Giannis Antetokounmpo was expected to evaluate his options once the Milwaukee Bucks completed their offseason maneuvers and whether he felt confident they could compete in the Eastern Conference. With their surprise addition of Myles Turner in free agency, the expectation is that Antetokounmpo will enter the season with the Bucks. Antetokounmpo participated in the efforts to add Turner to the Bucks.
“If you’re a team out there like maybe the Spurs or the Knicks or the Heat who were maybe saving up their assets to try to make some sort of Giannis Antetokounmpo run if the Bucks weren’t able to have an impactful free agency, you have to reevaluate how you’re now operating over the next few days as well,” said Brian Windhorst on First Take. “I would have to assume this significantly lowers the chances of Giannis Antetokounmpo becoming available anytime soon.”
Antetokounmpo is under contract with the Bucks for at least the next two seasons. After playing beside Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis when they won the title in 2021, followed by Damian Lillard and Lopez over the past two seasons, Antetokounmpo now enters a new era with a core of Turner, Portis, Kyle Kuzma, Gary Trent Jr. and Kevin Porter Jr.
“Giannis, I believe, is looking for reasons to stay in Milwaukee,” said Windhorst. “That’s one of the reasons he has stepped back and let them go through their process.
“If Giannis was looking for a reason to stay in Milwaukee, this was enough of a reason to be excited about coming back.”
Windhorst described the Bucks’ decision to waive-and-stretch Lillard followed by the signing of Turner as adding another mortgage to buy a sports car.
“This is mortgaging your mortgage to buy a sports car,” said Windhorst. “I guess if you get the girl, which is Giannis in this case, maybe it’s worth it?”