For multiple weeks before the Milwaukee Bucks secured a trade for Jrue Holiday and a presumed sign-and-trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic, Marc Stein of the New York Times writes “there had been promising rumblings in league circles that [Giannis] Antetokounmpo was prepared to sign the extension.”
Antetokounmpo is eligible for a supermax extension this offseason in which he can sign a five-year deal for 35 percent of the salary cap worth $230 million. If Antetokounmpo were to sign a shorter deal with the Bucks or with a rival team in 2021, it would be for 30 percent of the cap.
“A belief was building that Antetokounmpo was likely to opt for immediate financial security by signing before the season and quietly reserving the right to try to force a trade later if he was unhappy, as [Paul] George did one season after re-signing in Oklahoma City,” adds Stein in his reporting.
The Bucks have been emphatic that they would not consider trading Antetokounmpo if he declines to sign the supermax.
