The Milwaukee Bucks should be quite worried right now, as Giannis Antetokounmpo may not be a part of the team for much longer. Like most modern NBA stars, he’s already leveraging his next move.
Giannis made it loud and clear that he’s not going to sign a contract extension with the Bucks unless he’s completely sure about their desire to compete for a championship.
And while some reports point at the Oklahoma City Thunder as the likeliest suitor for his services, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com adds that we cannot rule out the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors.
Spurs And Raptors Could Pursue Giannis
“Two other darkhorses are out there, too: San Antonio and Toronto,” wrote Deveney. “The Spurs are not on the Thunder’s level, asset-wise, but they are loaded with cap space and could be a threat to sign Antetokounmpo if rookie big man Victor Wembanyama lives up to his hype. They could likely package enough picks and young players to give Milwaukee a trade package at least worth considering.”
“The Raptors have team president Masai Ujiri, who has long sought to acquire Antetokounmpo, and with star-caliber assets on hand—some combination of Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby and/or Pascal Siakam—Milwaukee could be tempted into a deal. We know from the Kawhi Leonard experience that Ujiri is not afraid to take risks on star players, whether they’re committed to staying or not,” the report added.
Giannis will still be under contract for the foreseeable future, but the Bucks might not have another choice but trade him if he makes his frustration evident and doesn’t want to re-sign.