Giannis Given Pen as Birthday Present by Bucks Teammates Amid Contract Rumors

Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks teammates weren't exactly subtle when they presented him with a gift for his 26th birthday.

Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton decided to give the two-time reigning NBA MVP a pen, a reference to his unsigned supermax extension.

"We definitely sung a happy birthday after practice," Middleton said, per ESPN's Eric Woodyard. "Me and PC thought the perfect gift to him from our teammates is just to give him a pen. So there were pens in his locker for his birthday present. I told him, 'Those should be some of the best birthday gifts he's ever gotten,' so hopefully he enjoys it and uses it."

The deadline for Antetokounmpo to sign is Dec. 21, at which point the Bucks would have to wait until the offseason to know whether their best player is going to stick around.

The Miami Heat signed Bam Adebayo to an extension, while Anthony Davis and LeBron James pledged their long-term futures to the Los Angeles Lakers. Naturally, that has led some to wonder whether the Heat and Lakers are under the impression Antetokounmpo isn't leaving, otherwise they would've allowed themselves more financial flexibility.

However, B/R's Jake Fischer reported that after Milwaukee's failed pursuit of Bogdan Bogdanovic, "There has since been a categorical step back in the Bucks' confidence in getting a long-term commitment from their superstar, even if Antetokounmpo ultimately accepts the franchise's offer of a five-year, $228 million supermax extension." 

Who knows? Maybe Antetokounmpo is passionate about calligraphy, and pens are the one way to win him over.