NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo says he will NOT sign Bucks extension amid concerns over the team’s desire to win championships: ‘Numbers wise it doesn’t make sense’
- Giannis will be eligible for a new deal in September worth an incredible $173m
- The Bucks fired head coach Mike Budenholzer in favor of hiring Adrian Griffin
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Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo says he wants to see how committed the organization truly is to competing for another championship before deciding whether to sign a contract extension.
The two-time MVP becomes eligible to sign a three-year, $173million extension beginning September 22 on his deal that currently runs through the 2024-25 season, with a player option for 2025-26.
Antetokounmpo recently told The New York Times he wouldn’t sign an extension this year as ‘numbers wise it doesn’t make sense’, before suggesting it could become a more realistic option next summer.
However, he then admitted: ‘Even then, I don’t know. I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.’Â
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The seven-time All-NBA forward led Milwaukee to their first title in a half-century in 2021, seven months after signing a supermax extension, but they haven’t gotten beyond the second round of the playoffs the last two seasons.
Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo says he will not sign a contract extension this year
The seven-time All-Star first wants to see how committed the team is to winning another ring
The Bucks also made a head coach change this season by hiring Adrian Griffin (right) from TOR
Last season Antetokounmpo averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game as he led the Bucks to a 58-24 record.
That 58-24 gave the Bucks the best regular-season record in 2022-23, but they lost 4-1 to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
They followed that up by firing coach Mike Budenholzer and replacing him with former Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin.
Antetokounmpo said he wanted to ‘see the dynamics’ of how everything works with the new coaching staff before deciding whether to stay in Milwaukee.
The seven-time All-Star also mentioned his hopes of playing his entire career with one franchise.
‘But at the end of the day, being a winner, it’s over that goal,’ Antetokounmpo said.
‘Winning a championship comes first. I don’t want to be 20 years on the same team and don’t win another championship.’
