Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee has been in peril ever since the Bucks failed to go beyond the first round once again. This season marked the third year in a row when the Bucks failed to go beyond the first round of the Playoffs.
A report after the Bucks’ exit this season claimed Giannis is open to considering a move away from the Bucks this summer. Therefore, potentially making him a part of the most anticipated trade in the summer. His trade would completely overshadow a trade for an aging Kevin Durant, who is also among the big players anticipated to move in this offseason.
NBA Insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN predicted that all teams who are interested in Durant may have put their moves on hold to see what Giannis decides to do. Since the report still claims Antetokounmpo may not get traded, teams would not want to waste their potential assets on Durant instead of trying to get Giannis.
Windhorst said, “I don’t think you’ll see a significant big move with the star player until there’s clarity on what happens with Giannis – this could go a lot of different ways. And I do think, by the way, like I may not have the best information on this, I’m not saying that I do, I don’t think that Giannis has 100% said I’m out of Milwaukee yet, I think that would be a mistake to assume that. Do I think that there’s a growing possibility that that’s that he is going to want out? I do. And I think that the league does— the league has been watching this for a year.”
Windhorst further added, “I’m not saying that there are teams that have like halted their organization to wait for this. But for a year, I mean even at the trade deadline, there were teams who were like ‘you know what, let’s just chill or let’s just do this deal instead of this deal just in case we see Giannis available’. People were keeping an eye on this for a year, and then when Dame unfortunately had that injury, anybody who would be a Giannis suitor applied the brakes to anything serious.”
Looking at Giannis’ potential options, Windhorst elaborated on the important upcoming decisions for him and said, “I think as the playoffs go on and we get closer to the draft season, there will be an increasing tension that grips the league on waiting for Giannis to make a signal about whether he wants to leave. And then, if he wants to leave, is there a place or places he wants to go, and is he going to have control? Those are big, important decisions that are going to happen.”
But before dropping a bad news prediction for Durant, Windhorst clarified, “This isn’t an ironclad thing. It’s all evolving, but you could even have a player like Kevin Durant sort of sitting on the tarmac waiting to see what happens with his future until Giannis’s future gets tied up. Not guaranteed, but you could see some teams that Durant would have interest in, Giannis potentially having interest in, and you’re not getting both.”
What Windhorst is trying to say here is that teams would rather invest in a 30-year-old Giannis than give up similar assets and invest in a 36-year-old Durant, since both players have a $50 million+ salary and can be franchise-altering players for any team they are on. Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in 67 games this season. Meanwhile, Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 62 games this season.
Hence, for Durant to be able to properly assess his realistic options, Giannis will have to decide so that the teams that failed to get him can fully focus on Durant and give him what he wants. Hence, Windhorst feels Giannis’ decision may severely impact Durant’s options.
