Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s decision on a supermax extension will have a wide-ranging effect on this offseason and the summer of 2021, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Several teams that are saving cap space to make a run at the two-time MVP next year would be more likely to spend right away if he accepts an offer from the Bucks. The Raptors would be more willing to spend big to keep free agent guard Fred VanVleet, while the Heat and Mavericks might look to make significant moves right away.
Bontemps has heard from multiple sources that Milwaukee won’t panic if Antetokoumpo turns down the extension. Instead of trying to trade him before he reaches free agency, the Bucks will look for roster upgrades to give him a better chance to compete for a title before he hits the open market. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that Milwaukee’s ownership won’t mind adding payroll to improve, so the team could be actively seeking trades before the start of next season.
There’s more on potential offseason moves, all courtesy of Bontemps:
- Victor Oladipo is also eligible for an extension, but it might be tricky for him and the Pacers to arrive at a mutually acceptable figure. The team can offer a new deal that starts at around $26MM — 120% of his salary for next season. However, Oladipo could potentially make much more as an unrestricted free agent in 2021 and may use the upcoming season to show that he’s fully recovered from a torn quadriceps tendon. As a small market team, Indiana might decide to seek a deal now involving Oladipo rather than risk losing him for no return, Bontemps notes. The Pacers already have Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis under long-term deals and may be wary of giving another one to Oladipo.
- VanVleet will be the top free agent this offseason, and the Raptors are hoping to keep him without compromising any chance they have at Antetokounmpo. ESPN’s Bobby Marks reports that Toronto would like to reach a new deal that doesn’t exceed four years at $80MM. The Pistons, Knicks, and Hawks all appear to be options to maximize his value if VanVleet doesn’t mind leaving a contender for a rebuilding team.
- Atlanta goes into free agency with the most money to spend ($42MM), giving general manager Travis Schlenk an advantage as he looks to add to his core of young talent. There aren’t any franchise players on this year’s market, but Bontemps mentions Davis Bertans, Danilo Gallinari and Joe Harris as possibilities, along with VanVleet.
- In the wake of playoff disappointments and coaching changes, the Clippers and Sixers could both be looking for roster shakeups. According to Bontemps, L.A. may try to move Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Ivica Zubac or find sign-and trade deals involving Marcus Morris or Montrezl Harrell, while Philadelphia’s top priority is to unload Al Horford‘s contract.
Trade trade trade
20 draft trades + 20 regular trades in the offseason
If Clippers move those 3 instead of moving PG, they will remain Lakers door mat. A new stadium won’t help…especially with Governor Nuisance shutdown mandates.
Clippers should buy their own stadium not expect tax payers to bail them out. They are owned by a billionaire he should pay for the stadium
I’ll take Newsom over President Pedo. Also, Balmer is paying for the stadium. How is it that mouth-breathers can reply on this forum but do not know how to do a simple Google search?
Haha yess randy
For the past 4 years there are only 4 Players involved in sign and trade deals
Durant. DLo, Butler and one more
It won’t be easy for Clippers
That list proves GSW will def try and get one this winter though.
“L.A. may try to move Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Ivica Zubac or find sign-and trade deals involving Marcus Morris or Montrezl Harrell, while Philadelphia’s top priority is to unload Al Horford‘s contract.” Yeah. Good luck on ANY of those.
Horford and Embiid to GSW for the 2nd pick and Wiggins gets Horford’s deal out from under them, and value in return.
That is the worst trade proposal I have ever seen.
And how exactly are you fitting those salary numbers to make it work other than in your head? You do know the rules right to trading in the NBA?
When a Fred VanVleet is the best FA available, tells you a lot about the depth of the available FA this offseason.
Nothing against FVV, the guy deserves a payday, but it’s inevitable that he will be overpaid.
Teams should be wary about FVV, as tough as he is, he’s still just 6-feet …….. the RAPTORS with Nurse’s defensive schemes and lengthy players, can hide FVV on the defensive end.
Many other teams don’t have the same luxury.
Woe to the KNICKS if they get FVV.
Freddy is really good on the perimeter… as someone who is a Raptors fan and watches almost every game Freddy is possibly the best perimeter defender on the team (between him and Lowry). I agree he should not be making 80M
Accidentally posted the comment above
But he would certainly be a defensive upgrade to someone like Eldridge Payton, Jalen Brunson, D Rose and is certainly a better defender than Trae Young
Accidentally posted comment above***
But he should be making around 50 mil over 3 years…. he’s a good point guard, and he certainly is an upgrade over anybody the Knicks and Pistons have
Giannis are likely to sign extension
⋯⋯
If Bucks are not able to make good trade before deadline they would have to change their mind
Bucks don’t have good draft picks and valuable trade pieces
The Bucks are going to watch him play out his contract and walk out the door for free for nothing for zilch in return.
Only if Giannis decides to leave $80+ million on the table and believes the owners aren’t willing to do everything they can to build a championship caliber roster around him. I honestly don’t see Giannis leaving Milwaukee since it’s where his entire family now calls home and since he doesn’t want to live/play in a large market.
If I had a penny for every guy that thought this same thing and ended up being wrong.
Time will tell. I just remember Kevin Garnett saying he regretted staying in Minnesota too long. Stayed there what 10-12 years? 8 years? He said he was loyal to the team that drafted him too long and he regretted it.
Fortunately he escaped and won a championship in another city. You saw if you remember how happy he was that he finally won a championship. You can only go so long as a stud on a decent team. 2nd round knockout, 3rd round knockout, never reaching the Promised Land. I think Giannis is aware of this. But we’ll see how it plays out
I was a huge fan of Garnett… that is until he moved to BOS that was a sad time as he was just a shadow of the player he had been, IMO it was the worst thing he ever did move to BOS, just wish he stayed the course in MIN, winning a ring is not everything in this league, you can be one of the greatest ever without winning one, his legacy is a much lesser one for moving, anyway that is my view.
Easy for you to say. You may not have been a player in the NBA. I have a buddy who WAS a player in the NBA and has a ring and he cherishes it as one of his most prized possessions. There’s only so many of them out there and only so many guys have one. Maybe a few thousand in the world.
Yes several team members aside from the players get rings but they are still valuable to the players. It’s what every player strives for ultimately. They sacrifice and grind and give everything they have to finish in third place? I think not. Side note but that’s what makes Michael Jordan so incredible. 6 Rings, I mean come on that’s pretty incredible. Kevin Garnett almost came apart after winning his ONE.
If you ask Kevin Garnett, it was the GREATEST thing he was ever part of. If he had stayed his whole career in Minnesota and not won a ring he’d be… Amar’e Stoudemire. A great player, dominant, no ring. Or Antonio McDyess.
At least you could have the decency to compare him with Barkley & Malone, the 2 best PF in NBA history… at least until the 2000’s roll over & wait no ring between both of them, but much more valuable than a ring 3 MVP’s, almost 30 All-NBA teams & so many more unbelievable achievements!!!
Is there another Amar’e Stoudemire in NBA history that was actually great? Is there also another Antonio McDyess that was also great?
The ones that I know of and watched play were far from great.
It’s too easy to pick Charles Barkley and Karl Malone as ringless Superstar power forwards. Thought I’d go outside the box and pick great power forwards who haven’t won rings and are in Perpetual obscurity. Is Kevin Garnett pre Boston as good as Charles Barkley and Karl Malone? I say he’d be third. I don’t know if you’re old enough to remember Charles Barkley but he was absolutely astonishing. Karl Malone as well was very very outstanding. Kevin Garnett? 7-1 jump shooter. Maybe he block some shots, maybe he was charismatic, maybe he had a few dunks and maybe he had some nice post moves. But he’s not Charles Barkley or Karl Malone. He’s Antonio McDyess who I saw play and he’s Amar’e Stoudemire who I saw play. Maybe somewhere between those four guys.
Still, before Boston he would have just been another guy who spent 12 years in no man’s land.
Amar’e Staoudemire and Anotnio McDyess weren’t great. They weren’t even the best in the league at any point in their careers.
Please don’t use the word great for them. They were barely All Stars. They never were the centerpiece for a franchise. Staoudermire was, at best, a sidekick. McDyess was a supporting cast, not even a sidekick. They’re not in Kevin Garnett’s league.
Fine.., plug-in Chris Webber, Shawn Kemp, LaMarcus Aldridge, whoever.
But yes I see your point. Kevin Garnett was one of the best power forwards of all time and the other guys are not. My original point was how important rings are. But it’s always refreshing to engage with those who have a little basketball history and know their stuff. There’s little chance of sliding stuff past you guys Without You noticing !! Thanks for coming into this discussion.
Plus I said I would rank Kevin Garnett between those four. I don’t think he’s in Karl Malone’s or Charles Barkley’s League at the same time as make Dyson stottlemyre are not in Kevin Garnett’s League. But yes I admit I’m reaching and you’re a lot more correct than I am.
Sorry voice to text. Antonio McDyess and Amar’e Stoudemire.
There’s gonna be a 12 team, 49 player trade coming up. Stephen A. Smith will have an aneurysm trying to break it down.
And Sillivan will claim he predicted it!
It’s this type of thinking that keeps teams like the Milwaukee Bucks down and non contenders for years upon years. When they have a super star player, instead of trading them before they walk 5 for 1, they play it out and watch him stroll out the door for zero return. They shrug their shoulders and say, “oh well we did our best to keep him. He’s free to sign anywhere and there’s nothing we could do about it.” That is defeatist, unreasonable, and an egregious error. It lets down the fans and it’s bad for business.
I don’t get how it’s defeatist for the Bucks to not give up their best chance at a title in decades, especially when there’s been no legitimate indication that Giannis will leave.
The Bucks are built to win now, if they trade Giannis they might as well trade the whole team. I can’t imagine that many Bucks fans are clamoring for a rebuild after being the 1 seed, that sounds truly defeatist.
Well, aside from Giannis, what “superstar” has Milwaukee had in the past 20+ years that they just allowed to walk away for nothing?
Brogdon isn’t amd never was, plus that was a sign and trade.
The only others that could possibly be considered anywhere near superstar level at some point in their careers were Allen, Robinson, and Cassell..and I believe all of them were traded.
Gary Payton..? Who was a pending fa they acquired for Allen, and foolishly thought would re-sign despite having a not so great preexisting relationship with George Karl..?
Michael Redd? They actually did re-sign him, for all the good it did as far as tram success.
Am I missing someone?
See, the Bucks have been smart over the years by Trading instead of letting guys walk. It would be a mistake to let Giannis walk for nothing. They can get 5 for 1 now or zero for one this time next year.
You’re 100% committed to the idea that Giannis is leaving after next season, even before the team is allowed to offer the super max, which they’ve said will happen the second it can happen.
Nevermind that will be the most $ he can make from any team. Nevermind he has yet to say ANYTHING remotely suggesting he wants, plans or intends to go anywhere.
You and every other “Giannis is gone 1 way or another” could at least wait until he gives the slightest indication of doing so.
I just don’t think Giannis will sign the extension. He might but it’s still up in the air. For instance, with Anthony Davis everyone on the face of the planet KNOWS he’s going to sign with the Lakers. There isn’t a question. Giannis? I think it’s up in the air and we’re going to talk about it and guess about his destination until he does sign an extension.
He’s an amazing player and everybody would love to have him, so the talk is going to happen until that day he signs.
The only reason Giannis is likely waiting to sign the supermax extension is the current uncertainty of the salary cap. He could be leaving $40+ million on the table if the cap goes down next season and then jumps back up the following year. So for that reason it makes sense for him to wait until it has been set to make his decision
…, so the {putdowns of Milwaukee will continue for another year while Giannis follows his contract and the CBA} until the day he signs. {Meanwhile, no Cali fairweather fans talk.}
NBA teams don’t trade away superstars for 5 lesser talents. This league is different than the NFL and MLB. You build around your star player unless he specifically demands to be traded and isn’t happy playing for his current team. Giannis has never said he doesn’t want to play for Milwaukee. So why would you trade away their best player since Lew Alcindor instead of go for it one more time?
It’s asinine to think getting 5 players or picks will every amount to the value someone like Giannis provides.
Of course you’re not going to get equal value back. You get back what you can without losing him for nothing.
Wrong. The Bucks history if anything is the opposite: Jabbar.
Gary has no evidence of those claims except a belief in harassment. If the Bucks want to hold on to their asset that they believed in from the getgo, they can double down on him if they want. Gary can twist with his covetous campaign, informing Bucks fans what is best for him I mean them.
What happened to GSW growing their own team with Steve Kerr at HC?
We can go back and forth all winter long. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. It’ll be interesting to say the least.
Pat Bev for Bledsoe straight up. Change of scenery/reinvigoration for both.
I think Giannis should stay in Milwaukee, at least makes the league less lopsided. Middleton is either not the right #2 for him or the rest of the roster needs to be traded for different parts. Wonder if Houston will blow it up? Harden + Giannis would be a serious ‘all-in’ push.
Harden to the Bucks
Middleton to the Jazz
Conley + multiple 1st rnd picks from each team to the Rockets.
Giannis doesnt care at all about keeping the league less lopsided.
The “lopsidedness” isnt an issue anyway, because the draft is a lottery and not record-based, so teams really aren’t “trying” to lose games on purpose to get a better pick, like they do in MLB.
Giannis + Harden screams terrible fit to me. Both seem to need the ball a lot to be content.
Bledsoe looks like the odd man out. And maybe some better coaching/adjustments when the standard give-the-ball-to-Giannis-and-get-out-of-the-way isn’t working.
I think I would bring in James Harden if he was available and the cost wasn’t exorbitant. The man can shoot drive has great vision and I think he would help any team. The guy’s a stud MVP. I think he would facilitate a reasonable ball movement agenda with Giannis and make it happen.
If the Warriors traded for James Harden I would love it. Another shooter scorer, another 4th quarter 2 minutes left option.
Are we talking about the same James Harden who Giannis didn’t pick in the all star game because he wanted a guard who was willing to pass the ball?
Houston ball movement ceases every time the ball gets to Harden. He’s the biggest iso player in the league.
I think he would adjust his game to whatever the coach says. Especially at this point in his career. He’s not Russell Westbrook. I wouldn’t touch that guy with a ten-foot pole. But I would gladly welcome James Harden to the Warriors. You would be foolish to not trade for James Harden if the opportunity came up.
Of course you do realize the coach put that system in place for the rockets and James Harden. The coach turned James Harden from the off guard shooting guard into the ball dominant player on the floor. Worked for a couple of years especially with Clint capela and the lobs. Then the Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook experiments failed and Houston is in a mess right now.
There’s still a path to GSW getting Giannis and Embiid to pair with the Splash Bros, and everyone knows it and are shaking in their boots, its so funny.
Might not happen, but also the door is not closed if they can send Dray to the Lakers where he can kiss Brons butt up close, suddenly the Warriors become “break the league” again.
No one knows that. It’s literally impossible. There’s a thing called the salary cap.
Here you go: link to tradenba.com
I am sure all teams would go for it
I laughed out loud…thanks bro.
GSW don’t have the trade assets to get Giannis let alone Embiid too. It’s funny how many people don’t understand how valuable superstar players are to their teams. It would cost the #2 pick in a weak draft like this year’s just to dump Wiggins’ horrid contract. Now lets see someone put together an actual package for Giannis and Embiid after accounting for Wiggins negative value.
Oh hey I remember you. You changed your username… you used to be Neo or something like that.
Neo is still around; IDKY a nonjerk needs multiple usernames. Possible though.
Oladipo should take a 1-2 year extension from the Pacers rather than trying to play his way into a max extension. He could very well find himself in a Nerlens Noel situation if he struggles. While I think he was finally getting back to form toward the end of the season, he was still a ways away from playing at a max level.
I need to add my voice to the chorus advising the Knicks not to sign Fred VanVleet. Now, I haven’t seen him play a ton so I may be wrong. But, when I watched, I was unimpressed. He’s a nice role player. But nice role players wreck your team salary cap if you overpay them. If they could get him for 10/12 million a year, I’d say okay…but based on everything I’m reading that’s clearly impossible. Signing him for more than that will be Tim Hardaway Jr all over again. His numbers are nearly identical to Monte Morris who will make like 2 million next year. I look at the Raptors roster and I rate 5 or 6 guys as better than VanVleet. The Raptors have a large group of above average players (Siakam, Ibaka, Gasol, Powell, Onunoby, and Lowry). I’d take any of them over VanVleet. The Raptors lost in the second round. Why should the fifth best player on that team get anywhere near a max deal? That sounds crazy to me.
Spot on.
If the Knicks wanna trade for Westbrook or Chris Paul….without giving up any asset (except salary cap), I am not opposed. Westbrook or Chris Paul can get the Knicks to the first round of the playoffs. That’s worthwhile and doesn’t the wreck the team. But giving up assets to make the first round of the playoffs is not something a well run team would do.
If I see another VanVleet mention in here,I’m going to run my minivan into a wall
Van…
What could any team offer the Bucks that would even slightly incline them to trade Giannis? Short of a full out trade demand he will be in Milwaukee for next season.
You could be right but he sure is taking his sweet time signing the extension or verbalizing that he’ll do so. He’s got every GM in the league wringing their hands. It’d be so easy for him to just State his intentions.
Union rights: players don’t have to. And it’s not reliable if they do. And he has stated his intentions, w hatever good that d id.
I do not think he stated his intentions. Far from it. He said all the right things to not disparage Milwaukee. That’s about it. He’s playing it safe. He probably doesn’t even know where he’s going to wind up. Still thinking it through.
…Vleet