Giannis Antetokounmpo Hopes New Bucks Contract Will Help Attract Free Agents

Giannis Antetokounmpo signed a five-year, $228 million supermax contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks this week, a decision that will have huge reverberations around the NBA for years to come.

One possibility is that Milwaukee's chances to potentially entice stars to join the Greek Freak in Milwaukee will have improved with his long-term commitment. At least, Antetokounmpo is hoping that will be the result:

According to a report from Brian Windhorst and Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN, Antetokounmpo has traditionally avoided taking up the role of quasi-GM like other stars around the NBA. But during a meeting this offseason with Bucks co-governor Marc Lasry, the superstar reportedly delved more into the roster-building side of things than he has in the past:

"Over that three-hour lunch, Lasry had some of the more significant conversations about team-building he has shared with Antetokounmpo. They talked about current Bucks players. They talked about current Bucks coaches. They talked about free agents who were entering the market. They talked about players on other teams—ones Antetokounmpo thought would be right to acquire. And they discussed the other things, such as how Antetokounmpo had begun feeling the early stages of recruiting from other players in the league. At one point, sources said, Antetokounmpo even showed the Bucks' management text messages from stars on rival teams who appeared to be beginning their pitch."

The Bucks responded by making a huge splash, trading three first-round picks and two future first-round pick swaps for Jrue Holiday in a blockbuster deal. That deal was criticized by some at the time, given the assets Milwaukee gave up, though if it factored into Antetokounmpo's decision to sign his extension, then it can only be considered a massive success.

The team also tried to pull off a sign-and-trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic, though that fell through.

Regardless, the Bucks appear to be in a better position—with a Big Three of the Greek Freak, Holiday and Khris Middleton—than they were the past two years, when they finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference but failed to reach the NBA Finals. The Bucks clearly demonstrated the desire to win championships that their two-time defending MVP was looking for:

As for Antetokounmpo's goals over the next five years?

"Have (more) kids and have a championship," said Antetokounmpo, whose first child, Liam, was born in February, per ESPN's Malika Andrews.

Whether the Bucks are actually able to win a championship remains to be seen. But the 26-year-old's long-term commitment undoubtedly will make it easier for Milwaukee to attract talent going forward. In a league where players often try to get to destination markets like Los Angeles, New York and Miami, the impact of arguably the best player in the world returning to a smaller market like Milwaukee can't be overlooked.