Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks, whatever it may be, should be decided in the coming weeks.
Bucks owner Jimmy Haslam said on Wednesday that the franchise would make a decision on the star player’s future with the organization before the NBA Draft in June. That gives them about six weeks to come to a decision.
“Before the Draft is a natural time, right? Because if Giannis does play somewhere else, then we ought to get a lot of assets,” Haslam said, via TMJ4’s Karley Marotta. “That’s [general manager] Jon [Horst]’s job to do it. If he’s here, then you’ll build the team differently … I just want to stress though that our relationship with him, despite what is reported by certain ESPN writers, is very positive.”
The situation between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks got incredibly messy this past season. The two sides were in a standoff over his health near the end of the campaign, where the team wanted to shut him down against Antetokounmpo’s wishes.
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Antetokounmpo appeared in only 36 games for the Bucks this season, his 13th in the league. He averaged 27.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, but hyperextended his left knee and suffered a bone bruise in March. The team missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
The NBA even launched an investigation into Antetokounmpo and the Bucks over his return to play. Antetokounmpo reportedly told the Bucks to trade him multiple times during the season, too, though that never happened.
A split in Milwaukee, while not necessary, would make sense this summer for a number of reasons. Antetokounmpo has just one guaranteed season left on his deal, which includes a $58.5 million salary for next season, and a player option for the 2027-28 campaign. So free agency for him is near, but the Bucks, like Haslam said, can still presumably get a good return in a trade.
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The franchise just hired Taylor Jenkins as its next head coach to replace Doc Rivers. It’s the start of a new era in Milwaukee, and rebuilding without Antetokounmpo could be a good move for an organization clearly ready for a reset.
And, when interviewing Jenkins, Haslam didn’t hide the uncertainty surrounding Antetokounmpo.
“We didn’t hold back with Taylor,” Haslam said. “We just said, ‘Listen [Antetokounmpo] may or may not be with us. So don’t come because of that.’ Because you want to be straight up with people.”
While it’s been a tumultuous stretch for Antetokounmpo’s relationship with the Bucks, it seems an ending is near.
Haslam just has to make his decision.
“It’s a big one, and you’ve got to get it right,” Haslam said.
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