US media revealed: NBA Bucks try to use coach Rivers to try to retain Antetokounmpo & the two have close relationship in private

On May 27, US media revealed: The management of the NBA Bucks is actively negotiating with core star Antetokounmpo. They hope that the latter will continue to play for the team. Bucks coach Rivers also played a very critical role in this negotiation. It is reported that Rivers and Antetokounmpo not only trust each other in work, but have a closer relationship in private. Antetokounmpo identified Rivers as the second confidant coach in his career except Kidd!

However, the overall performance of the Bucks in the 2024-2025 season was not satisfactory, especially in the first round of the playoffs, and the serious injury of defender Lillard, it is a mystery when they will be able to return next season and how they are in shape. All this makes Antetokounmpo see no hope of sprinting to the championship again. The Bucks management is very clear that if you want to keep Antetokounmpo, you must upgrade the team's lineup in the offseason. They must make active big deals. The two sides are actively conducting preliminary exchanges. Whether Antetokounmpo can be truly stable depends on the Bucks management's recruitment upgrade strategy and the role of coach Rivers' spiritual chicken soup!

30-year-old Antetokounmpo, playing as a power forward, played for the Bucks in the 2024-2025 season. He played in a total of 67 games in the regular season, averaged 34.2 minutes per game, and scored 30.4 points (2nd in the league) + 11.9 rebounds (6th in the league) + 6.5 assists (13th in the league) + 0.9 steals (78th in the league) + 1.2 blocks (16th in the league), shooting percentage of 60.%, three-point shooting percentage of 22.0%, and free throw shooting percentage of 61.0%. Antetokounmpo is still in the ranks of the league's superstars on both offense and defense. In addition to the unstable three-point shooting percentage and free throw shooting percentage, joining any team is enough to change the league pattern. In the offseason, many teams are actively paying attention to his decision and then launching generous recruitment conditions. Where will he choose, it will become the biggest focus of the offseason!