Giannis Antetokounmpo's latest extension is an affirmation of the Bucks' success, commitment
Giannis Antetokounmpo has never said he’s wanted to play NBA basketball anywhere other than Milwaukee, Wisconsin, since he first rose to prominence as a $100 million player in 2016.
The way he says things has evolved since then, of course. He’s older. He’s a father. He’s arguably the world’s best at what he does. He carries weight and influence and has exercised it more often of late.
But he’s also loyal. And patient.
In fact, after a game last March, he leaned against a locker, smiled, and told the Journal Sentinel no one is as patient as he is.
And sometimes, having that one minute of patience can lead to 10 years of peace.
In June, the Bucks hired Adrian Griffin as head coach following an interview process that included Antetokounmpo. In July, they re-signed Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez in free agency. In September, they broke up their championship core to trade for Damian Lillard, a favorite of Antetokounmpo’s for several years now.
“I’m excited he’s on the team and definitely I feel like the team, they showed that they’re committed to win a championship,” Antetokounmpo said on Bucks media day on Oct. 2. “So, I’m happy.”
As for the extension − which is for three years and could be worth up to $186 million − he insisted over the summer, and again on Oct. 2, that it did not make financial sense for him to sign it. It was true. By waiting until July, he could make $70-80 million more (depending on salary cap increases).
But by not hurrying to close himself off to the discussion, he may have opened a door to a greater windfall.
The extension he agreed to Monday technically is for three years, but the third is an option. The internal salary cap projections between Bucks general manager Jon Horst and Antetokounmpo must have shown he could recoup any money “given up” next summer by being able to sign a second 2-year extension followed by a 4-year extension that would get him to 20 years with the Bucks.
Both those total years – all potentially with the team that drafted him – would achieve long-stated goals. Including this extension, three more contracts are likely better than two.
And once again, NBA executives who liked to monitor Antetokounmpo and his “situation” from afar are left holding a bag of money and future draft picks. Pundits who assumed Antetokounmpo was somehow tiring of his state will now have to wonder which other star might wish to change his.
It seemed like people heard what Antetokounmpo said but didn’t listen.
“As long as the team is committed, as long as people want to win, I’m here,” he said.
OK, so if they thought an ownership change was a harbinger of his departure, they didn’t go beyond the surface to learn about the people writing the checks.
“Obviously sports are a really fun and wonderful thing to be a part of, but as an owner you have to make a decision if you’re in it to run it for the last dollar or if you’re in it to really win championships,” Buck owner Wes Edens told the Journal Sentinel on Oct. 2. “And, unfortunately, those things are different things. We could easily as a team be under the salary cap and be in better condition financially, but the reality is you wouldn’t then probably have the opportunity to win.”
And if they thought Horst couldn’t somehow extract more juice from the Bucks’ tree of assets, well, I don’t know what else to say – the guy clearly knows how to squeeze.
“That’s the goal, year in and year out, to be in that position,” Horst told the Journal Sentinel in July. “We don’t want it to just be five years or six years, we want it to be eight, nine, 10 and more years. That’s part of my job.”
More: The trade for Damian Lillard is an echo of past championship moves for the Milwaukee Bucks
And if Antetokounmpo’s 2020 extension warranted local celebration, this one is merely an affirmation – of the things he has consistently said, and what the Bucks have consistently done.
The Bucks have legitimately had a chance to win a championship since the 2018-19 season, a run few in the league have matched. And winning “just one” isn’t a small thing. There has been a different champion in each of the past five seasons, the greatest span of parity since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976.
The new ownership structure led by Edens and Jimmy and Dee Haslam, along with Horst, took some massive steps this offseason to reemphasize their respect for and appreciation of Antetokounmpo, and to their long-term plan of contending.
Antetokounmpo knows how hard it is to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Four of the past five years has proven it. All he has ever asked for is a chance. The Bucks have given it to him.
So it was only natural for the Bucks to have Antetokounmpo meet them in the middle. Add a couple more years to his existing deal but allow the room to re-evaluate that plan while also maximizing future earnings as the NBA negotiates its next multibillion-dollar media rights package. It’s a win-win.
Antetokounmpo said he was happy at the start of October on more than one occasion, but he’s never said or intimated otherwise. He has been fired up about the changes to the team Griffin has implemented. He’s ecstatic that Lillard is a Milwaukee Buck. The Bucks win a lot of games and have a chance to win another championship. He can make the most money by continuing to extend contracts.
It makes total sense that he signed a third contract extension. What doesn’t is why each one continues to be a surprise.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis' latest extension is his affirmation of the Bucks' success
