Giannis Antetokounmpo is as beloved a superstar as exists in the NBA. Milwaukee Bucks fans adore him, but they also know he doesn't mind stirring the pot and applying leverage on the front office every year. With his extension eligibility kicking in next offseason, coming off what felt like the most intense summer of trade gossip yet, it would be nice if he could calm the waters a little, or at least not give national media outlets anything to stoke the fire.
His media day comments did exactly the opposite. Although the sentiment wasn't new, it left many listeners exasperated. Just this once, Giannis could have spared the Milwaukee faithful some stress by following Kevin Durant's example. Durant, recently traded to Houston, made it clear that his intention is to stay there for good via a contract extension. That hasn't been the case with Giannis.
Why, Giannis, why?
Something of a villain during the latter half of his career, Durant is not known for keeping drama in check. A pattern of failed superteams, fired coaches, and trade requests has followed him since he left Golden State. This offseason, he and the Suns mutually agreed to part ways, resulting in a blockbuster trade to the Rockets. The disasters in Brooklyn and Phoenix were hardly his fault, but all the drama has made him a rumor-mill magnet.
At media day, though, he took care to shut down the growing whispers about his looming extension and whether he would sign one in Houston. Yes, Durant clarified, he plans to sign an extension with the Rockets, likely the final contract of his career. There was no doubt about it.
Fielding questions over Zoom due to a case of COVID-19, Giannis wasn't quite so straightforward about his Milwaukee Bucks future, at least not in the way fans would like. Instead, he corroborated the notion that he considered leaving.
"I want to be on a team that gives me a chance to win a championship. … It's not the first time. I had the same thoughts last year, two years ago, five years ago. It's never going to change."
In itself, this is nothing new. Giannis has said repeatedly that he wants to retire with multiple rings. Although he did not undermine skeptics on media day, he has implied he wants to do so in Milwaukee. He's also clearly excited about the Bucks' new-look roster around him as a point forward.
But with extension talks approaching, those comments are not reassuring. More than merely cryptic, they explicitly confirm a summer of reports that might be more comfortably ignored. He still has two years plus a player option on his contract, so the Bucks have time, but he did nothing to suggest that an extension is on his mind. The door for drama is wide open.
Expecting closure, of course, would be unrealistic. Giannis has no obligation to sign the contract and definitely not to reveal his current inclination. Whereas Durant is in his twilight, Giannis is only 30, with nearly half a career in front of him.
If anything, though, he pushed the needle back the other way, validating rumors and uncertainty when he had the chance to keep them at a lull. If it's a leverage play, why now, with the offseason over and the trade deadline nowhere near the horizon? At least he is being honest, but it's not what Milwaukee Bucks fans wanted to hear. Just when it seemed like we might be in for a reprieve, media day fueled the flames.