Giannis Antetokounmpo “Open” to Playing Alongside a Superstar

While the major free agents are already signed, including the Lakers’ Anthony Davis, the only big question left in this NBA offseason is whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or not.

The Greek Freak is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks this season and the Bucks are more than willing to offer him what could be the largest contract in NBA history. But Antetokounmpo has flip-flopped about his future plans.

Right after the Bucks were eliminated from the 2020 NBA playoffs, he proclaimed that he’d rather “plow through the wall” (stay with the Bucks) rather than go in another direction. Soon, he said that he was willing to stay in Milwaukee if he and the Bucks are on “the same page” and if the Bucks make the “right moves” in free agency.

Milwaukee quickly retooled their roster at the start of free agency. They traded for Jrue Holiday and proceeded to add the likes of Bobby Portis, Bryn Forbes, D.J. Augustin, and Torrey Craig. But the Bucks missed out on Bogdan Bogdanovic who was reportedly Giannis’ “preferred offseason addition”

Milwaukee’s “blunder” in not getting Bogdanovic was feared to have affected the Bucks’ chances of keeping Giannis. But in a recent interview with Greece’s COSMOTE TV, the NBA’s reigning two-time MVP may have dropped a hint that he is staying in Milwaukee.

Said Giannis:

“This is a statement that I have never made before: If LeBron and Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis came to Milwaukee; I would have been good with that. I am not interested if I am the top, second or third name, okay? Because I want to win…

“For sure when I was 18 or 19 years old, maybe I didn’t understand what you need to do to win. But right now, I am 25 and I want to win because when I retire, that’s what people will remember. And if I got LeBron, KD, Davis, if all those came, I wouldn’t mind at all. I don’t care if I am the top (player) on the team.”

Coming to Milwaukee

If you analyze Antetojounmpo’s statement, he said that he’s willing to play alongside a superstar and share the limelight BUT he also talked about KD or AD COMING to Milwaukee. He didn’t say that he is willing to join a superteam somewhere else. Not Golden State, not Miami, and not certainly Los Angeles. So is that good news for the Bucks? Well, yes and no.

“Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to sign his supermax contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, per Jackie MacMullan of ESPN.”

Not the same as Wojnarowski-who is the NBA-but she is very good and reliable.

— Steve HomerTrue (@espnhomer) November 29, 2020

While Antetokounmpo maybe preferring to stay with the Bucks, he may also be dropping a hint that Milwaukee needs to bring a second superstar to help him win a title there. Sure, the Bucks already have an All-Star in Khris Middleton, but he doesn’t seem to be the kind of star who can immediately put a team in title contention like KD did with the Dubs and AD with the Lakers.

Yes, the Bucks have improved their supporting cast with the additions they made during the offseason but if you look at things right now, the burden of winning the NBA title still rests in Giannis’ giant hands. Behind back to back MVP seasons by Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have finished with the best regular-season record in the league in the previous two seasons. However, they have come short in the playoffs.

Bucks 2021 Odds

Despite not having that second superstar on the team, sportsbooks are still high on the Bucks. According to BetOnline.ag, Milwaukee has the best odds to win the Eastern Conference at +250 and the Bucks also have the second-best odds to win the NBA title at +500.

2021 NBA Championship WInner

*Odds are constantly changing based on Woj Bombs

1. Los Angeles Lakers +325


2. Milwaukee Bucks +500


3. Brooklyn Nets +600


4. Los Angeles Clippers +650


T5. Boston Celtics +1400


T5. Golden State Warriors +1400

— BetOnline.ag (@betonline_ag) November 20, 2020

Online betting sites have also listed Milwaukee’s 2021 team win total at 50.5, the highest for any team in the NBA. A Bucks vs Lakers matchup in the 2021 NBA Finals is also the odds on favorite at internet sportsbooks.

Meanwhile, bet makers have also placed Antetokounmpo third behind Luka Doncic and Steph Curry to win the 2021 NBA MVP award and second in the early Defensive Player of the Year odds board.

If the sportsbooks are correct, the Bucks are primed for another big season behind another big season from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The question though, as with the previous years, is whether they have enough to win it all. Well, they have a 72-game regular season to figure that out. But at least, they can start the preseason with the confidence that their superstar still prefers to stay rather than leave.