The Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the second round of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday night.
The Bucks’ shocking defeat has led to questions about the future of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While the reigning league MVP was adamant that he will not request a trade from the Bucks, a pair of front office executives aren’t so sure.
“He could be on the Warriors in three months,” a former Western Conference executive said, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Antetokounmpo is eligible for a supermax extension this coming offseason, which could be worth roughly $225-250 million over five seasons.
However, stars like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Anthony Davis have all turned down supermax deals to move on to different teams.
“If he doesn’t sign the [supermax] this offseason, I think the Bucks have to look at exploring the trade market,” one Eastern Conference executive said.
The Bucks certainly are in a precarious position. Antetokounmpo’s possible departure would be a severe blow to a team that hasn’t reached its ultimate goal with him on the roster.
