After 12 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo is staring at a career crossroads.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday that the Bucks star is contemplating whether to stay or seek a trade out of Milwaukee.
The two-time NBA MVP has not made any firm decisions on his Bucks future after the franchise’s third consecutive postseason exit in the first round, but, for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere, league sources told ESPN.
Teams have approached the Bucks frequently over the years about the availability of Antetokounmpo as a normal exercise, and they are expected to ramp up due diligence during combine week, according to league sources.
But any conversations surrounding the perennial All-NBA superstar and 2021 NBA champion start primarily with where he believes his long-term future lies and whether there is a franchise outside of Milwaukee that is sensible for him.
The Bucks and Antetokounmpo’s representation are scheduled to meet this offseason, according to Charania, that will crystalized the 30-year-old star’s future and the direction of the franchise.
Rumors about Antetokounmpo’s uncertain future in Milwaukee started to resurface after the Bucks lost in the first round for the third straight time, with Damian Lillard suffering a devastating Achilles injury along the way.
Lillard’s availability for next season is in jeopardy as the average recovery time for such an injury is roughly 10.5 months, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The Bucks lack the draft capital, cap room and tradable contracts to add a significant talent next to Antetokounmpo while waiting for Lillard to recover.
Winning Second Ring Trumps Loyalty?
If Antetokounmpo decides to leave Milwaukee, it’s nothing personal but purely business. Turning 31 next season, Antetokounmpo is driven by his desire to win a second championship that will cement his NBA legacy.
“I’m trying to win a second ring,” he told his brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo on the “Thanalysis Show” in April. “Everybody plays to win, but me not having a second championship… I look back at my career, and everybody can say, ‘He had an amazing career,’ first-ballot Hall of Famer, but me personally, if I’m not able to win a second ring, I’m letting down myself.”
In a February interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Antetokounmpo hinted that he’s open to relocating.
“Don’t fall into your comfort zone,” Antetokounmpo said. “I don’t want to stay in my comfort zone. I want to be challenged. And if the challenge is here, which it is right now – we have a real challenge, people don’t respect us, we have a good group, it’s good. But we might not have a challenge one day. We might be rebuilding as a team, or we might not be chasing nothing.
“So, will my individual athlete be more important than the championship? This is a thing that maybe some players make a mistake. They stay in the place maybe too long.”
Bucks Teammate Believes Giannis Will Stay
Bucks forward Bobby Portis claimed that Antetokounmpo “bleeds green” and doesn’t see him seeking a trade out of Milwaukee this summer.
“I just think, man, that Giannis bleeds green, though,” Portis said. “I think he believes in loyalty and wanting that. Tim Duncan, Kobe [Bryant], Steph Curry-type of career, where they play with one franchise.
“Obviously, it sounds really, really good that Giannis leaves and goes to another team. But, like, realistically, if you trade for him, just looking at the business side, he’s gonna make, what, $58, $60 million? I mean, you gotta trade your whole team, right? You’ve got to change your whole team, and then [after] being able to get him, you still have to put players around him to compete for a championship, right? So this, like whoever [team], if you do make a move, you might be in the same position that the Bucks are in.”
Antetokounmpo is due for $54 million next season, eating up 35% of any team’s cap room. Any team who would trade for him will likely have to give up a lot of player with midsize contracts or another star in the same salary slot.
Meanwhile, Portis has a $13.4 million player option, which he has to decide on by June 29.
Bucks Star Giannis Antetokounmpo Hints at Potential Trade Request