Bill Simmons points out Kevin Garnett's regret for Giannis Antetokounmpo

Somehow, Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the Milwaukee Bucks. For the past two months, the Milwaukee Bucks star seemed to be getting closer to his exit. Rumors swirled about his displeasure and the Bucks were reportedly already shopping their star. However, Milwaukee decided to wait until the offseason to deal Starr.

At least one analyst believes Antetokounmpo should have been forced out of the Bucks. Bill Simmons said that the Greek star may regret his decision not to request a trade. Simmons cited a Kevin Garnett scenario in the early 2000s as why Giannis should have asked for a trade.

“They had to trade him and yet they didn't have to trade him because as a franchise it made more sense for them to wait until this summer when more teams could be involved,” Simmons said on his podcast. “But there was no point in waiting for that. I didn't understand it. If I were him I would talk to a bunch of older retired stars who were in similar situations. Including KG, I would have called KG. Say like, 'Hey KG, if you had it to do over again, would you have really waited until the summer of 2007 to open the doors for business? Or would you have done it a year or two sooner?' Guess what KG would have said? As soon as I knew I had no future with that team, I would have done that.

Now, the analogy isn't picture-perfect. One reason for Garnett's frustration with the Timberwolves was their lack of success in the playoffs before asking for a trade. While the Bucks have been terrible over the past few years, they also have a championship from 2021 to hang their hat on. That championship has likely been one reason Antetokounmpo hasn't requested a trade outright: He's not chasing his first ring like Garnett.

Still, Antetokounmpo has long said he will remain on the Bucks as long as they are competitive. This season, the Bucks are far from that. Their record is 20-29 and they will likely miss the playoffs. At their best, they make the play-in tournament, but either lose there or are eliminated in the first round. That is not a competitive team by any means.