The Athletic NBA Daily Mid Season Slammies + Will the Bucks Finally Trade Giannis? | Slam N Jam
Jan 17, 2026
Eric Nehm, an NBA reporter for The Athletic, joins to dive into the struggling Milwaukee Bucks' season, discussing their roster issues and recent trade speculations. He tackles the fate of coach Doc Rivers amidst fan frustration and predicts how Giannis' potential extension could hinge on the team's performance. The conversation gets lively as they dissect the Bucks' on-court dynamics and delve into the implications of the upcoming trade deadline. Expect insights mixed with some humorous anecdotes!
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Short Hot Stretches Can Mask Deeper Flaws
- Early in Giannis' return the Bucks looked better (5-2) but recent blowouts to undermanned Wolves and Spurs exposed deeper problems.
- Wins earlier in the stretch masked the underlying depth and fit issues that later games revealed.
Bucks Are Functionally Giannis-Dependent
- The Bucks currently look like a one-star team built around Giannis without reliable supporting scorers or wing depth.
- Eric Nehm calls this the toughest Milwaukee season he's covered because roster construction and injuries exposed roster limits.
Lillard Move Created An Irreplaceable Gap
- The Bucks expected to be short a second star after waving Damian Lillard and instead tried to replace creation with younger guards and Miles Turner.
- That gamble left a scoring/creation hole Turner cannot fill, exposing roster imbalance.