Gary Sheffield, Jr
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According to Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania, the Milwaukee Bucks and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo have agreed on a five-year, $228.2 million extension. It’s a big day for the Bucks organization, which gave up a haul to improve their roster this offseason, but they aren’t out of the woods just yet. To be honest, no team ever is.
Breaking: Giannis Antetokounmpo says he is signing a contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. The two-time MVP will sign a five-year, $228.2 million supermax extension with the franchise, the largest deal in NBA history, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 15, 2020
This was a major step for the Bucks organization, as the wait to re-sign Giannis was making some in the organization “worry.” Now that the Greek Freak is signed until 2026, Milwaukee can lose the superstar only if he demands a trade. Giannis was always going to sign this deal, so now teams that want Giannis know what it’ll cost. Giannis stands to make $45.64 million a year, and if a team wants to make a deal, they’ll need to match that number in any trade. It may be expensive, but plenty of players earn a similar salary these days.
All eyes now shift to the Bucks Giannis-Holiday-Middleton trio that needs to win this season. The Milwaukee Bucks went all-in so Giannis would feel comfortable signing this deal with the small market Bucks. All that money would be for nothing if the team still falls short and the two-time MVP demands a trade down the road, but they shouldn’t worry. That’s the case for every team with an NBA star in their locker room.
This is my home, this is my city.. I’m blessed to be able to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years. Let’s make these years count. The show goes on, let’s get it. 🤎🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/895tCBE9RK
— Giannis Ugo Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) December 15, 2020
So, what now?
We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. We can’t predict whether Giannis will ever demand a trade if the Bucks don’t win, but it is a possibility. After all, that’s why NBA stars are shifting around the league like a Kardashian in an L.A. locker room. Playoff exits can lose cost teams an NBA star or two in a snap, regardless of their current contract.
Giannis can now breath easy and “focus on himself,” like he said last week he wanted to do. He has just given the Bucks and their fans what they wanted. At the very least, Giannis has invested everything he can into this organization. Now it’s time to win.
