Giannis Antetokounmpo has blossomed into one of the brightest young stars in the NBA this past season, having earned an All-Star and All-NBA nod. His rise to stardom has put the Milwaukee Bucks back to relevancy as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. But with all the attention the "Greek Freak" is getting comes a big caveat.
Giannis' 2021 farewell?
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported the Bucks' time clock to surround Giannis with a championship-caliber cast has already begun ticking. The veteran NBA insider believes teams, particularly the ball clubs that missed on Gordon Hayward this summer, are already scheming and plotting on how to get a perennial All-Star player and future MVP like Giannis out of Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo is under contract until the 2020-21 season after signing a four-year, $100 million contract extension last summer. In order for the Bucks to have a better chance of re-signing him four years from now, general manager Jon Horst and head coach Jason Kidd must steadily build a championship contender with Giannis as the focal point of the team.
It only means the Bucks front-office would have to keep flexibility in their salary cap (identifying and getting rid of bad contracts) and, at the same time, adding players (via free agency or trade) who could become cornerstones of a title-contending ballclub.
Big market suitors
Four years is still a long way to go. However, despite Giannis expressing his uttermost loyalty to the Bucks organization, big market teams such as the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks are expected to crash in once the All-Star small forward hits the trading block or free agency market.
Yes, these teams have a solid chance of stealing the Bucks' biggest star since Oscar Robertson unless Horst puts a James Harden-esque (4-year, $216MM) extension offer on the table.
Ian Clark to Milwaukee
The Bucks are seen as the likely landing spot for free agent swingman Ian Clark. The Golden State Warriors managed to retain most of its players from last season including role players Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livington, Zaza Pachulia and David West.
The only exception is Clark, who improved his three-point shooting clip to a career-high 37.4 percent.
Gary Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times reported that the Bucks and Clark have mutual interest. The roadblock to a potential deal is the Bucks' current cap status. Milwaukee is expected to be really close to the luxury tax threshold as soon as Tony Snell's new contract gets finalized. The Bucks would have to move Spencer Hawes' $6M expiring contract in order to present a competitive offer for Clark.
