Milwaukee Bucks will not be tempted to trade reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo in case he rejects the super-max extension they will offer him this offseason. If this happens, the Bucks will look to improve their roster and then make another offer in the summer of 2021 according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Bucks are expected to sit with Antetokounmpo in the coming months and offer him an extension worth around $221 million that would keep the “Greek Freak” in Milwaukee for additional five years a. If the 25-year-old player declines to ink an extension, he will be able to hit the free agency after the 2020/21 season.
In previous cases, NBA teams tended to trade players if they reject an extension in order to avoid losing them for free. The most recent example is All-Star Anthony Davis, whom the Pelicans traded to LA Lakers after he didn’t want to sign a new contract with the organization.
Bontemps reports that Milwaukee Bucks won’t go down this path regardless of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s decision. Instead, the organization will focus on making roster changes and building a better team around Antetokounmpo to show him that he should stay.
So far, Antetokounmpo hasn’t given any hints about his decision, although he told Yahoo Sport’s Chris Haynes that he won’t ask to be traded despite Bucks’ failures in the playoffs.
“It’s not happening. That’s not happening,” said Antetokounmpo. “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.”
Bucks were the best team in the regular season for the past two years but haven’t been able to translate this success to playoffs. In 2018/19, Milwaukee was eliminated in Eastern Conference Finals by Toronto Raptors, while they were sent home in five games by Miami Heat in the second round this past postseason.
