Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and agent Alex Saratsis have initiated conversations with the team about the two-time MVP’s future, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to Charania, Antetokounmpo and Saratsis are talking to the Bucks in the hopes of determining whether the forward’s best fit is in Milwaukee or elsewhere, with a resolution expected in the coming weeks.
Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee became the subject of intense scrutiny over the offseason after the Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for a third consecutive year and lost Damian Lillard to an Achilles tear in the process.
Although the 30-year-old has repeatedly expressed his love for the city and the franchise, he also made it clear that being in position to contend for titles remains his number one goal. Antetokounmpo was said to have “serious questions” about the Bucks’ championship potential and spoke to the team over the summer about the idea of exploring a possible “alternative path forward.” At that time, he reportedly conveyed that he’d be interested in the Knicks if he were to leave Milwaukee.
The Bucks briefly engaged in trade talks with the Knicks, but weren’t compelled by what New York had to offer and gained no traction toward a deal. Instead of moving Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee’s front office did its best to try to upgrade the roster around him, waiving and stretching Lillard’s maximum-salary contract in order to make room to sign center Myles Turner, one of the top free agents on the market.
According to Charania, Antetokounmpo recommitted to the Bucks ahead of the season and came into camp expecting to evaluate how the first 25 or so games of the season went before making any decisions about his future. Milwaukee has gotten off to a shaky start, having lost eight of its past nine games to drop to 9-13, which puts the team outside the top 10 in the Eastern Conference.
Sources who spoke to ESPN described the recent skid as frustrating for Antetokounmpo and the rest of the organization, with one source suggesting the “writing is on the wall” for a potential change of scenery for the superstar forward unless the Bucks can begin turning things around in the very near future.
More to come…