Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks have been the subject of much debate over the past few months. While being in the foxhole together has actually furthered their chemistry, the fact remains that it’s taken longer for the group to gel than expected. After going 5-1 in their last six games, the Bucks appear to have caught their stride. Yet, there’s still more fear for the deer than of them.
As a result, teams are preparing for the possibility that Antetokounmpo becomes available in the future. It most likely won’t happen over the coming months. However, next offseason, the future Hall of Famer might decide it’s time to move on depending on how the season plays out.
In an interview with Achilleas Mavrodontis of Amerikanos 24, Antetokounmpo’s agent Giorgos Panou explains his client’s mindset about his future in Milwaukee.
“The end [of the season] will tell. He obviously considers it his home. That’s not up for debate. He has proved it. Every year, every night, people can feel it, too. The truth is that they also have to make a decision, as well as Giannis will decide at the end of the year,” Panou reveals.
“Today, Milwaukee is the only option. There’s nothing else.”
Bucks ‘Only Option’ For MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo Today, Tomorrow’s Undecided
Antetokounmpo’s commitment to the Bucks might not be unconditional, as evidenced by the comments that led to the Lillard trade. At the time, he was on the verge of becoming eligible for a contract extension. In an interview with Tania Ganguli of the New York Times, the two-time MVP decided to put the pressure on his organization.
“Next summer it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know. 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. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”
Regardless, as Panou points out, Antetokounmpo considers Milwaukee his “home.” The 29-year-old has lived there ever since he moved to America from Greece. Not only is it a place where he’s matured into a man and started a family, but it’s the only place in the country that he’s called home.
Adding to the sentimental nature of his relationship with the city, Antetokounmpo has a significant business investment in Milwaukee. Since 2021, he’s been a part owner of the MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers. When the deal was announced, he had this to say (h/t ESPN):
“Milwaukee made me who I am today. It made me a better person. This is basically my home. I’ve become a father here. I’ve become a leader here. I’ve become a champion here, and I want to be involved.
I want to be involved in the community as much as possible. I know Milwaukee invested a lot in me, and I want to invest a lot of me back into the city of Milwaukee.”
The complication is just ironically simple. If the Bucks look too vulnerable, Antetokounmpo may feel compelled to push for a trade. At this point of his basketball journey, winning championships is what’s most important to him. If that means he has to make a drastic change, he will. As someone who travelled over 8,000 miles to start his NBA career, that’s par for the course.
