Report reveals Giannis Antetokounmpo’s stance on extension with Bucks

May 13, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) shoots during warmups prior to game six of the second round for the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

After officially completing a full decade with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo may be in wait-and-see mode.

In an appearance this week on “The Hoop Collective,” ESPN NBA insider Tim Bontemps spoke about Antetokounmpo’s stance on extending his current contract with the Bucks.

“I think he is going to wait until next summer [to potentially extend],” said Bontemps of Antetokounmpo, per HoopsHype. “He’s got one year left on his deal [at that point]. [He may] assess the situation in Milwaukee then decide what he wants to do as opposed to doing it now.”

The two-time MVP Antetokounmpo does indeed have two more guaranteed years left on his contract with Milwaukee (with the ability to become a free agent in 2025 if he turns down his $51.9 million player option). While the Bucks succeeded in retaining their other core players this summer (like Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez), they are about to kick off a new era under a new coach (Adrian Griffin) after the firing of Mike Budenholzer.

For now, there is no reason to believe that Antetokounmpo, a lifelong Buck, is thinking about leaving the team. But he is still only 28 right now and will be 30 (with a lot more years of basketball left) by the time he is eligible for free agency. If Milwaukee’s situation changes drastically between now and then, Antetokounmpo will be an extremely popular target (maybe even of this team that he recently seemed to flirt with).