The Future of Giannis

Author: Jack Gordon

Editor: Fran Attié

It’s no secret that this season was a disappointment for the Milwaukee Bucks. For a team entering the bubble with championship expectations, the league’s best record, and the reigning 2X MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, suffering a gentleman’s sweep in the second round to the fifth seed is as close to a disaster scenario as the franchise could’ve imagined.

Now, undoubtedly on the minds of everyone in the Bucks’ front office, is the impending free agency of Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021.

In the upcoming season, the Bucks will be able to offer Antetokounmpo a supermax contract that could be worth $220 million. This is more than any other team could offer him in 2021 if he chooses to decline that option—a decision that could deliver the final blow to the NBA’s supermax experiment, a seemingly failed attempt at incentivizing superstars to remain put in free agency.

If Giannis does pass on the supermax contract, the Bucks will be in an unenviable position, with a franchise player who could leave in a year’s time and net them nothing in return.

What this usually amounts to in the NBA is a season of trade rumors, of which there have been many so far as Antetokounmpo’s name has been thrown around with teams like the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors. However, different league sources have been adamant that the Bucks will not trade Antetokounmpo, no matter if he declines to sign the extension or not.

So what can Milwaukee do to make a case for Giannis to stay?

Well, the most simple answer is winning a championship, or at the very least making the NBA finals. Antetokounmpo has been very clear that his focus is on winning, and so far, the Bucks have not been able to provide that. This past season in particular, was not an inspiring one. While management has been able to create a team good enough to garner the first seed in the East the last two years, a few questionable decisions and underperforming players have held them back from success.

The Bucks decided not to re-sign Malcolm Brogdon before this season, a player whose shooting and playmaking ability were sorely missed come playoff time. Eric Bledsoe, while valuable, is overpaid. Ersan Ilyasova and Robin Lopez made millions without playing a single second against the Heat in their second round loss, and Khris Middleton simply has not yet proven to be good enough as the clear cut second option on a championship team.

On top of this, Coach Mike Budenholzer’s strict system and basketball philosophy, which has consistently produced great results in the regular season, once again came at the expense of success in the playoffs. The Heat ripped the Bucks apart, and Budenholzer was unwilling—or unable—to make timely and necessary adjustments, most notably in his refusal to play Antetokounmpo and other key players significant minutes in must-win games.

What all this amounts to is not an unsalvageable situation for Milwaukee. Despite the disappointing loss in the bubble, Antetokounmpo’s desires in free agency are all speculative at this point. He has not displayed or discussed any intentions, as of yet, to leave next year, he seems to have a reasonable relationship with the organization and his teammates, he doesn’t seek attention and fits perfectly with the small market of Milwaukee. The ball is in the Bucks’ court. They have to provide their star player with the confidence that, if he stays, the organization can continue to place the right pieces around him, not only to compete, but also to win championships, because while Giannis still needs to improve, he has already proven to be a generational talent in the NBA. Yet, he is on the verge of moving on.

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