Giannis Antetokounmpo Rumors: Bucks to Offer Supermax Contract to Star

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly preparing to offer MVP forward Giannis Antetokounmpo a five-year supermax contract extension as soon as the 2020 NBA free-agent period opens.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Thursday the Bucks will also "prioritize acquiring a playmaker and more shooting in the offseason to retool the roster around Antetokounmpo" after the Miami Heat eliminated them from the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Offering Antetokounmpo the supermax, which Charania noted will likely fall between $221.3 million and $233.5 million depending on the salary cap, is a no-brainer. The bigger question is whether the four-time All-Star will sign it.

The 25-year-old Greece native has one season remaining on his four-year, $100 million contract. He can become an unrestricted free agent in the 2021 offseason if he doesn't sign an extension.

Last October, concerns arose about Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee after quotes emerged in which he discussed the factors he might consider when deciding whether to stay with the Bucks.

In a study about the challenges faced by small-market NBA teams in retaining star players, Harvard Business School professor Anita Elberse and her co-author, master's student Melcolm Ruffin, cited Antetokounmpo as saying: "I want the Bucks to build a winning culture. So far, we have been doing great, and, if this lasts, there's no other place I want to be. But if we're underperforming in the NBA next year, deciding whether to sign becomes a lot more difficult."

He later said he'd been misquoted.

Although the Bucks finished with the best record in the NBA (56-17) as the Greek Freak put himself in strong contention to win a second straight MVP award, they fell short of expectations in the postseason with the second-round exit.

Antetokounmpo suffered an ankle injury in Game 3 and aggravated it in Game 4, which forced him to miss Game 5 as the Bucks' season came to a close. It was a factor in their elimination, but Miami was the better team in the series, building a 3-0 lead before closing it out with Giannis sidelined.

The Bucks' need for another impact shooter or two is apparent. They finished 17th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage (35.5) and shot at the same level in the postseason (35.8 percent) to rank 11th out of 16 playoff teams.

An Antetokounmpo extension would increase the duration of Milwaukee's championship window, but if he decides to keep his options open, it may be championship-or-bust for the organization next season.