Despite having been around the NBA for a long time, Doc Rivers is one of the most scrutinized head coaches in recent history. This is because of his teams constantly underachieving, as well as his reputation as a playoff choker. In each of his first two playoff runs as the Milwaukee Bucks’ head coach, the team was eliminated in the first round by the Indiana Pacers.

Regardless of his standing in NBA discussions, Rivers is well-respected in the league. Furthermore, he coached the Boston Celtics to their 17th championship victory in 2008, which was their first in 22 years up to that point. However, he had an opportunity to bring another championship to Boston before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals.

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Over a decade later, one of the Celtics’ role players from that time called out Rivers for a decision he made that may have cost the team another banner.

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc RiversBenny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The 2009-10 Celtics were led by their top players, particularly Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo. However, they also had some solid rotation players, including backup guard Nate Robinson.

Boston acquired Robinson from the New York Knicks ahead of that year’s trade deadline, and he was solid when he stepped on the court. However, 15 years later, the former Celtics guard feels like he should have gotten more playing time in the NBA Finals as he felt he could have helped the team defeat the Lakers.

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“I played in the Finals. I didn’t really get to play like that because Doc Rivers was on some [expletive],” Robinson said on the Straight Game Podcast. “But I was mad because we lost by four points. I said, ‘D, I can score four points in my sleep, bro.’ I couldn’t believe it. He didn’t even play me that game. I was hurt watching that confetti fall and watching Kobe Bryant just enjoy… That could have been us. I was sick.”

The Seattle native appeared in all seven games in the NBA Finals for Boston, but he averaged just 10.3 minutes and 4.3 field goal attempts per game. The Celtics lost the series and would not win another championship until 2024. Unfortunately for Robinson, he made the playoffs just two more times after 2010 and never made it back to the NBA Finals.

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After pairing Giannis Antetokounmpo with Damian Lillard, the Milwaukee Bucks felt that Doc Rivers was the head coach who could maximize the superstar duo’s skill set. That apparently wasn’t the case, considering the Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Making matters worse was the fact that Lillard suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during the postseason. With an injury that severe, the Bucks can’t expect to have their All-Star back in the lineup at all next season. Lillard’s absence will surely impact Milwaukee’s chances to compete for a championship, but will one lost year prompt a trade request from the Greek Freak?

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According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, while there was some early optimism from other teams that Antetokounmpo could become available, now that feeling has turned to doubt.

“Honestly, right now I’d say the prevailing sentiment from rival teams that I’m speaking to—around the combine two weeks ago, two and a half weeks ago—there was no shortage of optimism, of hope, of excitement from other teams that they were going to be able to potentially make an offer to get Giannis Antetokounmpo into their franchise, into their building. Of late, I’d say that that confidence has been replaced with skepticism. To a man, from talking to agents, team executives, whoever, there is not a lot of belief right now at this juncture. I’ve been told all along that if there is a decision, a formal decision made to shut or open the door on trade conversations for Giannis this summer, that it would likely happen closer to the end of June and when the offseason really, really begins.” Jake Fischer on Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Bucks were reportedly even prepared to potentially use a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, conducting extensive research on top NBA Draft prospects. Considering they don’t have a selection until No. 47, any move into the top 14 picks would require a fairly significant trade.

Shaking Antetokounmpo loose likely wouldn’t have been easy anyway. Can you imagine how much backlash a small market like Milwaukee would face for trading one of their best two players in franchise history?

Related: Toronto Raptors could pivot from Giannis Antetokounmpo trade for this multi-time All-Star

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Doc Rivers Makes Giannis Antetokounmpo Decision After Raptors News originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Following the Milwaukee Bucks’ third consecutive first-round playoff exit, speculation intensified around the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP has long been the face of the franchise, but persistent postseason struggles reignited trade rumors, with several teams reportedly gauging Milwaukee’s willingness to explore a rebuild.

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Among the most notable suitors, the Toronto Raptors emerged as a serious contender. The chatter gained momentum when Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reported there was mutual interest between the team and Antetokounmpo. With Toronto in search of a new centerpiece and Milwaukee facing pressure to recalibrate, the possibility of a blockbuster trade captured league-wide attention.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34).Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

However, any momentum behind those talks appears to have been halted. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Bucks—led by head coach Doc Rivers and general manager Jon Horst—have presented a unified plan to keep their core intact, explicitly built around Antetokounmpo.

The organization has no intentions of trading its franchise star and remains committed to retooling the roster to remain competitive, with hopes that Damian Lillard can return from his Achilles injury before the end of next season.

This report comes just weeks after Antetokounmpo publicly reaffirmed his desire to compete for another NBA title in Milwaukee, stating that he hopes “to be back soon in the Finals with the Bucks.” His words, combined with the front office’s stance, signal a renewed effort from both sides to push forward together.

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While the offseason still holds uncertainty, this latest development may have effectively put Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors to rest—at least for now.

Related: Giannis Antetokounmpo Makes Post After Raptors Trade Report

Related: Raptors Facing Backlash After Pascal Siakam News

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.

Raptors Send Brandon Ingram Message After Giannis Antetokounmpo News originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Toronto Raptors season concluded on a disappointing note, derailed early by a wave of injuries that ultimately stunted their playoff hopes. After a solid start, the momentum faded significantly, as newly acquired forward Brandon Ingram was ruled out for the remainder of the season. His absence, alongside other key injuries, proved too much for the rebuilding Raptors to overcome.

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Since their season ended, the Raptors have been linked to Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reported mutual interest between the two sides. However, it was reported on Friday that Antetokounmpo is expected to return to Milwaukee for a 13th season (via ESPN).

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34)© Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

With Antetokounmpo likely not coming to Toronto, the Raptors will need even more from Ingram. The former Los Angeles Lakers forward arrived from the New Orleans Pelicans in a February blockbuster—Toronto exchanged Bruce Brown, Kelly Olynyk, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2031 second-rounder to secure him.

The 27-year-old had been the Pelicans’ standout, averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in his 18 games this season. On Friday, the Raptors shared a social media post featuring Ingram that included a simple message.

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“No caption needed, y’all get the vibe,” the team wrote.

This cryptic yet heartfelt message was perhaps intended to reassure fans that Ingram’s return is anticipated. He signed a three-year, $120 million extension immediately upon his arrival, a proof of Toronto’s commitment to integrating him into their core alongside Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett.

Despite not playing a single game for the Raptors this season, Ingram remains very much in the team’s plans. Next season, Toronto hopes his presence will elevate the team into playoff contention.

Related: Doc Rivers Makes Giannis Antetokounmpo Decision After Raptors News

Related: Raptors Facing Backlash After Pascal Siakam News

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.

If you’ve been living under a rock, Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumours started to fly in after another disappointing postseason outing for the Milwaukee Bucks. In fact, it was their third straight first-round exit in three consecutive years. Milwaukee has tried changing it up, getting rid of Jrue Holiday, who was a part of their championship squad, and this season, even getting rid of long-time Buck Khris Middleton, who brought them names like Damian Lillard and Kyle Kuzma. They even tried a change at head coach, ditching their championship-winning Mike Budenholzer for another NBA champion in Doc Rivers, but nothing has seemed to work. Fast forward to a couple of days ago, and the rumours ended up coming true.

Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has not made any firm decisions, but for the first time in his career, he is open-minded about whether his best fit is remaining in Milwaukee – or playing elsewhere, league sources told ESPN.

Story on ESPN: https://t.co/2aTg3Bq8o3 — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 12, 2025

So now the rumours have changed to who these potential fits could be. One of the places that’s picking up traction lately is the Toronto Raptors.

👀 Giannis Antetokounmpo’s eyes are on the East Coast… and it’s more than just a basketball decision.

🔗Check out my latest➡️ https://t.co/pOVs7ydr4C

Brooklyn and Toronto are on his radar. Why? Legacy, market, control. Word is, Giannis wants influence—on rosters, in… pic.twitter.com/kkkaTXhhwu — 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) May 14, 2025

Although odds don’t mean much, the oddsmakers have taken this into account, and Toronto’s odds have actually gone up quite a bit in the Giannis sweepstakes. It’s not the craziest thing in the world to think that Antetokounmpo would consider Toronto as a landing spot, as Masai Ujiri has been a fan of his for quite some time now.

Could this be their moment? 12 years later? Let’s get to the question now. How would Giannis affect the Raptors’ competitive window? Well, it’s not a very easy question since there are a lot of variables. First of all, it would all depend on who’s shipped out of town in the trade.

For the sake of this trade, we’ll say Scottie Barnes is still in town, as Masai wasn’t open to trading him a few years ago for Kevin Durant. We’ll say Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett are the ones who are lost in this deal, along with this year’s first-round pick and a few more future ones as well. First of all, many will imagine that since Toronto is getting an MVP-calibre player like Kawhi Leonard that this deal would put them in the same boat as the 2018/19 squad. I don’t see it that way. If Toronto had a starting lineup consisting of Jamal Shead, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jakob Poeltl, then there would be a very clear flaw that would arise with this lineup.

The obvious flaw in this lineup would be the spacing. Although Jamal Shead showed improvements in his three-point shooting as the season progressed, he finished his rookie year shooting only 32.3 percent beyond the arc. Brandon Ingram would be the best shooter in the lineup with a 37.4 percent showing last season in limited run. Scottie Barnes had some stretches of hot shooting but ultimately finished with a 27.1 percent three-ball. Antetokounmpo doesn’t really shoot the three, but when he did last season, he ended up with a 22.2 percent, and Jakob Poeltl actually surprisingly shot 33 percent on a very limited sample.

Although the spacing might be bad, that lineup would actually be a defensive nightmare. Jamal Shead’s defence is one of his best qualities as of now. Scottie Barnes has always been a solid defender and was nominated late in the season as the Defensive Player of the Month. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a former Defensive Player of the Year, and Jakob Poeltl does his job as a rim protector. Should Toronto trade for Antetokounmpo, and those front-court players are still on the team, we would probably be looking at a different starting lineup. A possible outcome would be to bench Jakob for either Ochai Agbaji or Gradey Dick to open up some spacing for the team.

So as far as next season, the roster would relatively be similar, plus Giannis, and that team could contend for a top 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, but I don’t see them beating the likes of Boston, New York or even the Indiana Pacers, who are quickly becoming playoff performers. In fact a lot of the core pieces are locked down for quite some time. Jakob Poeltl has a player option for $ 19.5 million for the 2026/27 season. Brandon Ingram is here for at least 2 more seasons. Ochai Agbaji has a team option for next season, so he will probably still be around for one more year. He’s the only rotation player who could be gone after next season contract-wise.

So, as of the current state of the Raptors roster, I don’t think they’re ready to contend yet. But Masai Ujiri is known to be one of the best front office executives in the league. He could construct this team into a contender, especially with a talent like Giannis around. Should he want to go all in, there are also a good number of youngsters that rebuilding teams could be interested in.