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Former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has seemingly played his final game for the Milwaukee Bucks after an early exit from the NBA playoffs. The Bucks appear headed toward a rebuild, and Antetokounmpo is seemingly on the backside of his prime.
But while initial reports had the Greek superstar eyeing up moves to teams such as Houston, San Antonio or the New York Knicks, it now seems as if a new team has entered the fray: the Toronto Raptors.
“I don’t know if it will happen but I do know there is mutual interest between Antetokounmpo and the Raptors. The wild card is cost,” Doug Smith of the Toronto Star reports.
That comments came short after ESPN’s Brian Windhorts stated that “”The Raptors are a team that is starting to make noise within the league about looking for a big fish… There are some teams that sniff the ability to make a move and I think Toronto is one of those teams,” on his Hoop Collective Podcast.
Tax Purposes Could Prevent Giannis Antetokounmpo From Playing For Toronto
However, those reports directly refute what Sam Amico of HoopsWire claimed. Amico reports that Antetokounmpo prefers Houston or San Antonio because Texas does not have a state income tax.
“Houston and San Antonio are in Texas, where there are no state income taxes. Antetokounmpo is intrigued by that idea,” Amico stated. “The Bucks signed Antetokounmpo to a three-year $175 million extension in October 2023 and will make 54,126,380 next season.”
Meanwhile, if Antetokounmpo does opt for Toronto, he’d face some of the most significant income taxes of any city in the NBA.
If you play for the Toronto Raptors and are a Canadian resident for tax purposes, then you will be taxed more than 53 percent on your worldwide income, including any bonus and salary. Antetokounmpo could, theoretically, play for the Raptors and maintain U.S. residency for tax purposes. But it’s still a far murkier position than if he just played and lived in Texas.