Much has been made about the upcoming free agency of Giannis Antetokounmpo. As the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and 2x MVP, the Greek Freak has the talent to push any team into title contention.
Giannis has said in the past that his goal is to win and, on that front, the Bucks have yet to show they can be a place where he can do that. What they can offer, however, is a once-in-a-lifetime contract that one NBA insider (Yahoo! Sports Chris Haynes) says the superstar will have a hard time turning down.
“I have a hard time believing that he would turn down the supermax. I spoke with Giannis in the bubble, right after they got eliminated, and he talked about how much he loved Milwaukee and he talked about wanting to establish a culture, a Championship identity, with his own team.”
Obviously, the feeling of staying loyal and bringing success to the team that drafted you isn’t something the star takes lightly. On multiple times, he has expressed his desire to bring a title to Milwaukee rather than going elsewhere to take the easy road.
But the lucrative deal that will come from the Bucks may be louder than anything, as they are the only ones who can offer him a five-year deal worth around $220-250 million. The most he could get with another team in free agency is four years at $140-160 million.
Needless to say, the chance to earn that kind of money in a place, and with a franchise, you enjoy isn’t something that comes around very often. We’ll see soon enough if it’s enough to convince him to stay put.
