NBA insider sensationally claims Bucks might trade $270,000,000 supermax bound Giannis Antetokounmpo as he remains non-committal
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has been non-committal when it comes to extending his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. Last year in the playoffs, Milwaukee suffered a stunning first-round defeat to the Miami Heat as Antetokounmpo struggled with an injury.
On the heels of an offseason that saw the Bucks retain Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo has made it clear that he wants to win. After capturing an NBA title in 2021, The Greek Freak is eager to retake his place atop the NBA. Despite the possibility of a $270 million supermax contract, as per Keith Smith from Sportrac, Antetokounmpo just wants to win.
As such, if he doesn't feel that the Milwaukee Bucks are doing enough to put him in a position to win, he may not return to the franchise. Currently, Antetokounmpo is entering the second-to-last guaranteed year on his deal, before then having a player option in the 2025-26 season.
Before he gets the chance to renegotiate his contract, NBA Insider Zach Lowe believes that the Bucks could trade Giannis Antetokounmpo. He spoke on The Lowe Post Podcast to give his thoughts on a hypothetical situation if the Bucks come up short of another title.
"So let's say that that happens then you get to the offseason he's got one guaranteed year left on his contract everyone that you just mentioned is one year older he has already told you that. 'If I don't think this team can win big win all the way I'm going to go somewhere else.'"
"If all of that plays out just as I said Conference Finals second round whatever you think is a disappointing Buck season I think they actually might trade him and I think part of the reason why Giannis is being so out there about this is almost doing the Bucks a favor in that sense that they will have that clarity"
Looking at what Giannis Antetokounmpo has said about a potential extension
Although he still has two guaranteed years left on his contract, Giannis Antetokounmpo has made it clear that his focus is on winning. The mindset seems to be a stark contrast from when Antetokounmpo was eligible for a contract previously.
At that time, although he was still focused on winning, Antetokounmpo made it clear that he didn't want his contract situation to be a distraction. As a result, he signed his extension early on so that his coaches and teammates didn't have to field questions regarding the matter.
This time around, while Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to focus on winning, he's made it clear early that he's willing to go elsewhere to win if need be. With that in mind, let's take a look back at his recent comments this offseason about potentially leaving Milwaukee.
In an interview with the New York Times, Giannis Antetokounmpo stated:
“You've got to see the dynamics. How the coach is going to be, how we're going to be together," he said. "At the end of the day, I feel like all my teammates know, and the organization knows that I want to win a championship.
He continued:
"As long as we're on the same page with that, and you show me, and we go together to win a championship, I'm all for it. I would not be the best version of myself if I don't know that everybody's on the same page, everybody's going for a championship, everybody's going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don't feel that, I'm not signing.”
Whether or not Milwaukee is able to show him that they're serious about winning, only time will tell. With the season set to tip off in October, it's safe to say all eyes will be on Milwaukee.