The Milwaukee Bucks entered Friday evening’s action against the Miami Heat down 2-0 in their Eastern Conference Semifinals series.
A team that boasted the best record in the NBA during the regular season, a loss in the conference semifinals would be pretty darn painful. It could also help expedite the departure of reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is slated to hit free agency following the 2020-21 season.
In talking about this as a guest co-host on TNT’s pre-game show Friday, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green specifically mentioned Antetokounmpo’s pending free agency and the Bucks’ win-now mentality.
This is notable for a number of different reasons. By now, it’s well known that Giannis could very well elect to leave Milwaukee for a larger market once his contract expires. Where does Green and his team come into play? It’s rather obvious.
Multiple teams are going to chase after Antetokounmpo once he does hit free agency following the 2020-21 season. He’s going to look at each opportunity in a larger market. That’s just the nature of the beast in today’s NBA.
There’s also some suggestions out there that Milwaukee might have to listen to trade offers for Giannis this coming offseason. The team simply can’t afford to lose him for free if it becomes clear he’s hellbent on leaving Wisconsin.
For now, it’s all speculation. Green talking about the Greek Freak and free agency only adds to that.