak given Damian Lillard's torn achilles injury, speculation is about to heat up rapidly surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with the franchise.
It already was rising in the wake of Lillard's injury and a 3-1 series deficit, but now it really is official -- get ready for an offseason full of conjecture on where Antetokounmpo's future may lie.
When NBA insider Chris Haynes was recently asked on the Dan Patrick Show whether he thought Antetokounmpo would finish his career in Milwaukee, he responded, "I don't think so."
If the 2x MVP does become available this offseason, almost every team in the league will be lined up awaiting a conversation with the recently extended Bucks GM John Horst. Expect the Warriors to be well and truly part of that, with wide reporting that owner Joe Lacob has the dream of pairing Antetokounmpo with superstar guard Stephen Curry.
Do the Warriors have enough to make that happen? They will have Jimmy Butler's salary to utilize in the offseason, so it wouldn't necessarily be difficult from that standpoint. As Tyler Watts outlined here earlier on Tuesday, Golden State could then relinquish Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and a host of future draft picks and pick swaps.
Other teams with more assets could certainly outbid the Warriors, but that package is at least enough to get in the conversation. Ultimately you'd expect Antetokounmpo to have some say in where he wants to head, even if there's still two years (and a third-year player option) left on his contract.
While the Lillard injury is extremely unfortunate, the Bucks really only have themselves to blame for another first-round exit. If that leads into Antetokounmpo officially asking out, then perhaps the Warriors may be right there to take advantage and turn their dream into reality.