Teams around the NBA are reportedly keeping an eye on Giannis Antetokounmpo's situation, expecting the Bucks start to be available soon enough.
According to Ian Begley of SNY Sports, it seems like teams are preparing themselves for the inevitability that Giannis Antetokounmpo will not sign an extension with the Bucks this summer. This would make him a free agent in two seasons (player option pending).
"It's worth noting here that several teams are keeping an eye on the situation in Milwaukee concerning the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo, as we've previously noted. Antetkounmpo is eligible for an extension with Milwaukee this summer. Financially, it makes sense for Antetokounmpo to wait on signing an extension or new contract. I don't know if the Knicks are one of those teams keeping an eye on the Antetokounmpo situation, but I'd imagine most teams are monitoring it."
Yes, as Begley notes it makes a lot more sense for Antetokuunmpo to wait for one more summer due to financial reasons. Still, how the Bucks handle this offseason could be a huge difference in whether the All-NBA player re-signs.
The Bucks are at a crossroads and have to pay their aging core if they want to surround the star with enough talent to win a title.
What does the Bucks' future look like going forward?
Honestly, the Bucks are heading into a very bad situation. The best-case scenario for Milwaukee is to re-sign their aging core to keep a winning roster around the Greek Freak.
If they are able to re-sign Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, these deals will almost surely have bad years on their contracts. That is not to say that the Bucks should not sign these players but most likely the contracts will be overpaid.
In addition, they are only able to trade their late 2020 first-round picks in a deal due to the fact they already gave up first-round picks in the Jrue Holiday trade.
This is why the Bucks have been quietly star-hunting for the entire offseason. They are stuck in a hole and looking to get out of it.
At the end of the day, the Bucks won a title due to the gambles that they made. They were able to keep the Greek Freak with the team for this long due to the fact that they traded for Jrue Holiday. Yes, Holiday hasn't aged gracefully in the last two years but the trade was certainly worth it due to the fact that they were able to win a title.
As the Antetokounmpo question gets closer, the Bucks will be able to access more of their first-round picks for trade. This will help them land a good enough talent in a trade that could convince Antekounmpo to stay.
