Now that his team's 2019-20 season is officially over, Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is left with a pivotal decision. Will the Greek All-Star be looking to stay in Milwaukee, or might he be interested in taking his talents elsewhere, as others of his ilk have done in the past?
In this piece, we'll discuss three reasons why The Greek Freak should sign a supermax deal with the Bucks this offseason.
Loyalty
Giannis rose to prominence like a rocket in Milwaukee, earning four All-Star nods and an MVP in his first seven season with the Bucks. Other great players have been faced with his dilemma in the past — to stay with their original team or leave in an effort to win championships. Just take LeBron James, for instance. The Akron native played seven seasons withe his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, then took his talents to South Beach to form a big three with the Miami Heat.
James' decision to leave Cleveland had lasting repercussions. Simply put, a lot of fans in Northeast Ohio were pissed. In fact, many burned his jersey. Others were heartbroken. Antetokounmpo's forthcoming decision is not on the level of James', but it is comparable.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo stays, he'll win the hearts of fans in Milwaukee. If he leaves, he could be faced with scrutiny.
“Obviously everybody talks about his impending free agency, and I think everything is open,” Antetokounmpo's agent, Alex Saratsis said, via Bleacher Report. “I think he's someone who could easily say, ‘I'd like to be in Milwaukee my entire career.' I think he's also someone who, depending on how the team does, could say, ‘I need a change.' But for him, staying is absolutely a viable option.”
“He came in as an 18-year-old kid who didn't speak the language,” Saratsis added of Giannis. “If you think about it, he grew up and is growing up to be a man in the city of Milwaukee. I think he's always going to appreciate that.
“Giannis believes in loyalty, he believes in the people who've been there with him from the beginning, and I think he feels that kinship to the city because they have really helped raise him.”
Championship aspirations
Giannis Antetokounmpo has led the Bucks to the postseason for five straight seasons. Unfortunately, though, the team has failed to reach their ultimate goal of winning a championship. This season, Milwaukee was defeated in the second round by a surging Miami Heat team. Last season, the Toronto Raptors eliminated the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Though they've been unable to reach the Finals, Antetokounmpo has a solid shot at reaching that point if he stays in Milwaukee. He'll likely need another star to play alongside, despite the fact that Khris Middleton showed his importance to the team in this year's playoffs.
Exactly who that star addition might be remains to be seen. Several names are already circulating in rumor mills, including Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Chris Paul, who saw his postseason come to an end in the first round. Bringing in a player of Paul's caliber would be a tall order for the Bucks, but it might be worth considering.
Money
If money is an issue on Giannis' mind, then he should look no further than his current employer. While the exact amount that Milwaukee can offer him is uncertain due to the impact the coronavirus has had on the league's finances, it's clear that they can give him the most (somewhere in the neighborhood of $220 million over five years).
As a point of comparison, the most a free agent with Antetokounmpo's service time could have made from another team last season was around $141 million. The Bucks, through the designated player exception, can offer him 35 percent of the salary cap in the first year of his deal with eight percent raises in each subsequent season for five total years. Opposing teams can offer him 30 percent of the cap with five percent raises for four years.
It seems as though Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are on the same page with regards to sticking together. When Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports recently asked if he would consider a trade, Giannis offered an emphatic “no:”
“It's not happening. That's not happening,” Antetokounmpo said, via CBS Sports. “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.”
Money isn't the most important thing in life, but it should play a role in Giannis' decision. There will also be some onus on the Bucks to bring in more talent — if he chooses to stay. For now, we'll have to wait and see how the cards fall.
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