Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Instagram unfollow-spree sparks speculation about the future of Bucks

Before you ask: No, Giannis Antetokounmpo will not request a trade this offseason.

At least that’s what he told Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes after his league-best Milwaukee Bucks fell in a gentleman’s sweep to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals, a legendary surprise given Milwaukee’s dominance in the regular season.

“It’s not happening. That is not happening,” he told Haynes. “Some see a wall and enter [another direction]. I went through it. We just have to improve as a team, individually and do it again next season. “‘

An inspiring sentiment, especially for the Milwaukee faithful. But if that chorus sounds familiar, it’s because several superstars from the past have echoed it before quickly fleeing in search of greener pastures.

Antetokounmpo repeated another disgruntled star trope the weekend after the Bucks’ elimination, when he allegedly unfollowed all of his teammates (except his brother Thanasis) on Instagram, including the Bucks team account.

Upon closer examination, it is true. Giannis now follows only eight accounts on his Instagram: his brothers Thanasis, Kostas, Ofili and Alex; his mother Vero-Charles; an account for your dog Mila; his YouTube channel and that of his brothers, AntetokounBros TV; and his girlfriend Mariah’s lifestyle blog.

This probably doesn’t mean anything. Giannis’ decision to limit her Instagram circle to her immediate family is something she is within her rights to do. And in fact, most of us could be cheaper with our use of social media.

But optics is inescapable, and that’s something you had to have known before embarking on the wave of unfollowing. If the rumor about his upcoming free agency in the 2021 offseason (or a possible trade before then) wasn’t buzzing at full speed, it certainly is now.

Again, all we can reasonably do is take Giannis at his public word: he has no intention of asking to leave Milwaukee just yet. And the Bucks would be foolish to voluntarily part ways with a generational talent, for whom receiving a commensurate return through the trade would be impossible, without exhausting all avenues to propel the team into title contention in their contract year.

But Antetokounmpo’s faith will soon be put to the test. As long as the NBA offseason begins, the Bucks will be able to offer Giannis a designated veteran player extension, colloquially referred to as a “supermax,” which would go into effect for the 2021-22 season and far surpass what any other suitor in the league. market can match. .

It’s not really possible to make accurate projections of what that supermax will look like until the league negotiates and amends the current collective bargaining agreement in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the veteran designated player extension starts at 35 percent of the league’s salary cap, with annual increases of eight percent. The most any other team will be able to offer Giannis is a contract starting at 30 percent of the league’s salary cap, also with annual increases of eight percent.

For reference, the disparity between the Charlotte Hornets’ Kemba Walker supermax offering and what any other team could offer in the 2019 offseason was roughly $ 80 million:

To be eligible for a supermax, a player must have completed eight years of NBA service and meet at least one of the following criteria …

• Have been part of an All-NBA team in its most recent season (or in both seasons prior to the most recent season)
• Has been named Defensive Player of the Year in his most recent season (or both seasons prior to most recent season)
• He has been named MVP in any of his three previous seasons.

And for a team to be able to offer the supermax, they must have selected the player they intend to propose or have acquired on their rookie contract.

As a future consecutive MVP, NBA first team and Defensive Player of the Year 2019-20, Antetokounmpo, 25 years old and with his eighth season in the NBA, more than qualifies. The Bucks plan to extend the supermax to him as soon as they can, according to a report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, and rightly so.

If Antetokounmpo signs that deal when offered, he would become the sixth player to sign the designated veteran player extension since it was introduced, along with Steph Curry, James Harden, Damian Lillard, John Wall and Russell Westbrook.

It is not unheard of for a star to reject the supermax. Walker turning down Charlotte, and in turn, an additional $ 80 million, for the Boston Celtics in 2019 was proof of that. Those Celtics just qualified for the Eastern Conference finals, while the Hornets weren’t invited to the league restart, showing that their gamble has paid off so far.

But is there a proportional update for Antetokounmpo?

That depends on whether the Bucks are looking to improve their roster this offseason and how other suitors position themselves. Even with Giannis stepping out in the face of trade rumors, the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors and the Los Angeles Clippers have all been reported as prepared for potential chases by The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.

The Bulls’ books, as of this writing, are clean enough to accommodate a momentum of his own from Giannis. But the previous competition takes them out of the water from a convenience standpoint. Again, if Antetokounmpo left Milwaukee, and left tens of millions of dollars on the table, it stands to reason that it would have to be for a considerable improvement from his current situation. While the current momentum around the franchise is positive, and the Bucks’ past two playoff races have been disappointing, the Bulls are far from it. They are also a long way from competing with the business assets of previous teams.

So for the moment, prying fans can update the young star’s Instagram profile to their hearts’ content. There is nothing concrete on the Giannis front until the league gets past the rest of the NBA Playoffs, the CBA negotiations and the unprecedented offseason to come.