Bucks co-owner says Giannis Antetokounmpo will either be traded or extended this summer
· Yahoo Sports
One might think the drama around Giannis Antetokounmpo and his future with the Milwaukee Bucks would wind down, at least until the season ends and we get closer to the NBA Draft. Nothing is happening before then.
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One would be wrong. The latest saga comes from Bucks' co-owners Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam telling ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne the duo will work together on what comes next for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Then Edens said basically what every other team has been expecting, what has been reported here and elsewhere: It all comes down to what Antetokounmpo says he will do about a $275 million extension the Bucks can offer (but Antetokounmpo could not sign until Oct. 1).
"Giannis is going into the last year [of his contract]," said Edens, the team's controlling owner until April 2028. "So one of two things will happen: Either he will be extended or he'll be traded. The likelihood you'll let him just kind of play out the last year, we can't afford that. It's not consistent with what's good for the organization. That's not a Giannis issue. That's any player that's in their last year."
Other teams are not convinced the decision is that simple for the Bucks, Shelburne reports. The combination of Edens and Haslam — the latter of whom takes over as governor in 2028 — leads to a muddled picture.
"This has nothing to do with Giannis and whether he asks out," said one source with knowledge of the team's operations. "It's about who's making the decision on whether to trade Giannis, and I don't think anyone knows that. I deal with them all the time and honestly it depends on the day. They're not even close to being ready to make a decision like that."
Milwaukee tested the waters of an Antetokounmpo trade at the deadline, but teams around the league thought it was just that — the Bucks front office wanted to gauge the market. What could the return be? Golden State offered four first-round picks. What more might be out there from other teams — especially win-now teams that struggle in these playoffs? A first-round exit for a team with higher expectations can change how it approaches a potential Antetokounmpo trade. Teams like the Knicks and Lakers could make better offers this summer than they could at the deadline, and they're not alone.
Ultimately, it comes down to what Antetokounmpo wants. Every previous time he was faced with this situation, he pressured the Bucks into making an all-in move — trading for Jrue Holiday or Damian Lillard — then signed the extension. It may happen again, especially if the draft lottery ping-pong balls bounce the Bucks' way. Or, maybe this is the year that things are different. Maybe, after a rough season for him, one where the Bucks are not going to make the play-in (whether or not Antetokounmpo returns), he decides he needs to chase another ring elsewhere.
We know this: As of today, Edens does not want this soap opera to drag out beyond this summer.