Basketball

Report: Bucks inform Giannis Antetokounmpo they'll spend to build around him


Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks is up in the air after the team’s second-round playoff exit to the Miami Heat. Antetokounmpo has expressed his interest in remaining with the Bucks, and it appears Milwaukee’s management is going to do anything to please the reigning MVP.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry told Antetokounmpo that the team is willing to spend into the luxury tax to build around him. The two reportedly met for three hours on Friday to discuss the 2019-10 campaign and how they can improve for the upcoming season. 

Lasry is set to continue discussions with Antetokounmpo after the player returns from vacation. 

Antetokounmpo is eligible to sign a super-max extension with the Bucks, but many teams are interested in pursuing his services if he becomes a free agent, including the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers. A super-max contract with the Bucks could be worth about $220 million, which is around $80 million more than he could get from another team as a free agent after next season.

While Antetokounmpo is committed to the organization, it probably won’t be an easy task to get him signed past 2021. If Milwaukee and the four-time All-Star can’t work out a deal, they’ll have to trade him before next season’s trade deadline or risk losing him for nothing as an unrestricted free agent in 2021.

If the two sides can get an extension completed, though, there are plenty of talented free agents available for the Bucks to choose from this offseason. The list includes Fred VanVleet, Montrezl Harrell, Davis Bertans, Danilo Gallinari, Carmelo Anthony, DeMarcus Cousins, Marcus Morris, Goran Dragic and Serge Ibaka, among others.





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