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The Milwaukee Bucks have officially been eliminated from the playoffs which means the Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors are going to start to heat up but it sounds like the reigning MVP is staying put.
Giannis currently has one more year on his contract and will begin negotiations for a supermax contract extension but things can get awkward if he declines to re-sign with the team during the offseason.
Via ESPN
The Bucks will offer Antetokounmpo a supermax contract when eligible later this year, a deal that could be worth $220 million — about $80 million more than he could get with another team as a free agent in 2021, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. But Antetokounmpo has made it clear that his priority is winning, and that’s something the Bucks haven’t been able to ensure.
If Antetokounmpo passes on signing the supermax, multiple sources are adamant that the Bucks won’t trade him. Milwaukee will have to persuade him to stay — and quickly.
After the Bucks were eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday night, Giannis went out of his way to praise the Bucks organization for how they handled his injury during the playoffs.
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (ankle) on decision to sit Game 5: “If it’s up to me, I’d play w/ one leg, I really don’t care… I love my organization for that, I appreciate that they protected me. I wanted to play… My organization put my health over Game 5. That’s big for me.” pic.twitter.com/3DDztftJcE
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 9, 2020
Giannis went to say he wants to build a winning culture in Milwaukee for many years to come.
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo after elimination to Heat: “Hopefully we can learn from this and get better as a team and come back. Hopefully we can build a culture in Milwaukee that for many years we can come out and compete every single year for a championship.” pic.twitter.com/yfqTp8yaRC
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) September 9, 2020
Update: Giannis spoke with Yahoo Sports’ Chris B.Haynes and says he has no intention of requesting a trade.
A @YahooSports exclusive with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo on teams waiting for him to request a trade in offseason: “That’s not happening. Some see a wall and go in [another direction]. I plow through it.” https://t.co/CBCBZUrMia
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 9, 2020
Via Yahoo Sports
“It’s not happening. That’s not happening,” Antetokounmpo told Yahoo Sports after the Bucks were eliminated in five games in the second round by the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.
“Some see a wall and go in [another direction]. I plow through it. We just have to get better as a team, individually and get right back at it next season.”