- Giannis Antetokounmpo stated that he wants to stay in Milwaukee as long as he and the team are on the same page.
- However, back-to-back MVP showed some signs that he could leave Wisconsin at the end of the year.
- Milwaukee now has to react fast and please their superstar, otherwise, the Greek Freak is gone.
Giannis’ Speaks Out About his Future
One of the most prominent Swedish newspapers, Aftonbladet, interviewed the NBA’s best player over the past two years. Among other things, the two sides discussed about Giannis’ future in Milwaukee and his plans.
Antetokounmpo stated that he wants to stay with the Bucks, mentioning that the contract and super-max deal are of no concern to him if Milwaukee wins championships.
“As long as Milwaukee and I are on the same page when it comes to being one of the best teams in the league and winning championships, that’s fine. When it changes, it will not be good.”
However, he did mention that things won’t be great if Bucks make the wrong decisions, indicating that he could jump out after the end of the next year once his contract ends.
“I do not know what the plan is…. If they make the right decision, I’ll be there for many years. If they do not, we’ll see.”
That last sentence caused numerous social reactions, most of them coming from the Bucks’ fans, who are terrified even to think that Milwaukee might lose their franchise icon.
The team from Fiserv Forum has a pretty tight salary cap space, and they will have to make some sort of a financial gymnastic in order to offer Giannis a max deal, which would see them paying the Greek $253 million for the next five years. But they would need to get rid of some other players, who have expensive deals, without weakening the team; otherwise, Giannis will leave.
The Bucks are in a tough situation because they have numerous sides to please, the players, the salary cap rules, and in the end, Antetokounmpo, and with the complicated situation on the market, that could be a pretty tough task for their GM John Horst.
Bucks’ Options
Of course, Milwaukee would want to secure Giannis’ signature right now and sign a super-max extension, but it seems that the player isn’t willing to do the same. These types of contracts are now allowed to be done during the year, which leaves Bucks with two options.
The first is to persuade Antetokounmpo to sign a contract now, adding more quality players and fulfilling his other requests.
There is a second option, but it is very risky, and that is to wait for the next summer and the moment when Giannis’ current deal is over. If the player is not happy, and the Bucks experience some kind of a dirty exit in the playoffs, that might provoke the No.34 to leave the team and continue his career elsewhere.
