Windhorst: James Harden Suitors Waiting out Giannis Supermax Contract Decision

Giannis Antetokounmpo has 10 days left to sign a supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, and whether or not he does may have a dramatic impact on James Harden's trade market. 

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, teams are waiting to discuss any potential deals for the Houston Rockets guard to see if the back-to-back MVP's negotiations fall through in Milwaukee.

"[Teams are] not going to necessarily go all-in on a Harden trade, or even get serious about talking about it, until they know what's going to happen with Giannis," Windhorst said on SportsCenter. "It may be a situation, some of these teams may want to save their assets to see if Giannis might truly be on the market next summer."

The Bucks offered Antetokounmpo a five-year, $228 million deal to remain in Milwaukee but haven't been able to add much around him this offseason. A sign-and-trade deal for Bogdan Bogdanovic fell through just ahead of free agency, and the team saw Robin Lopez and Wesley Matthews sign elsewhere. 

As Antetokounmpo weighs whether or not he can win in Milwaukee, Harden is doing his best to get out of Houston. 

"This is not something we've seen often in the NBA," Windhorst said. "Two MVP-type guys with uncertain futures, but the reward is so high teams are going to hold back and watch to see how things develop."

According to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic, Harden has reportedly asked to be dealt to the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat or the Bucks. 

How much those contenders are willing to give up to acquire Harden—should they begin formal discussions—remains to be seen. 

The NBA regular season kicks off December 21. It's looking like Harden can expect to remain on the Rockets by then unless Antetokounmpo signs his extension.