Giannis Antetokounmpo: Weighing the scenarios with his future, supermax

During what could be the shortest NBA offseason in history, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks comes with a wide range of scenarios.

In an offseason that easily ranks as the biggest in franchise history, the Milwaukee Bucks aren’t being helped by what could be the shortest NBA offseason ever.

Plenty has to be ironed out to plan out the 2020-21 NBA season from the league, their board of governors and the players’ association in the face of the coronavirus pandemic disrupting the league’s calendar.

With those significant questions surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, let’s run through the scenarios at play in regards to his future in Milwaukee.

Clearly, the best case scenario would be Antetokounmpo putting pen to paper and signing his supermax extension when free agency ultimately opens this fall. Such a move would allow all Bucks fans and the organization to breathe a sigh of relief and ensures some stability for the franchise for the time being.

To expect such a move, however, is tough to envision, bringing us to our next scenario: Giannis doesn’t such his extension and puts the pressure on the Bucks’ front office to make the requisite additions to win an NBA title next season. Whether making those moves would lead to a second championship would be the big question, but winning a title next year, much less just making the Finals, is obviously the key to ensuring the two-time MVP sticks in Milwaukee long-term.

Of course, while Antetokounmpo will be presented with his supermax extension, he isn’t limited to signing just that extension this offseason. It’s entirely possible that Antetokounmpo could signer a shorter-term deal just as ESPN’s Bobby Marks ($$) examined that could tide him over, especially as the league looks to rebuild up its financial stability in the face of these unprecedented circumstances.

Going down such a road doesn’t ensure Antetokounmpo will be a Buck for as long as signing his supermax extension, but it’s still a scenario that Bucks fans and the organization would welcome versus the alternatives.

If we’re being honest, are not those the only scenarios all Bucks fans hope, pray, and yearn for?

Going through an offseason in which Antetokounmpo doesn’t sign any extension and we wait for them to correct their previous mistakes and issues from each of their last two playoff runs would open the door for Antetokounmpo to have a wandering eye if they were to fall short of their ultimate goal.

Given that everything the Bucks have built in recent memory has been made with Antetokounmpo in mind, what would they have left if that doomsday scenario would come to pass? At the very least, they wouldn’t be in the position to contend for a championship and who knows when they would have the next chance to do so.

With the Bucks having shut down any sort of trade speculation revolving around the 25-year-old, a scenario in which they look to deal him for some level of draft compensation and/or pieces is off the table. And even if the Bucks were to change their position on that front doesn’t guarantee the Bucks will be able to avoid slipping in relative obscurity.

dark. Next. 3 potential trade targets from Central Division

No matter which way you look at it, there’s no shortage of possibilities to where Antetokounmpo and the Bucks go from here. So much remains unknown at this stage, but we’ll soon have some answers for what’s in store and how it will shape Antetokounmpo and the Bucks organization at large.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo: Weighing the scenarios with his future and supermax extension

By Michael Wood | Nov 1, 2020

During what could be the shortest NBA offseason in history, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks comes with a wide range of scenarios.

With those significant questions surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo, let’s run through the scenarios at play in regards to his future in Milwaukee.