Giannis Antetokounmpo: Speculation will follow until supermax decision

Giannis Antetokounmpo broke his media silence Wednesday afternoon by downplaying his long-term future and focusing on the coming campaign.

With two weeks until the start of the Milwaukee Bucks‘ 2020-21 season, we finally heard from the man whose future will linger over everything they do this year.

After practice Wednesday afternoon, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo finally met with media since returning from Greece, where he had vacationed for the majority of the offseason, and for the first time since training camp opened earlier this month.

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As a legion of Bucks have been impatiently waiting to hear from the 26-year-old and have been dreaming up ways of how he could potentially make an announcement that he’s signing his supermax extension before the start of the season, Antetokounmpo predictably poured cold water on any sort of celebrating or providiing some sort of revelation.

Instead, what followed over Antetokounmpo’s 15-minute availability was the two-time MVP downplaying his future, his supermax extension and contract negotiations all together and is focused on the here and now. Just as Antetokounmpo has done throughout the first seven seasons in his NBA career.

Still, taking the temperature of Bucks fans that have been waiting on the edge of their seats to hear from Antetokounmpo or any news regarding his future have either been let down, have become more anxious over the uncertainty surrounding the superstar or both.

As Giannis Antetokounmpo continues focusing on the present, speculation over his future run rampant going into the 2020-21 season.

With so much of Antetokounmpo’s decision centering around what he wishes to do with his NBA career at arguably the height of his powers, it should come as no surprise to see him play his cards close to the vest. Especially when he has all the leverage in his corner and can be presented with the same extension going into free agency next offseason.

As he deflected all attention to his agent, Alex Saratsis, and sent away various inquiries about his future by stopping short of waving a Dikembe Mutombo-like finger, Antetokounmpo tried to divert the focus from the elephant in the room. The eight-year forward has previously gone to great lengths to avoid talking about his future with the media when his supermax offer was an inevitability.

Now that it’s on the proverbial table and waiting for his signature, Antetokounmpo continues to adhere to the same guarded mentality to his intentions regarding his extension. Even in an offseason as compressed as this one has been, Antetokounmpo’s decision, the biggest thing looming over the Bucks’ offseason, is seemingly coming down to the wire.

As this critical point has come closer, Antetokounmpo has looked to avoid falling into the trap of the repetitive sagas and cycles that has enveloped superstars going into critical seasons or decisions in recent memory. In turn, Bucks fans have long pointed to Antetokounmpo being cut from a different cloth, his international background and unique upbringing as to why his loyalty to the Bucks franchise won’t lead to stoking drama, even as he’s yet to make a decision on his future.

Now, as the Bucks’ three-game preseason run starts on Saturday night when they host the Dallas Mavericks, the biggest thing hanging over Antetokounmpo and the Bucks’ future is close to dragging into the team’s 2020-21 campaign.

Try as he might, Antetokounmpo’s pleas to remains focused on basketball will be disrupted by the speculation surrounding his future with 11 days until the deadline to sign his supermax extension. And those distractions will only increased if it’s the news that all Bucks fear to hear going into such a massive season.

If or when Antetokounmpo puts pen to paper, it will serve as the ultimate approval for where he believes the team is heading for the long-term future. Until that happens, should that day come to pass, we’ll all just be asking the same questions we have been throughout this time.