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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 17: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks celebrates after he checked out late in the fourth quarter of the championship game of the Emirates NBA Cup against the Oklahoma City Thunder at T-Mobile Arena on December 17, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bucks defeated the Thunder 97-81. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Milwaukee Bucks just sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami, and it was surprising for the NBA community. Most teams in that position put their head down and rebuild quietly. Milwaukee, apparently, had other ideas.

The Charlotte Hornets are one of the hottest names in trade talks right now. Their franchise guard is drawing interest from across the league. The Bucks are reportedly among the suitors, which raises a very fair question about where exactly this franchise thinks it is headed.

Milwaukee Bucks Reportedly Eye LaMelo Ball in Potential Trade

GettyBucks Interested in $40.7 Million Star After Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade

Sources say the Bucks have registered trade interest in LaMelo Ball. Per Jake Fischer, that interest dates back to before the Giannis trade, when Milwaukee was eyeing Ball as a potential running mate alongside Giannis, not a centerpiece of a new era. That distinction matters more than it might seem.

Because the Bucks that wanted Ball a few weeks ago and the Bucks that exist today are two completely different teams with two completely different goals. The original idea had logic. Pairing a creative, high-volume playmaker with one of the best forwards in NBA history is a real strategy. That version of the plan is gone now.

Should the Bucks Actually Go After LaMelo Ball?

GettyBucks Reportedly Interested in $40.7 Million Hornets Star

Ball himself is not the problem. At 24, he is under contract through 2028-29 and nearly took Charlotte to the playoffs for the first time in a decade. At $40.7 million a year, he is expensive but he is also genuinely worth the conversation. Three years of control on a player that age is real value.

The issue is timing. Milwaukee just brought in Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Kasparas Jakučionis from Miami, plus a heavy package of draft picks. That group has never shared a floor together. New coach Taylor Jenkins has not coached a single game yet. The roster has no settled identity, no rhythm, nothing.

Adding Ball on top of all that, before you even know what you have, means spending assets you might desperately need later. Charlotte is not selling low either. With the Timberwolves and Raptors also circling, the price will be steep.

There is a version of this that makes sense, maybe a year from now when Milwaukee has a clearer picture of its core. Right now though, the Bucks chasing Ball feels like skipping straight to chapter five without reading the first four.

The interest is real. The timing, less so.