Giannis Antetokounmpo - Photo by Sporting News
MILWAUKEE, WI (WSAU) – The Milwaukee Bucks will have some major decisions to make around their franchise players over the next two years.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on Behind The Play, there is a 50/50 chance that Giannis will decide to leave the Bucks once his contract is up.
While stating on the 48 Minutes podcast that he only wants to win, Antetokounmpo seemed to cast doubt on his future in Milwaukee, adding that if there is “a better situation for me to win the Larry O’Brien, I have to take that better situation.” Antetokounmpo has stated numerous times that winning is his only goal.
"I'm a Milwaukee Buck, but most importantly I'm a winner. … If there is a better situation for me to win the Larry O'Brien I have to take that better situation."
Giannis on his future with the Bucks. pic.twitter.com/XzucRXtmOv
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 13, 2023
The Bucks also have a decision to make on guard Jrue Holiday, who will be eligible for an extension later this year. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said Wednesday on NBA Today that what the team decides to do with Holiday will play a big role in what Giannis decides to do moving forward, saying, “What happens with Jrue Holiday’s extension greatly affects what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s decision about whether he stays in Milwaukee and whether he wants to do that this summer. So, Jrue Holiday is the bellwether. What happens with the Jrue Holiday situation this spring and this summer is a bellwether for what happens for Giannis.”
Holiday is in the last year of his contract, but does have a $37.3 million player option for 2024-25 that he may decline in order to pursue a more lucrative long-term deal.
Bucks star Khris Middleton downplayed the rumors that Giannis could leave Milwaukee, saying, “We always want him back for sure. Let’s be sure and let everyone know that. We want this guy to come back because he’s one of the best players in the world. He’s one of the best players in franchise history. So when he says things like that, I think he just wants to challenge the team, the organization, to keep putting us in position to win championships.”
Antetokounmpo’s contract extends through the 2024–25 season, and he will earn $45.6 million this year and $48.8 million next year in addition to a player option for nearly $52 million for the 2025–26 season.
Comments