The Milwaukee Bucks were quick on their feet as they started the 2020 offseason with a bang after acquiring Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans along with the reported sign-and-trade deal for Sacramento Kings swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with his brother Thanasis, occasionally communicated with the Serbian national in Bogdanovic with hopes of sharing the court together for the 2020-2021 NBA season. His arrival in Milwaukee immediately increased the team's chances of seeing their two-time MVP finally sign on the dotted lines of their supermax extension laid out on the table for him.
However, it seemed like the Bucks got ahead of themselves and jumped the gun far too soon which eventually caught the attention of their competitors.
Via Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report:
“Either way, at least one rival team filed a formal complaint to the league office Wednesday, sources said. And by that afternoon, the league informed both Milwaukee and Sacramento that it would open an investigation into an alleged sign-and-trade already being agreed to four days before free agency had begun.”
In response to the matter, the league sent a memo to all the franchises in an effort to remind them of the NBA's anti-tampering policies. Players from the teams are not allowed to contact other players and recruit those who are still under contract with other teams. Non-compliance would potentially yield up to $10 million in penalties and draft-pick forfeiture consequences.
The sign-and-trade deal for Bogdanovic eventually fell apart in the following days. He was ensuingly offered a four-year, $72 million contract by the Atlanta Hawks but the Kings opted not to match the offer sheet. The swingman ultimately signed the contract as a restricted free agent as he heads to join forces with All-Star guard Trae Young and their other notable offseason pickups.
A failed bid to acquire one of the promising sharpshooters in the league could eventually make or break the Bucks' desires of retaining their superstar at the helm. The team's front office can only hope that they have already done enough to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to remain in Milwaukee for the coming years.
Follow Us
Subscribe