For years, the Nets assiduously collected assets to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo in case he ever became available.
But the superstar decided he’s staying in Milwaukee for now, and that if he did leave he’d reportedly prefer to contend in Manhattan than build in Brooklyn.
Saturday was a reminder of just how far away the Nets were from landing Antetokounmpo, or are from having a contender that could lure him.
The Nets suffered a 116-99 thrashing at the hands of Antetokounmpo and his Bucks before 16,396 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
It was a one-sided beating befitting the gap between a tanking Brooklyn team playing without Michael Porter Jr., Cam Thomas and Egor Dëmin and a seasoned Milwaukee squad.
Antetokounmpo was utterly dominant as he bullied the Nets all night, with 29 points on 12-for-15 shooting and eight rebounds in just 18:59 in only his second game back from a strained groin.
His return came Friday against the Knicks, the only team he considered leaving the Bucks for this past summer, according to ESPN.
After the Nets’ hopes to use Mikal Bridges as a running mate for a star proved in vain, they traded him to the Knicks for five first-round picks, signaling a rebuild.
Ironically that move not only shut the door on Brooklyn’s contention for years, but left the Knicks without picks to use in a deal for Antetokounmpo.
There had been questions about whether the Greek star would prefer to join a ready-made contender or the freedom to paint a blank canvas of a team.
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His reported interest in the Knicks made that answer obvious — and the Nets’ commitment to a rebuild all the more straightforward.
Brooklyn made a record five first-round picks in June, led by lottery pick Dëmin.
He sat out Saturday after a 23-point, nine-rebound, five-assist night in Friday’s loss to the 76ers.
But Saturday marked a second straight strong effort by a Brooklyn rookie.
After Dëmin had poured in all his points in the second half against Philadelphia, he sat out in Milwaukee to manage his plantar fascia injury.
But Danny Wolf stepped up with a career-high 22 points, including 17 in the first half.
Wolf’s free throw made it 42-40 with 7:58 left in the second quarter, but the Nets gave up a 20-4 run.
“I think some of our rotations offensively could be better,” Wolf said. “I think there were times in the game when we were playing as a unit and playing super hard and together, and then other times we were kind of not with that same intensity. And there’s no excuses for it.”
An Antetokounmpo and-one padded the lead to 62-44 with 3:39 in the first half. It swelled to 32 in the second.
The Nets fell to 3-16, pulling even with Atlanta (holders of New Orleans’ pick) for the second-worst record in the NBA, and thus the second-best odds in the lottery.
They’re half a game behind Washington for the best odds, and half a game ahead of fourth-place Indiana.
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