Every single team in the NBA, even those who don’t have assets or cap space to try and get him, are going to do whatever it takes to try and lure Giannis Antetokounpmo to their ranks.
The Greek Freak is the reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year and is just 25-years-old, so any franchise on earth would be glad to offer him a five-year extension to turn him into a franchise player.
There are several rumors claiming that Giannis could force his way out of the Bucks in the offseason, either passing on his supermax contract extension or demanding a trade, with the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and Dallas Mavericks as the teams to follow closely on a possible transaction.
However, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps recently reported that even if Giannis decides to not sign his supermax contract extension, the Bucks aren’t going to even entertain the idea of trading him and will instead use the 2021 season to convince him to stay:
“Multiple sources have emphatically said Milwaukee will not look to trade Antetokounmpo if he passes on the extension. Instead, the Bucks will try to improve their roster and use the next year to show Antetokounmpo why he should stay,” Bontemps wrote.
“Waiting would give Antetokounmpo maximum leverage over Milwaukee over the next 12 months. If the Bucks are willing to add to their payroll to improve the team — something ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported they are — Milwaukee could chase a significant upgrade in trades (despite being short on prime assets),” read Bontemps report.
Giannis has repeatedly stated that he’s eager to stay with the Bucks but we’ve already seen and heard that kind of stuff before. Anything can change in the NBA in the blink of an eye and the Bucks could risk losing their marquee player for nothing.
Even so, Milwaukee will at least have him under contract for an extra season to try and run it back and make it to the NBA Finals, as Giannis is reportedly more interested in winning titles rather than piling up a lot of money.
