Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters Wednesday night that he was surprised by the team’s decision to fire coach Adrian Griffin. Antetokounmpo’s confusion mirrors that of many outsiders, as the Bucks had a 30-13 record in Griffin’s first 43 games at the helm.

“I’ve got to trust the front office … My job is to be the best version of myself, to lead this team out there and help win games,” Antetokounmpo said. “Their job is to create the best team possible and the best atmosphere around the team possible that they believe gives us a better chance to win a championship. But yeah, I do think [firing Griffin] was a surprise.”

Antentokounmpo and others have been critical of the team’s play this season despite their record. Though they are second in the Eastern Conference, Antetokounmpo has repeatedly criticized himself and the team for a lack of chemistry and focus.

From the outside looking in, it’s difficult to criticize Griffin’s performance as the team’s coach. The 2023-24 season was his first as a head coach and he led his team to a commanding position in the Eastern Conference.

Nevertheless, Bucks general manager Jon Horst stood by his decision Wednesday. Horst reportedly said that the team needed to improve from an organizational and coaching standpoint in preparation for the postseason. The team has reportedly agreed to a deal in principle to hire coaching veteran Doc Rivers as Griffin’s replacement. He also denied any player involvement in the decision.

“I loved the guy. I invited him to my wedding,” Antetokounmpo said of Griffin. “I was coached by him and we did very, very, very well.”

The Bucks, without Griffin, held the Cavaliers in check for the entire game Wednesday and eventually cruised to a 126-116 victory. They improved to 31-13 on the season and play Cleveland again Friday.

It seems that a brief era of tumult has ended for the Milwaukee Bucks. In a three-way trade with the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns finalized Wednesday, Milwaukee received star point guard Damian Lillard in exchange for Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, a 2029 first-round pick and two first-round pick swaps.

At the end of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Bucks faced a series of challenges that seemed certain to end their attempt at a dynasty prematurely. They were a no-show as the first seed in the Eastern Conference, going quietly in five games against the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. Star Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered an injury in that series and failed to deliver upon returning. Longtime Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton entered free agency early in the summer and seemed to be on his way out of the organization.

For a moment, the 2021 champs seemed to be fading away. Now, they’re championship favorites once more, as Lillard will join Antetokounmpo and Middleton, re-signed in July, to form one of the most formidable big threes in recent NBA history.

Though it has long been rumored that Lillard would be leaving Portland before the start of the 2023-24 season, he still took to Twitter Wednesday night to speak to Portland fans and express optimism for his future.

“The casuals won’t be addressed but the Trailblazers fans and city of Portland that I love truly will be … and they will be addressed truthfully,” Lillard said. “Stay tuned. Excited for my next chapter!”

In a joint statement, Bucks president Peter Feigin and general manager Jon Horst said that the team had no choice but to go for Lillard, a seven-time All-Star who scored 32.2 points per game last season.

“Today is an exciting day for Milwaukee,” Feigin and Horst said. “When you have the rare opportunity to pair one of the premier NBA players with a highly versatile roster that has lofty goals, you go for it. And we’re thrilled to welcome seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard to the Bucks.”

Despite disappointing in the playoffs last year, the Bucks still amassed a 58-24 record, the best in the league. Antetokoumpo remains a generational talent and will keep Middleton, his right-hand man, and gain Lillard, who has not had an All-Star teammate since 2015.

The Milwaukee Bucks have re-signed Thanasis Antetokounmpo to a two-year deal.

“Thanasis brings energy, effort, and tenacity every minute of every game,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “He’s a valuable part of our team and we’re excited to have him remain in Milwaukee.”

Thanasis is the older brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. The New York Knicks drafted the elder Antetokounmpo in the second round in the 2014 Draft. The forward spent majority of his first stint in the G League with the Westchester Knicks. He only made two appearances for the Knicks during the 2015-16 season.

Antetokounmpo averaged 2.8 points per game and 1.7 rebounds in 8.8 minutes across 77 games played for Milwaukee over the past two seasons. He largely played a depth role for the team. He played in 13 playoff games and scored nine points during the team’s NBA title run. Earlier this month, Thanasis and Giannis went home to Athens with the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“We are happy to be back and that we could bring the trophy with us,” Giannis told reporters. “We had to go through a long process [to bring the NBA’s championship trophy to Greece].”