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The Milwaukee Bucks made a splash in free agency on Tuesday morning after signing Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million contract. It's a move that gives the team a good center to replace Brook Lopez, who signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. The decision to acquire Turner brought an opinion from Brian Windhorst that is now generating more trade rumors around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
During a segment on “First Take” on ESPN, Windhorst made the assumption that the Bucks' signing Turner makes it less likely that the front office trades Antetokounmpo. The NBA insider seems to believe that Milwaukee added Turner to the roster with the plan of keeping the 30-year-old forward.
“If you're a team out there like maybe the [San Antonio] Spurs or the [New York] Knicks or the [Miami] Heat who were maybe saving up their assets to try to make some sort of Giannis Antetokounmpo run if the Bucks weren't able to have an impactful free agency, you have to reevaluate how you're now operating over the next few days as well,” said Brian Windhorst. “I would have to assume this significantly lowers the chances of Giannis Antetokounmpo becoming available anytime soon.”
Windhorst goes on to claim that he believes Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to remain with the Bucks, and that it's not just a one-sided relationship of Milwaukee wanting to keep its superstar forward. The addition of Myles Turner, Windhorst believes, is a sign that Antetokounmpo will not be traded this offseason.
“Giannis, I believe, is looking for reasons to stay in Milwaukee. That's one of the reasons he has stepped back and let them go through their process. If Giannis was looking for a reason to stay in Milwaukee, this was enough of a reason to be excited about coming back.”
This comes despite the fact that rumors are suggesting that Giannis Antetokounmpo is unhappy with the Bucks for waiving Damian Lillard to sign Turner. But Windhorst thinks it's a bet that the front office was willing to make to win over the two-time MVP.
“This is mortgaging your mortgage to buy a sports car,” explained Windhorst when discussing Lillard's waiving. “I guess if you get the girl, which is Giannis in this case, maybe it's worth it?”
