Giannis Antetokounmpo: Bucks deliver moves, all eyes on supermax decision

After the Milwaukee Bucks a 1-2 punch of blockbuster moves, the attention turns to superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and what he does with his supermax offer.

Well, that’s certainly the way to get the ball rolling to this NBA offseason.

The Milwaukee Bucks delivered pair of haymakers that capped off quite the opening to this offseason as they have reportedly acquired both Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Pulling off those high-wire moves has essentially torn down the Bucks’ roster to the bone, all led by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

More from Bucks News

• Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
• Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
• Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
• Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
• New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited

It’s in Antetokounmpo that the moves led by Bucks general manager Jon Horst were obviously in mind. Especially as Antetokounmpo will be faced with turning in his decision as to whether to sign his five-year supermax extension before the start of the 2020-21 season.

The speculation surrounding the looming supermax offer the two-time MVP is set to receive from the Bucks has run rampant since the moment the Bucks bowed out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Each day that passes sees the same crop of teams that have lined up to lure the Greek superstar away from Milwaukee boast their chances to do so through various channels and rumors. All while the message around Antetokounmpo has remained steadfast in playing for a title contender and being content in Milwaukee if the organization puts the pieces around him to do so.

A recent interview Antetokounmpo gave to a Swedish outlet, Aftonbladet, touched on the same lines and platitudes that Antetokounmpo has long made regarding his long-term future as transcribed and translated by Pro Basketball Talk’s Kurt Helin:

"Giannis: “There are a lot of rumors. Everyone has opinions. But at the end of the day, I will do what is best for my family. I do not see why I could not be in Milwaukee for several years. As long as Milwaukee and I are on the same page when it comes to being one of the best teams in the league and winning championships, that’s fine. When it changes, it will not be good. It’s easy, I want to be a winner… As long as we can win and create a winning culture, it will be good.”Aftonbladet: So your plan is to stay in Milwaukee next year and then maybe sign an extension?Giannis: “I do not know what the plan is. It depends on what decisions they make. If they make the right decision, I’ll be there for many years. If they do not, we’ll see. The NBA is a business and we take it day by day. Hopefully we can succeed together.”"

It’s safe to say the Bucks are on the same page when it comes to build a championship-caliber cast around Antetounmpo.

The latest slew of moves from the Bucks raises the question of whether it will ensure Giannis Antetokounmpo will sign his supermax extension this free agency period.

It should go without saying that the Bucks don’t make the eyebrow raising moves and mortgage their future by effectively tying up draft assets until 2027 without knowing Antetokounmpo’s intentions. The New York Times’ Marc Stein seemed to hint at just that in light of the Bucks acquiring Holiday and likely even more so after Bogdanovic.

Similarly, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst shed some light on the state of Antetokounmpo’s sweepstakes, both in Milwaukee and around the league, on his recent appearance on The Lowe Post with colleague Zach Lowe:

"“(Giannis) has about a month to decide on his supermax. I think he’s going to decide a lot sooner and I think there’s a lot of warmth in Milwaukee right now, I’ll leave it at that…”“First off, there’s a whole bunch of teams holding their 2021 game plans, waiting for news to come out of Milwaukee. And let me just say, my feelings on this, I don’t want to get in trouble, my feelings on what might happen there have changed in the last two months. Were I teams that were planning on Giannis being available, I might develop my backup plan a little bit quicker.”"

Until the 25-year-old puts pen to paper, there is no celebrating coming out of Milwaukee. Not just yet.

But the Bucks have put their best foot forward in showing Antetokounmpo their intentions of going all-in, thanks to the aggressiveness that Horst showed in facilitating both deals.

Milwaukee stopped short of doing last year as they attempted to retain all of their free agents, save for Malcolm Brogdon. The impact of that decision and the ultimate outcome to the Bucks’ 2019-20 season surely played a part in the ownership’s about-face when it came to entering the luxury tax after going to the Eastern Conference Finals the year prior.

Now the Bucks will be in the tax for the foreseeable future, especially if or when Antetokounmpo signs his supermax extension. There are no more half measures anymore for the Bucks organization. The Bucks have stated their intentions to contend for an NBA championship after failing to do so the last two seasons specifically and have threaded a needle so carefully this far into the offseason.

With that said, the pressure will still remain before and after news of Antetokounmpo’s decision breaks. After all, it’s Antetokounmpo that makes contending for a title possible for the Bucks and until they do so, the desire to win at all costs exists in Milwaukee.