A major point of discussion prior to the NBA trade deadline last week was whether or not the Bucks were true title contenders given the injury question marks surrounding Khris Middleton, recent postseason injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo, plus the age of Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez. With health, that’s an outstanding top four, but some fans thought an injury was more of a “when” question than an “if.” Now one of those names is out, replaced by the younger, more questionably-fitting Kyle Kuzma.
Still, prior to the season, most oddsmakers had the Bucks among the top several best bets for the NBA title.