NBA rumors: Giannis won’t extend with Bucks, Dillon Brooks’ delusions, Lillard silent on Blazers
- Dillon Brooks doubles down on LeBron delusions
- Giannis unsure about Bucks extension after Budenholzer firing
- Damian Lillard refuses to talk about the Blazers
NBA Rumors: Giannis Antetokounmpo won't commit to Bucks extension
Giannis Antetokounmpo becomes eligible for a three-year, $173 million extension in a few weeks. He does not plan to sign it.
"The real question’s not going to be this year — numbers-wise it doesn’t make sense," he told Tania Ganguli of the New York Times. And he's right. Giannis can make more money, over a longer time period, by waiting. "But next year, next summer it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know."
It's only natural for Milwaukee fans to get a bit queasy when reading those words. Giannis brought an elusive NBA title to the great state of Wisconsin. He's a bonafide legend there and one of the best basketball players in the world to boot. It's hard for small-market teams to land players like Giannis, much less keep them. His exit would be a blow to the city, the franchise, and to small markets everywhere.
So, what would it take for Giannis to commit? Well, it would take a commitment from the Bucks: a commitment to winning.
"I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do," he said. "And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing."
There is also the Bucks' new head coach to consider. Mike Budenholzer, who Giannis publicly supported, was ousted in favor Adrian Griffin, a longtime assistant of Nick Nurse in Toronto. The Bucks' first-round loss to the No. 8-seed Heat was considered unacceptable (and rightfully so), so Bud was sent packing. Still, Giannis wants to make sure the vibes are right. "You’ve got to see the dynamics. How the coach is going to be, how we’re going to be together."
Giannis then went on to state, in no uncertain terms, that he will be out the door if the Bucks even think about a rebuild. "There will never be hard feelings with the Milwaukee Bucks," he said. "But at the end of the day, being a winner, it’s over that goal,” he said. “Winning a championship comes first. I don’t want to be 20 years on the same team and don’t win another championship."