Milwaukee Bucks still in control of their future with Giannis Antetokounmpo

In spite of the endless uncertainty surrounding all things NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks still control their own future with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Under normal circumstances, the Milwaukee Bucks could have been wrapping up a second NBA championship in the franchise’s history right about now.

In that scenario, the Bucks would also be just a couple of weeks away from sitting down with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’d likely be fresh off of picking up his second MVP award, and presenting him with a supermax offer that could secure his long-term stay in Milwaukee.

More from Bucks News

In our actual reality, perhaps all of that can still come to pass. But if it does, it will be October at the very earliest before those franchise defining questions have some form of resolution for Bucks fans.

As a result, an anxious wait of sorts will continue for Milwaukee basketball fans, but it shouldn’t be one that doesn’t come with a lot of confidence in a positive outcome too.

As things stand, the Bucks have proven themselves as one of the NBA’s truly elite teams for the second season running. They have one of the league’s deepest rosters, best coaching staffs, best front offices, and a state of the art training facility and arena. Salary figures are certainly up in the air based on the challenges to revenue at present, but however that does shake out, the Bucks will still be able to offer Antetokounmpo more money than any other team for his next contract.

In other words, the Bucks will have an incredibly strong case to make for Antetokounmpo re-signing, and one that is close to as strong as it could possibly be under the circumstances.

Of course, also worth noting is that Antetokounmpo has never gone out of his way to do anything other than voice his commitment to the franchise, as long as he feels they’re giving him every opportunity to win. It also can’t be underestimated that Antetokounmpo and his family feel a deep affinity to the city of Milwaukee, as was on display when he marched in protest with the city’s people on multiple occasions in recent weeks.

Writing for ESPN, Tim Bontemps examined many of the ways in which the NBA could be reshaped by the events of the upcoming postseason at Walt Disney World, if that indeed goes ahead as planned.

Unsurprisingly, one of the topics that was brought up was how these playoffs could impact Antetokounmpo’s decision, but the news on that front should still be viewed largely as sources of optimism from a Bucks perspective.

Bontemps noted that the Bucks are “considered likely to keep Antetokounmpo long-term”, before then quoting an anonymous Eastern Conference scout as saying:

"“I always have said: Ask me once he has to make a decision,” one Eastern Conference scout said. “It all comes down to timing. So many things can change.“If they win it all, if they come through this and do that? There’s no way he’s leaving.”"

Next. Meet the Bucks 1970s All-Decade Team. dark

In other words, while so much seems completely beyond anyone’s control right now, the truth is Giannis’ future is still under Milwaukee’s control. Given just how significant that is to the future of the franchise, it’s safe to say the Bucks still control their own destiny too.

Home/Bucks News