With the sense that they were getting close to a blockbuster deal for Damian Lillard, the Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly attempted to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo to another long-term extension.
Wednesday brought one of the more surprising developments of the NBA offseason. After months of speculation and rumors, the Portland Trail Blazers finally traded star Damian Lillard. However, it wasn’t to the Miami Heat as he preferred, but instead to perennial Eastern Conference powerhouse the Milwaukee Bucks.
Related: Why blockbuster trade could lead to happy ending for both Lillard and Trail Blazers
While the Bucks had been named in recent reports as a team interested in the seven-time All-Star, they were not believed to be the favorite. However, they surprised the basketball world and pulled off a deal that will now make them the team to beat in the East.
Along with improving their chances this season, the trade was surely made to send a clear message to Giannis Antetokounmpo that the organization was all-in on trying to win a championship this season and in future years. Something that the two-time MVP didn’t seem to be confident about heading into the final three years of the five-year, $228 million extension he signed a couple of seasons ago.
Bucks offered max extension to Giannis Antetokounmpo days before Lillard trade
Now that the superstar has an elite-level running mate for the next few years, it seems that the Bucks are looking for Antetokounmpo to show his long-term faith in the organization that drafted him with their top pick a decade ago.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo stats (’22-’23): 31.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 5.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 28% 3PT
In a Thursday report from The Athletic’s NBA insiders Sam Amick and Shams Charania, the duo revealed that “Antetokounmpo is eligible for a three-year, $186.6 million extension with the Bucks before the start of the regular season or a commitment for up to four years and $260 million next offseason. The Bucks delivered the max, three-year extension to Antetokounmpo in recent days, league sources say, and it is immediately unclear how he and his representatives will reconsider a potential deal now versus waiting to evaluate after the season.”
It will be interesting to see how Giannis Antetokounmpo approaches the offer since the team has acquiesced to his request to do all they can to make them a serious contender this season. However, taking a wait-and-see strategy for this season to get more years and money next summer would not be surprising.