NBA insider reckons there’s a 50% chance Giannis Antetokounmpo departs Milwaukee after his $228,000,000 contract ends
While the entire NBA community is watching where Damian Lillard and James Harden will go, Giannis Antetokounmpo may be the next superstar who could be changing address soon.
This was reaffirmed by ESPN's NBA analyst Brian Windhorst in an interview with "Behind the Play" that the "Greek Freak" is not guaranteed to be a Milwaukee Buck by the end of his $228 million contract.
"I would say right now 50/50 at best and I don't think that's new information in the Bucks," said Windhorst. "I think the Bucks knew that already; they knew that even before they got knocked out of the playoffs last year."
The Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship in 2021, with Antetokounmpo winning finals MVP. He was surrounded by Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis.
Two seasons later, the Bucks were eliminated by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is now 28 years old and has at least two more years in his contract, with the $51.9 million 2025-26 season being a player option.
Reaffirming his commitment to the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo recently said that his loyalty has its limits and he would look somewhere else if the team does not improve.
Windhorst reiterated this as well:
"If you looked at the Bucks roster which is primarily in its 30s, you look at the Bucks asset base which is depleted and you look at Giannis who's 28 years old. These are on different tracks, like it's not impossible that they could pull some sort of maneuver.
"But I think that I don't think any of this comes as a surprise to the Bucks. I think it is uncomfortable that he's being so public about it."
In the last season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 63 games.
WATCH: Brian Windhorst's full interview with Behind the Play
Brian Windhorst feels that NBA teams will start positioning to land Giannis Antetokounmpo
With at least two more years in his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, teams may align their strategies to make a move for the two-time league MVP. Brian Windhorst said teams may hold back on making free agency splurges and trades that could affect their chances of landing a generational talent:
"I think now is that the teams that want to try to trade for him will start making decisions keeping that in mind. I'm not saying a team like the Knicks won't make a deal or a team like the Heat, you know or pick another team that you think you guys could go to."
Since Giannis Antetokounmpo is still under contract for at least the next two years, this also gives small-market teams a chance to trade for the seven-time NBA All-Star.
"Toronto I know people think he might want to," Windhorst said. "I'm not saying that Toronto would like not sign Siakam because they want to save their money for Giannis, but certainly the decisions that those teams make will now be made with the understanding that it could affect a Giannis pursuit either by a trade and free agency."
The 2023-24 season will be a big one for the Milwaukee Bucks, as they will try and rebuild their trust with Antetokounmpo and make him believe that they are still capable of winning championships.