Giannis Talks Contract Decision, Bucks Future amid Rumors After Damian Lillard Trade
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo confirmed on Monday that he doesn't plan on signing the three-year, $173 million extension that the Bucks can offer him this fall, and will instead wait until next summer.
"It did not make sense to sign a contract right now because money is not important, a lot of f--king money is important," he told reporters, laughing. "So I'm gonna sign it next year."
"But I want to be a Milwaukee Buck for the rest of my career as long as we are committed to winning," he added.
Those comments are hardly surprising for two main reasons. The first, and most obvious one, is that waiting would allow Antetokounmpo to sign a five-year extension next summer at an estimated value of $334 million, an astronomical figure.
But it also isn't surprising because the Greek Freak already outlined his intentions earlier this summer, telling Tania Ganguli of the New York Times in August that "numbers-wise it doesn't make sense" regarding a September extension.
"Next summer it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don't know," he added at the time. "I would not be the best version of myself if I don't know that everybody's on the same page, everybody's going for a championship, everybody's going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don't feel that, I'm not signing."
Those comments felt pointed, as though Antetokounmpo was giving the Bucks an ultimatum—keep a contender around me or risk losing me in the future.
But it's likely that any concerns about Milwaukee's championships aspirations dissolved in the wake of acquiring superstar point guard Damian Lillard. Antetokounmpo seemed very pleased with that trade while speaking to reporters on Monday:
"Having a guy like Dame on the team, it's unbelievable. He knows how to play the game, plays the game at a high level. Built from the same cloth. Wants to win, is extremely hungry. I've been here 10 years, we've been doing things quietly. We've been moving under the radar and now with this kind of move, it brings a lot of attention to the team and there's a lot of hype around the team. I believe, and I think a lot of people believe, that we are one of the best teams in the East. But at the end of the day it's not about what we believe or people believe, it's about what we do."
Put up or shut up, in other words. The front office put up last week, giving Giannis a better pure scorer to pair with than he's ever had in his career. The duo should be an absolute monster to defend in the pick and roll, and expectations are justifiably sky high.
Now it's on Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Khris Middleton and the rest of the Bucks to prove the trade was a worthwhile gamble. But regardless, that ambition was an important gesture for the Bucks in the effort to keep the Greek Freak in Milwaukee for the duration of his NBA career.
