NBA News Roundup, Tuesday, October 1st: Giannis Antetokounmpo not thinking about Milwaukee Bucks future, Ben Simmons working on his jump shot and more
Teams around the NBA are gearing up for training camps, and the new season is just three weeks away. A number of the NBA's top talent switched teams during the offseason, and the likes of the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers will be hoping to contend for the title.
While the last month or so has been quiet when it comes to player movement, big names such as Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith remain available as free agents - and several teams are likely to pursue moves after assessing their current roster over the next week.
So, with plenty going on around the league, here is all the latest news and rumors you need to know for October 1st.
Giannis Antetokounmpo not thinking about his long-term future
Giannis Antetokounmpo will be eligible to sign a new five-year, $253 million supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks next summer, and the organization has already outlined their desire to sign the 24-year-old to a long-term deal. However, Antetokounmpo told ESPN that he won't think about his future until next summer:
I'm not gonna talk about it a lot this season, and I'm not going to try to address it. I feel like if you have a great team, and our goal is to win a championship and be the last team standing and get better each day, I think it's disrespectful towards my teammates talking about my free agency and what I'm going through.
Antetokounmpo is coming off his first MVP season after averaging 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Giannis also guided the Bucks to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the team is believed to be confident of securing his prime years.
Nevertheless, if Antetokounmpo doesn't sign a contract extension next summer, he will enter free agency in 2021 as perhaps the most in-demand player since LeBron James back in 2010.