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Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press
And now we wait.
With the Milwaukee Bucks eliminated from the NBA playoffs on Tuesday, what exactly is on the mind of the Defensive Player of the Year and probably the Most Valuable Player in a row Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Are you engaged to Milwaukee? Are you frustrated by the team’s step back from appearing in the Eastern Conference Finals last year?
His first reaction in losing was to reaffirm his commitment to the Bucks.
“It is not happening. That is not happening,” Antetokounmpo said. Chris haynes from Yahoo Sports regarding whether it will require a trade this offseason.
And that might be true, although the emotion of the moment might have brought out the best in him as well.
Antetokounmpo is still under contract for the 2020-21 season for $ 27.5 million, but that’s exactly where Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Paul George were before they made it clear to their respective teams that they wanted to reject the supermax contracts and move on. each. pushing and getting trades before hitting free agency.
As long as the offseason begins, the Bucks can officially offer Antetokounmpo a supermax extension, which could be worth roughly $ 225-250 million over five seasons. The exact figure won’t be finalized until the start of the 2021-22 season, but Milwaukee’s offer will be roughly $ 85 million more than any other franchise can afford.
It’s too much money to refuse, as long as Antotokounmpo intends to stay. If you mean what you said to Haynes, you will accept the extension.
But what if it doesn’t? The Bucks may be in trouble.
Ben Margot / Associated Press
Antetokounmpo tells the team he needs more time, but will he consider signing an equal offer as a free agent in 2021? Can Milwaukee Afford to Be Patient?
“If you don’t sign the [supermax] This offseason, I think the Bucks have to explore the commercial market, “said an Eastern Conference executive.
The franchise could wait for Antetokounmpo’s decision, but that’s how the Oklahoma City Thunder approached Kevin Durant, who ultimately decided to join the Golden State Warriors in free agency in 2016. The Bucks are in one of the smallest markets in the NBA and are not a top-tier free agent destination. They can’t afford to let Antetokounmpo walk around without getting significant value in return.
Several league executives echoed the sentiment, noting that Antetokounmpo’s future depends entirely on him. The Bucks have a lot to say in what’s next.
“He could be on the Warriors in three months,” said a former Western Conference executive.
The basic assumption, if he decides to leave, is that Antetokoumpo will want to play in one of the NBA’s major markets on a rival team. That’s why Golden State, with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, obviously fits (on paper at least).
The Warriors can offer Andrew Wiggins’ massive contract ($ 94.7 million over the next three years), along with the second pick in the 2020 NBA draft, a lightly protected future Minnesota Timberwolves first-round player and Eric Paschall. Wiggins’ contract is far from ideal, but the Bucks may feel compelled to make the best of a bad situation. High picks can be extremely difficult to come by.
A former general manager sees the Warriors as “the only opportunity for leverage” for Milwaukee.
“Time is on your side,” he said. “They would get a great deal.”
The Eastern Conference executive raised the idea of trading Green in place of Wiggins, but the former executive rejected it.
“They will not change the green,” he said.
The Brooklyn Nets are another big-market competitor. They don’t have nearly the same high-end picks Golden State offers, but they can try to pack Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie with multiple draft picks (both No. 19 in this year’s draft and future picks).
“That could happen,” said the former executive.
Bebeto Matthews / Associated Press
Buzz around the league has the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat as the most likely destinations for free agents in 2021, but neither has an obvious path to trade for Antetokounmpo.
If Antetokounmpo is in favor of playing Pascal Siakam, he will not greenlight a trade to Toronto that includes Siakam in exchange. The Heat lack a significant number of draft picks to offer.
Antetokounmpo doesn’t have a no-trade clause, but if you tell a team you’re not interested in staying there long-term, that team will likely drop negotiations with Milwaukee.
It’s not hard to go through the other 29 teams in the league to find packages that might make sense for the Bucks. Would the Phoenix Suns be willing to give up some of their young core, starting with Deandre Ayton?
The only question that matters is where Antetokounmpo wants to play in the prime of his career. If that’s not Phoenix, the Suns likely won’t make Ayton available for a one-year rental.
“The Bucks may find that they only have one or two suitors,” the Eastern Conference executive said. “That’s what happened to the New Orleans Pelicans and [Davis]. I just wanted to go to the Lakers. They were the only team at the table. “
Understandably, the Bucks will do everything they can to get Antetokoumpo to stay. With the Oklahoma City Thunder and head coach Billy Donovan parting ways, according to Adrian wojnarowski From ESPN, maybe the Bucks will try to acquire Chris Paul through a trade (with a package that begins with Eric Bledsoe).
Marc stein @TheSteinLine
There are rival teams that believe Milwaukee will explore the Chris Paul trade, financially challenging as it may be, if Oklahoma City actually makes CP3 available through the trade. One more thing to follow as the Bucks enter perhaps the most crucial offseason in team history …
The sooner Milwaukee has clarity, the better. If the 2020 draft is a significant factor in an Antetokounmpo trade, the Bucks would need an early response from him on whether he intends to sign the supermax extension.
A trade may not be financially feasible until the 2020-21 league year begins, but the Bucks can agree to a pre-draft deal that will run at a later date.
Milwaukee’s time in the bubble has come to an end. As the NBA community eagerly awaits a champion, rival headquarters have their eyes on what’s next for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.
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