The Milwaukee Bucks may be out of playoff contention, but their season isn’t over, and neither is the belief inside the locker room. Instead of letting disappointment define the moment, head coach Doc Rivers is already pointing toward a more hopeful future, even as injuries and uncertainty around Giannis Antetokounmpo continue to loom.

“It’s been disappointing, obviously,” Rivers said to the media after the 127-95 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, which confirmed their exit. He would have, with injuries being unkind not only this season, but since his arrival in December 2023. “I haven’t had a healthy stretch, and it’s been your key guys. It’s been Giannis. It’s been Dame. And you hope you can play through that, but we just haven’t had the ability. This year, having only one quote-unquote star, every other team has two and three.”

Amid this, he saw a silver lining. “But I always try to look at silver linings, and Ryan (Rollins) is one of them. Pete Nance is another one. Ous (Dieng) is one of them. And we gotta rehabilitate or get AJ Green going again. He’s a good player. He’s played too many minutes. Bobby was Bobby. He’s been a pro throughout this year. So, there’s some good things in there.”

Rollins has truly taken full advantage of an extended opportunity this season. He wasn’t even supposed to start this season. But an injury to Kevin Porter Jr. opened an opportunity that Rollins took with both hands. Against the Portland Trail Blazers, the 23-year-old guard led the way with 36 points, heaving 26 shot attempts, which tied a season-high.

Similarly, Nance was averaging 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 12.1 minutes in 37 games off the bench this season. The trust from Doc Rivers and the Bucks was immense as they waived Cam Thomas to convert Nance’s two-way contract. Another young star that the head coach is banking on is Ousmane Dieng. Rivers previously acknowledged that the 22-year-old needs more time to adjust but remains confident in his capabilities.

These were the positives that Doc highlighted amid the turbulent season. The Bucks waived Lillard before the season and traded for Myles Turner, a move that clearly did not work out.

The decision to waive Lillard before the season and pivot to Turner was framed internally as a bet on balance: Milwaukee sacrificed an elite perimeter shot‑creator in hopes that a stretch‑five defensive anchor would unlock a more sustainable two‑way identity around Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Turner’s year in Milwaukee, however, never came close to justifying that gamble. He averaged 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 27.1 minutes per game, while shooting 43.9% from the field, 38.5% from three and 74.5% at the line, numbers that look solid in a vacuum but fall well short of the star‑level playmaking and late‑game scoring punch Lillard was brought in to provide.

On the floor, Turner struggled to consistently impose himself on the glass – his pick‑and‑roll and pick‑and‑pop chemistry with Giannis remained uneven, and the Bucks’ defense still cratered to a bottom‑tier level despite his rim protection, as they finished with a 29‑44 record and one of the worst defensive ratings in the conference.

Along with that, the pressure eventually came on Giannis Antetokounmpo, who had an injury problem of his own. But the team’s struggles could have implications that stretch beyond this season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo gets an ultimatum from the Bucks owners

The 2x MVP hasn’t played since March 15, and the team has won just one of its last six games in his absence. For the past few months, his future has been under scrutiny, with reports indicating that he is willing to reconsider his loyalties. It seems even the Bucks are ready for a rebuild without Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Co-owners Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam made their stance clear in an interview with ESPN. “Giannis is going into the last year [of his contract],” Edens told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “So one of two things will happen: Either he will be extended, or he’ll be traded. The likelihood you’ll let him just kind of play out the last year, we can’t afford that.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo has suffered five injuries this year, limiting him to just 36 games. After 13 seasons, the Greek Freak is eligible for another extension on Oct. 1, a four-year $275 million contract. Recently, Antetokounmpo stated he wants to stay with the Bucks, but only on a championship-caliber team.

But as Doc Rivers stated, he believes in the young core, but they will need time to develop. This could ultimately be the reason the franchise moves away from its superstar.