The Milwaukee Bucks are heading into a third straight off-season in which their disappointment overshadows their accomplishments.

Since winning the Championship in 2021, the Bucks have suffered first or second round exits in the playoffs each year.

That being said, winning the division feels like the bare minimum.  The Bucks have won the division six years in a row, and now, one of their biggest rivals lost a super star.

Milwaukee Bucks Rival Loses Super Star To Free Agency

Dec 11, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives for the basket against Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
According to K.C. Johnson, a Chicago Bulls insider:

It’s 2021 free agency all over again. Although this time, the Chicago Bulls currently don’t project to be a landing spot if DeMar DeRozan and his hometown Los Angeles Lakers can’t figure out a partnership.

NBA free agency is mostly a lucrative game. But it also can be an unsentimental one at times, squeezing out high-level players.

And at least for now, DeRozan’s options are dwindling after the Bulls and DeRozan have failed to this point to follow through on season-long vows to continue their relationship.

As recently as mid-April, in an interview with NBC Sports Chicago following the morning shootaround in Detroit before the third-to-last game of the regular season, listen to how emphatically DeRozan said he wanted to return.

“I love ownership. I love everything about the city and the franchise, top to bottom—the front office, the staff we have,” he said. “It’s one of those places that gives me motivation to see everybody get what they deserve and feel what winning is like again.

“You watch me, how hard I play, how hard I want to give success to this organization, this city, that’s my main focal point. I always want to finish a job. The last couple years have been tough with injuries and so many ups and downs. But I always want to weather the storm and stick through whatever situation it is to make the most out of it, to make it even better. That’s always been my mindset and it’s my mindset going forward. How can I be here and make this a winning organization like when I first came?

Dec 11, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) prepares to shoot a free throw during overtime against the Chicago Bulls at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
“The feeling, the vibe, the energy that was around when we had that run (in 2021-22), I want the city and all these players to experience that again—and for myself too. It’s always easy to complain and say what’s not. But I made it clear this is where I want to be and ride it out. I don’t want to go nowhere.

“They know it. Everybody knows my stance. I lay it down from this perspective: I want to come back. Everybody else figure out what you need to figure out. And that’s just how I look at it so I don’t stress or worry about what’s what. I made it clear this is where I want to be. The powers that be just need to figure out what needs to happen. Everybody knows my mindset.”

Management and coach Billy Donovan, for their part, consistently praised DeRozan’s leadership with the Bulls’ young core and lauded his steady personality through trying times. Following a season in which DeRozan led the NBA in minutes played and fourth-quarter scoring, executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas reiterated his stance of wanting to re-sign DeRozan.

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