Giannis Antetokounmpo has officially signed his supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, but it was far from a smooth road to get there. Before inking the deal, Antetokounmpo wanted plenty of questions answered from Milwaukee, per The Athletic.
“Is it too hard because it’s Milwaukee?” one person close to the situation said about these sorts of questions. “Is it easier for him to do all of this in Miami or Dallas or LA?… I think it’s a (question of) ‘How hard is this?’”
Seeing that the Greek Freak is an All-Star talent on a small-market team, some wondered if he'd head elsewhere when he got the chance. Given that he was set to become a free agent after the 2020-21 season, Antetokounmpo had a prime opportunity to test the waters if he wanted.
It's apparent that Giannis prioritizes winning an NBA title and the Bucks wanted to show they have the same intents. At the same time, Antetokounmpo wanted to make sure that Milwaukee made the necessary roster moves to ascertain they field a contending team moving forward.
Of course, luring free agents would be easier if Giannis chose to go to the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, or even the Los Angeles Lakers. While that was the case, Antetokounmpo believed the Bucks showed enough that he could be confident in them building a championship-level roster around him.
When making a decision as important as the one Giannis made, weighing out every option is crucial. Some players have been in similar positions, only to take the money and be stuck on a non-competitive team.
However, Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear that he wants the Bucks to do everything in their power to win games moving forward. Even though it remains to be seen what Milwaukee plans on doing, they've gotten the most important part completed.
