In two years – barring a massive supermax contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to become the Alpha Dog of a loaded 2021 NBA free agency class.
At 24, the Greek Freak has already reached the summit of the NBA mountain by winning his first regular-season MVP award last season. The scarier part is Antetokounmpo can only improve from here. With his three-point shooting a work in progress, the Bucks star still has the upside to become even more unstoppable in the next years to come.
That’s the reason why the Bucks would do anything just to keep arguably the No.1 player in the league in Brew City, even if it will cost $247 million over five years. Giannis has not only transformed the Bucks into a legit title contender, but he also made them the biggest show in town, filling 17,000-plus seats at Fiserv Forum day in and day out.
While there’s a strong likelihood an extension will be agreed upon next summer, a small percentage of people out there believe one of these glamour franchises can lure Giannis from the small-market team.
The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks are natural candidates for a superstar like Antentokounmpo, but Ramona Shelburne of ESPN coined the Golden State Warriors as the “one team lurking out there” to snag Giannis out of Milwaukee.
So what are the factors that are seemingly pulling Giannis and the Dubs together? Let’s examine.
Dub City Admiration
Unlike LeBron, Giannis doesn’t maintain a circle of NBA friends. His closest friends are probably his brothers and few of his Bucks teammates. Still, he has great admiration for Steph Curry and everything he’s done with the Golden State Warriors. In a video taken during 2018 All-Star festivities, Giannis told Curry that he loves the Warriors’ style of play and winning culture. Only time will tell if that could lead to something else.
Giannis Antetokounmpo praises Steph Curry and the Warriors for their style of play pic.twitter.com/Fj8p208M9p
— Fadeaway World (@FadeawayWorld) September 20, 2019
Under the Same Roof
Agents can also influence a player’s decision-making process in free agency. In Giannis’ case, he’s represented by Alex Saratsis of Octagon – the same agency as Steph Curry. Being under the Octagon umbrella, Giannis and Curry now have an existing communication line that could come handy in recruitment without breaching the NBA’s anti-tampering rule. Everything starts with a real good sales pitch. For the Dubs’ message to be conveyed, they would need this kind of backchannel.
Smash and Splash
What makes Giannis hard to stop is the ability to ram through the defense and smash it hard to the basket. The Bucks exploited the Giannis mismatch by surrounding him with excellent floor spacers. But what would happen if you put Antetokounmpo on a team that features the top-2 best shooters in basketball? The Warriors would become even more unstoppable as they can now rule over the perimeter and the paint as well. That’s how terrifying the Dubs with Giannis would be.
City of Gold
While the $247 million contract extension would make Antetokounmpo the richest player in the league per NBA salaries, it’s just peanuts compared to the dollars he would make in Bay Area. Kevin Durant tripled his portfolio in three years by investing in several Silicon Valley companies. Giannis can copy the same approach in San Francisco, where he can win big both on the court and on the business field.
Winning Blueprint
After falling short against the Raptors in the East Finals, the Bucks will be entering the 2019-20 season as one of the favorites to come out of the East. Then again, they are facing stiffer competitions from the 76ers. Another early playoff exit could be an eye-opener for Giannis to evaluate his long-term future with the Bucks. The Warriors, despite losing Durant, have the pedigree and blueprint to win more championships. Will Giannis pursue winning over loyalty?
