Getty Giannis Antetokounmpo with Stephen Curry
The Milwaukee Bucks extended Giannis Antetokounmpo to a three-year max extension that starts in the 2025-26 season.
There were some concerns about him staying with the Bucks after they were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2022-23 playoffs, but the addition of Damian Lillard seemed to keep Antetokounmpo happy.
However, teams like the Golden State Warriors are still hoping that he becomes unhappy at some point and the Bucks trade him.
With Stephen Curry, the Warriors feel confident that they can still compete with the top teams in the NBA and win a championship. As they look to better their team, Antetokounmpo is their dream scenario, according to Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
“That doesn’t mean it won’t be revisited in the summer. The Warriors’ lead decision-makers still believe Curry’s longevity gives them a couple more seasons of possible contention if the roster around him is up to it. If there’s a path to LeBron, Giannis Antetokounmpo (their dream scenario), impending free agent Paul George or a reunion with Kevin Durant, they will explore it.”
The issue here, however, is that the Warriors’ dream scenario would be the same as every other team in the league. If Antetokounmpo becomes available, many teams around the league will be doing whatever they can to land him.
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo Become Available?
Never say never for a star to become available, including the Milwaukee Bucks franchise player. With the way that the NBA is, it can never be assumed that a player stays there forever.
That could have more to do with the Bucks than Antetokounmpo, which could help the Golden State Warriors chances. If the Bucks believe that they need to move Antetokounmpo to improve their assets and trade him at his highest value, sometime in the near future seems logical.
However, that doesn’t make much sense for the team as they’re a championship contender and they have one of, if not, the best players in basketball.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Wants to be in Milwaukee
With Antetokounmpo wanting to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks, it makes it that much easier for them to continue their relationship.
After he signed his extension, Antetokounmpo had the following to say, according to the Bucks:
“Milwaukee is where I started my career, it’s our home, it’s where we’re raising our family, and it’s where I’m going to continue to work hard every day to make Bucks fans proud,” Antetokounmpo said, per the team. “I want to thank Bucks owners Wes, Jamie, Jimmy and Dee for their continuous support of me and my family, and I want to express my appreciation to Jon Horst for being a trusted partner who has been with me since the day I arrived in Milwaukee 10 years ago.
“To my teammates and coaches, I will always be grateful to you for inspiring me to be my best every day. Together, we are committed to winning and bringing another championship to our city. And to Bucks fans, let’s get it!”
From the sounds of things, the Golden State Warriors will have to continue dreaming about this scenario.