Giannis Antetokounmpo has been one of the best players in the NBA since entering the league. He has been the Bucks’ top win-share generator since 2016-17. With 719 NBA games under his belly, the 28-year-old has an average of 22.6 points, with a total rebounds average of 9.6 and assists average of 4.7.
Antetokounmpo led his team, during the 2020-21 season, to their first NBA title in the last 50 years. Thus, the Athens-born has cemented his place in the team and taken his squad to another level. However, Antetokounmpo has recently expressed his concern about signing an extension this year. The Milwaukee Bucks’ star wants to confirm how committed his team is to competing for another championship.
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo leave Milwaukee Bucks?
Antetokounmpo will become eligible for signing the deal that currently runs through the 2024-25 season with a player option for 2025-26 next month. However, as per multiple sources, he wouldn’t sign an extension this year and wait for next summer. The two-time MVP wants to confirm that everyone in his team is ready to go for the championship title and only then commit his loyalty to the Bucks.
“I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do,” Antetokounmpo was quoted as saying “And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”
Giannis says that he doesn’t plan on signing an extension until he knows the Bucks will continue to compete for a championship. pic.twitter.com/8H7dJUxPHM
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 24, 2023
Unfortunately, the Bucks haven’t exceeded the second round of playoffs for the last two seasons. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks had fired Mike Budenholzer from the position of head coach and had appointed Adrian Griffin in his place. Griffin had been working in the capacity of the assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors since the 2018-19 season.
The Bucks will take on the Philadelphia 76ers on October 26 in a home match. As for Giannis, critics speculate that he could be a Laker when his contract expires since the latter is one of the best teams to win a championship and also will have a lot of free space with LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell contracts coming off the books then.
