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Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was incredibly transparent with management in the months leading up to his signing a five-year supermax.
Brian Windhorst and Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN reported one of the more impactful meetings between Giannis and management two days after Milwaukee was eliminated from the playoffs.
Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry had lunch with Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Saratsis, discussing the organization at large as well as how the front office might best improve the team going forward.
Lasry also reportedly asked Giannis about his impending free agency, at which point the “Greek Freak” showed him texts from players hoping to recruit him:
Over that three-hour lunch, Lasry had some of the more significant conversations about team-building he has shared with Antetokounmpo. They talked about current Bucks players. They talked about current Bucks coaches. They talked about free agents who were entering the market. They talked about players on other teams — ones Antetokounmpo thought would be right to acquire. And they discussed the other things, such as how Antetokounmpo had begun feeling the early stages of recruiting from other players in the league. At one point, sources said, Antetokounmpo even showed the Bucks' management text messages from stars on rival teams who appeared to be beginning their pitch.
It is hardly a surprise other teams would have an interest in Antetokounmpo. But it also seems likely his transparency reinforced Milwaukee's need to be active in bolstering the roster.
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Obviously, the Bucks got to work. They mortgaged a chunk of their future to acquire Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans and signed a number of role players when a sign-and-trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic fell through the cracks. Meanwhile, teams around the league proceeded with caution in free agency in an effort to preserve cap space.
Clearly, Milwaukee valued Giannis' input, and his intention to take a larger role in the roster helped to shape the Bucks' vision for the offseason. He also gave the front office a sense of urgency, as if they needed it, to begin with.
