Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis’ decision will come down to the team’s pre-draft moves
By Dan Knitzer
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s decision to sign a super-max extension with the Milwaukee Bucks will be determined by the front office’s pre-draft moves
The Milwaukee Bucks could win the NBA Finals this year. In fact, FiveThirtyEight has projected them as the team most likely to win it all, just ahead of the LA Clippers. And with Giannis Antetokounmpo extension eligible July 1, a ring would be ideal. But 29 percent is still far from a slam dunk.
Whether or not the Bucks win a chip this June, they need to be bold before July 1, so Giannis feels his future with Milwaukee can be brighter than his present.
Unlike the three next likely Finals winnings (according to FiveThirtyEight) the Bucks aren’t devoid of assets. They didn’t make blockbuster deals for superstars this past summer, or two big in-season trades for fringe All-Stars last year.
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They have most of their own picks moving forward, and Indiana’s 2020 pick. They should be targeting stars on middling or re-building teams and using their future unprotected picks, plus the much-improved Donte DiVincenzo, to try to get, say, Bradley Beal, or even Jrue Holiday or D’Angelo Russell if those latter two aren’t traded to better situations for them by February 6.
Obviously, Giannis can make more money by signing a supermax extension with the Bucks this summer than bolting for a team that can only offer him 30 percent of the league’s cap in two years. But as the Greek Freak’s brand continues to grow, his on-court earnings will pale in comparison to his endorsement earnings, as is the tried and true superstar tradition.
To extend, he has to feel like the 2021-22 season will be brighter than this current season, or even next. I like Khris Middleton, and disagree with critics who say he’s an unsatisfactory second option on a championship team – I think he’s good enough, as long as the third option is a fringe All-Star, too, or he’s the co-second option.
Upgrading from Eric Bledsoe and DiVincenzo to a bonfire All-Star guard, like the three suggested above (or a completely out of left field player who becomes available – C.J. McCollum?) would give the future Bucks a solid big three worthy of Giannis’ prime years.
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Ultimately, the Bucks should believe their chances of obtaining a third star this summer are better than 29 percent, and therefore future-oriented trades will be more important to Giannis extending in Milwaukee than anything else.