The Existential Extension Crisis - Will Giannis Stay in Milwaukee?

Will Giannis Sign a Supermax Extension Before the December 21 Deadline?


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DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Kind of confused why Giannis did this - it's all downside and no upside. He could've played out the year, see where the team's at, and signed the exact same contract in the summer.
I get what you are saying with regards to his optionality but he took the absolute maximum expected value outcome right now - given that we are still dealing with a lot of uncertainty from the pandemic, including how the NBA season will play out, it makes perfect sense. In the end, Antetokounmpo knows where he will be - and if that changes he can/will request a trade - and locks in his money. Its also good for the NBA and the Bucks who get to retain their homegrown superstar.
 

Tony C

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The max contract isn't there to enable super teams. It's there because the player union demands it so that the worst players will get better contracts.

I think the notion that people want super teams is post facto justification. I think people would enjoy parity and competitive series throughout the playoffs instead of preordained champions more.
When was the last pre-ordained champ? Golden State, I guess, could fit the term? Neither the Raptors nor Lakers were even favorites much less pre-ordained, and certainly no club this season is an inordinate favorite.
 

PedroKsBambino

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Kind of confused why Giannis did this - it's all downside and no upside. He could've played out the year, see where the team's at, and signed the exact same contract in the summer.
I think we have to conclude he wants to be there and, if so, there is also no benefit in waiting as it will be a distraction all year. I think he made clear he wanted to see commitment, they made a deal that showed they were committed and he bought in.
 

PedroKsBambino

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The max contract isn't there to enable super teams. It's there because the player union demands it so that the worst players will get better contracts.

I think the notion that people want super teams is post facto justification. I think people would enjoy parity and competitive series throughout the playoffs instead of preordained champions more.
I do not agree that is why the max contract is part of the CBA. At best, there's a fairly complicated exchange of interests around cap, bri, and salary distribution at play. Though, I do agree its purpose is also not to enable super teams.
 

luckiestman

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Freak is now my 2nd favorite non-Celtic(Dame is 1). You stay in a place like Milwaukee when you could go anywhere, you're my kind of guy.
 

ManicCompression

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I get what you are saying with regards to his optionality but he took the absolute maximum expected value outcome right now - given that we are still dealing with a lot of uncertainty from the pandemic, including how the NBA season will play out, it makes perfect sense. In the end, Antetokounmpo knows where he will be - and if that changes he can/will request a trade - and locks in his money. Its also good for the NBA and the Bucks who get to retain their homegrown superstar.
Yeah, totally get that, just if it were me and I watched Jon Horst publicly F up the Bogdanovic thing and then sign Bobby Portis and DJ Augustin as plan B, I would not want to decrease my options going forward. Thankfully for Milwaukee, Giannis is not me and the league is better for it (though it'd be fun as hell to see him with Luka)
 

BigSoxFan

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Freak is now my 2nd favorite non-Celtic(Dame is 1). You stay in a place like Milwaukee when you could go anywhere, you're my kind of guy.
Especially when you're from Greece and it's cold as shit as Milwaukee. He's obviously getting paid millions but he could have had that in Miami or wherever. The Freak is a special breed. But I still want the refs to start calling him on his obvious travels...
 

luckiestman

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I know this never happened but I am imagining Giannis sitting across from Riley and telling him “Fuck you, I like snow and not the kind you’ve been shoving up your nose”
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Yeah, totally get that, just if it were me and I watched Jon Horst publicly F up the Bogdanovic thing and then sign Bobby Portis and DJ Augustin as plan B, I would not want to decrease my options going forward. Thankfully for Milwaukee, Giannis is not me and the league is better for it (though it'd be fun as hell to see him with Luka)
Oh I am with you. Horst and company ostensibly screwed up that transaction so badly - and again, I think that Bogdanovich's fit would haven been almost perfect - that I had Giannis leaving as my baseline. That said, it was an incredibly large sum to leave on the table.
 

Everetts Dinosaurs

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As someone who hates the trend of superstars forcing their way out of small markets to play with their buddies, this news is fantastic and ultimately good for the NBA long-term.
As a Celtics fan, I look forward to cursing his name in the years to come.
 

Kliq

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I get what you are saying with regards to his optionality but he took the absolute maximum expected value outcome right now - given that we are still dealing with a lot of uncertainty from the pandemic, including how the NBA season will play out, it makes perfect sense. In the end, Antetokounmpo knows where he will be - and if that changes he can/will request a trade - and locks in his money. Its also good for the NBA and the Bucks who get to retain their homegrown superstar.
This is my take as well; I'm very happy as a basketball fan that Giannis is staying in Milwaukee. Sure, he could demand a trade a year from now; but it's great to see smaller market teams retain a generational talent, instead of them going to the same handful of teams. It's good for basketball and these smaller markets that need superstar players the most.
 

lovegtm

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Good outcome for the NBA, and the best one for the Celtics too. Keeps the East balanced, and Milwaukee doesn’t have a path to add much more around Giannis. Giannis to Miami or Toronto would have been really bad.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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Kind of confused why Giannis did this - it's all downside and no upside. He could've played out the year, see where the team's at, and signed the exact same contract in the summer.
I would not be surprised if we found out that his ankle injury in the playoffs lead him to sign the Supermax Extension.

Plus, if he really wants out of MIL, it seems to me the his best option (in terms of financial benefits, practical implementation, and optics) would be to sign the Supermax Extension, play the required year, see how it goes, and if it continues to suck, demand a trade as wanting to play for a winner.

Waiting a year to sign the Supermax and then figuring out how to bail on MIL seems sub-optimal to me.

Unless somehow MIL has some unexpected success on the basketball court, I doubt Giannis will be playing for MIL in five years.
 

HurstSoGood

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"One, two, three, four, Super Max, two, two, eight!
Schlemeel!
Schlemazel!
Antetokounmpo incorporated!"

I'm happy for Milwaukee.
 

Kliq

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I would not be surprised if we found out that his ankle injury in the playoffs lead him to sign the Supermax Extension.

Plus, if he really wants out of MIL, it seems to me the his best option (in terms of financial benefits, practical implementation, and optics) would be to sign the Supermax Extension, play the required year, see how it goes, and if it continues to suck, demand a trade as wanting to play for a winner.

Waiting a year to sign the Supermax and then figuring out how to bail on MIL seems sub-optimal to me.

Unless somehow MIL has some unexpected success on the basketball court, I doubt Giannis will be playing for MIL in five years.
What would unexpected success look like for Milwaukee? Would it really be that surprising if they won the title this year? Most oddsmakers seem to have them as the second or third most likely team to win the title.
 

DourDoerr

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Great outcome. Much respect to Freak for this. It's a lot of money for him, but all the options were for a lot of money. I'm pretty sure I would have bailed for better weather even with the extra money as an incentive to stay, so I admire his willingness to make it happen in WI. If he wins there, he'll be a God. A Greek God,
 

Leon Trotsky

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For anyone that saw the 60 Minutes episode on Giannis a couple years ago, this is not that surprising. He came off as genuinely in love and appreciative of everything Milwaukee has done for him. Pretty amazing.
 

bankshot1

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Milwaukee is a pleasant city that I had the pleasure of visiting a few times on business. The fans at ball games were really friendly and the brats and beers hit the spot. But i wouldn't call it a destination city. I'm happy Giannis chose it as his home for the next 4-5 years and I'm happy for the very pleasant folks of Milwaukee who lost one of the NBA's all-time greats when Kareem wanted out of the mid-west for more cosmopolitan setting. Better Milwaukee than LA or Miami or SF or Toronto or Philly.
 

Sam Ray Not

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Milwaukee, together with Detroit, Philly, and Atlanta, saved our democratic republic last month. They’re aces in my book for good while. Stoked for them!
 

djbayko

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Especially when you're from Greece and it's cold as shit as Milwaukee. He's obviously getting paid millions but he could have had that in Miami or wherever. The Freak is a special breed. But I still want the refs to start calling him on his obvious travels...
And offensive fouls.

I won't say he's among my favorite players because of this, but I definitely respect his decision to stay small market and not form the next "Big X" super team. The NBA could definitely use more of that.
 

luckiestman

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And offensive fouls.

I won't say he's among my favorite players because of this, but I definitely respect his decision to stay small market and not form the next "Big X" super team. The NBA could definitely use more of that.
Don’t blame the man for the refs behavior.
 

Tony C

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Milwaukee is a pleasant city that I had the pleasure of visiting a few times on business. The fans at ball games were really friendly and the brats and beers hit the spot. But i wouldn't call it a destination city. I'm happy Giannis chose it as his home for the next 4-5 years and I'm happy for the very pleasant folks of Milwaukee who lost one of the NBA's all-time greats when Kareem wanted out of the mid-west for more cosmopolitan setting. Better Milwaukee than LA or Miami or SF or Toronto or Philly.
Given how close Milwaukee (which really is a pleasant place) is to Chicago (90 minutes), I wonder if a lot of their players don't live closer to Chicago than Milwaukee given the nightlife, etc.

Milwaukee, together with Detroit, Philly, and Atlanta, saved our democratic republic last month. They’re aces in my book for good while. Stoked for them!
here here!
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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What would unexpected success look like for Milwaukee? Would it really be that surprising if they won the title this year? Most oddsmakers seem to have them as the second or third most likely team to win the title.
Second or third most likely team in conference or league? Can see the former; latter seems like a stretch.

MIL,given the way Coach Bud coaches, will likely be #1 seed again but I'm not bullish on playoff prospects. Obviously if MIL wins it all Giannis would be more inclined to stay but if they can't even make conference finals in the next couple of years and can't develop any assets, I could definitely see Giannis forcing his way out.
 

lovegtm

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Second or third most likely team in conference or league? Can see the former; latter seems like a stretch.

MIL,given the way Coach Bud coaches, will likely be #1 seed again but I'm not bullish on playoff prospects. Obviously if MIL wins it all Giannis would be more inclined to stay but if they can't even make conference finals in the next couple of years and can't develop any assets, I could definitely see Giannis forcing his way out.
It will be interesting to see how they handle the regular season this year. One criticism that I agree with is that Bud prioritizes regular season wins too highly, and doesn't do enough to get his players used to different schemes and approaches. I imagine that after the last two flameouts, they'll be less likely to believe their own "historically great" press clippings and might work more stuff in.