Giannis Antetokounmpo became eligible for a super-max extension this week, but the Bucks may need a trip to next year’s NBA Finals to convince him to accept that deal, writes Malika Andrews of ESPN.
Milwaukee fell just short of that goal this season, falling to the Raptors in six games after posting the league’s best regular season record. A source tells Andrews that winning big is important to Antetokounmpo and that at least reaching the Finals will be a factor as he considers his future.
Antetokounmpo qualified for the super-max extension with a first-team selection on this year’s All-NBA squad, but he won’t be able to accept it until he has seven years in the league, which will happen after next season. It would be a five-year deal starting at 35% of the salary cap with a projected total value of about $247.3MM.
Since his rookie year, Antetokounmpo has expressed an affection for Milwaukee, Andrews notes, even moving his mother to the city. However, winning will be the prime consideration in his next contract, and he will have to be convinced that the Bucks can be perennial contenders.
Over the past year, Milwaukee GM Jon Horst made an effort to maximize Antetokounmpo’s talents by surrounding him with shooters and hiring coach Mike Budenholzer, who builds his offense around the 3-pointer. Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton were among the key additions, while Eric Bledsoe and Malcolm Brogdon were told to shoot more often from long distance to create more inside space for Antetokounmpo.
Keeping the core of this year’s team together won’t be easy as the Bucks face several difficult free agent decisions. Lopez is due for a significant raise after playing for $3.382MM, and sources tell Andrews that re-signing him will be a priority.
Milwaukee also appears likely to pay whatever it takes to keep Khris Middleton, but may not be able to afford Brogdon as well. George Hill and Nikola Mirotic will also be free agents, and the organization is facing luxury tax concerns after giving Bledsoe a four-year, $70MM extension in March.
Milwaukee should have no problem reaching the finals next year as they tweak the roster and build on this year’s success.
Ya, just like they were going to have no problem mopping the Raptors? If Kawhi stays in TO, you can forget about it.
There’s no way Kawhi Leonard stays with the Raptors.
No way in the WORLD could possibly know how Leonard feels now or after the finals. He just dragged a frustrated team and an entire NATION of fans to the finals. Even tho he’s been to the finals and won a ship with the Spurs, and largely because of HIS play, it was done on a team with 3 other future HOF and a HOF coach. He’s in a great market that’s a major city but not nearly as bright a light as NY or LA. His heart must be racing right now. If they can at least make it a series (6 games) then I imagine they will go all out to improve the team. If he goes to either LA team, they still aren’t likely to beat the GSW coming out the West unless they can attract a 2nd and maybe 3rd star. I think Toronto might really appeal to Leonard.
Kawhi Leonard is not staying in Toronto. He doesn’t like the cold he just spent a winter there. He’s on the first plane out.
No problem? We don’t even know who’s going to be playing in the East next season. If the Knicks manage to land Durant, Irving, and AD, I’d say that makes reaching the finals a bit harder for Milwaukee.
Likewise, if Milwaukee loses some players, that makes reaching the finals harder.
AD, Durant and Irving. LOL projecting Milwaukee in the finals is much less of a reach than those guys on NYK
Sure thing, just ask Boston.
Right?
Giannis has to improve his game if he wants to win….improve that shot. Not necessarily the three, but a reliable mid-range jumper. Get free throw % above 70. Clogging the lane shut him down.
I think at least a few teams will improve even more.
Should be easy if Kawhi goes out west. Different story if he stays. As fan I loved seeing those got at each other, and selfishly hope Kawhi stays in Toronto.
Now Kawhi will get chance at revenge against a Dubs team that sent their thug to injure him a few years back in conference finals. Poor Spurs left to pick up the pieces from that fateful Pachulia dirtbag play.
Pachulia is bad man do very bad thing enabled organizationally by the organization.
What a bunch of tripe. Take your butthurt self somewhere your revisionism holds weight.
I think they can let George Hill walk…probably should focus on Middleton first, but definitely wouldn’t overpay to keep him
They were just the #1 seed based on the entire 82 game season and missed the Finals because of really just one bad home game against a really good team. If he doesn’t think they are winners already, he is never going to.
But they were #1 seed with Kawhi resting 20 games to keep him healthy so they weren’t the best team imo
Exactly Adam37!
If he doesn’t rest his legs go bad like they almost did anyway. His rest is part of the competition. So Bucks are the #1 W-L.
@adams37 So they were #1 with their BEST player resting for 20 games fresh off a season maligned with injuries. Soooo your logic is that if Leonard is 100% recovered and DOESN’T rest 20 games then somehow they will be worse off? Me no sabe homes.
That’s faulty logic. You don’t know what would have happened in those 20 games that he rested. Kawhi COULD have gotten hurt in one of those games and the Raptors COULD have lost a bunch more games that he COULD have missed.
But the NBA does not base anything on what COULD have happened. What actually happened is that the Bucks won more games than the Raptors. You are “supposed” to lose road games in the playoffs. The Bucks lost 1 home game to lose a series. One game might decide a series, but it shouldn’t decide who is the better team.
Malika Andrews is rarely right.
…and she’s the source of one of the all-time great pieces of analysis ever. After Toronto went down 2-0, she said, “Game 3 is probably a must-win for the Raptors if they want to turn the series around.”
That’s friggin gold.
Giannis isn’t going anywhere. And the Bucks don’t have to “convince” him of anything. They just missed the finals by a the slimmest if margins. Unless GSW can magically produce enough cap space to give him a max deal, where is there a situation where he’s “more likely” to win a championship?
Was that friggin sarcasm?
Indeed Giannis isn’t going anywhere: he has a contract and is not unhappy. The extension decision is a ways off, and yes with talent & teamwork the Bucks are as good a choice as any anyway.
I think Bucks fans can drive themselves silly worrying all the time about his decision. Enjoy the rise & the contender status.
What sucks is the year to win was this year because their bench was all on affordable contracts and now everyone is about to get paid. Lopez, Hill and Mirotic are all gone this summer in my opinion.
They blew it for sure. However I think the Bucks have goodwill points from Lopez & Hill because they brought the two back to relevancy. Mirotich not so much… he will probably be the one who leaves.
Lopez and Hill are both vets who haven’t been any closer to winning a title than they were this year. Both are coming off of huge contracts. They will both be pursued but I think their big money days are over. I think they’ll run it back one more time with both. 1 or 2 year deals under $10 mil each per year.
I have laughed at all the other teams that have Middleton as their backup FA plan because there is only one of him, just like there is only one Durant and he’s not coming. KM (Khris, so not “CM”) will be expensive, not an Amazon Add-on.
So what does KM want? He’s the one with an imminent decision, not Giannis. And the only pertinent thing I have read is that KM & GA battled ferociously for primacy when they were young. KM was first on the Bucks, but Giannis won. Was that a bonding experience, or the opposite? For either.
Also, the Bucks will likely have to make a sacrifice or two to keep the unit going. If they sacrifice KM, they only have to sacrifice one.
Side note, KM will likely make more money than GA nexr year.
Why do people keep talking about him leaving? He’s made it perfectly clear that he wants to spend the rest of his career in Milwaukee. I can see him leaving at some point down the line but he signing the max deal. He doesn’t want to play for New York, LA etc.
I don’t blame him if he wants to leave. These guys want to win and if you don’t surround him with a winning group of guys he won’t stay. I think if they add someone like Walker and bring Middleton back, this team can easily make the finals. Bledsoe isnt the answer but putting a guy like Walker there is your answer.
Think about what you just said @mgrap84 ..He just missed the finals by a rather thin margin. This was a break thru year for the Bucks. He likely has a better chance with Milwaukee as opposed to some other destinations. The East is better than it was last year but they can likely remain top dogs and I think can lure at least 1 major star to join him.