“Most Important in Franchise History”: ESPN Analyst About Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Urgency for Bucks

The first round of the NBA Draft took place last night, and there were plenty of storylines to discuss. Cooper Flagg went No. 1, as expected, to the Mavericks. Dylan Harper went second to the Spurs. The Jazz shocked the league by selecting Ace Bailey, while the Hawks and Pelicans pulled off a head-scratcher of a trade.

There’s a lot to be excited about with this rookie class, but for as good as Flagg, Harper, and others might be, none are expected to be able to make an impact next year like Giannis Antetokounmpo will. The Greek Freak’s future has loomed over this NBA offseason, with speculations on whether he’ll demand a trade or remain loyal to the Bucks, the only franchise he’s ever known in his 12 NBA seasons.

ESPN’s Shams Charania has been consistent in asserting that Giannis is open to exploring other options outside of Milwaukee, but as of now, at least, the Power Forward hasn’t demanded a trade.

Shams appeared on Get Up this morning to discuss Giannis’ situation as free agency is set to kick off in just a few days. “[Giannis] is going to remain open-minded. I don’t think his future is necessarily tied to this week, to free agency week”, he claimed.

“It’s going to be a process where you see how this team looks into July, well into July potentially, and then he will see how the Bucks look, how the chess pieces look across the league, and ultimately have some form of resolution,” added the scribe.

That doesn’t rule out the possibility of Giannis asking for a trade, especially since it’s going to be difficult for the Bucks to meaningfully improve around him. Furthermore, Dame Lillard is set to miss most or all of next season with his Achilles tear, and even in a severely weakened East, the Bucks may not be able to do enough to make themselves true contenders.

Meanwhile, NBA insider Bobby Marks implied that the franchise’s very future hinges on this free agency period. “For the next month, I’m doing everything possible to add, to add around Giannis,” he said, adding, “and that’s why I think the next month is the most important in franchise history for Milwaukee, as far as what they do.”

Due to Dame’s injury and the impending free agency of Gary Trent Jr., Marks believes it’s difficult for the Bucks to provide Giannis with enough pieces to contend, leading to a possibly difficult decision.“I think the problem if you’re not exploring Giannis deals now, and you wait until next year, now he’s gonna be on an expiring contract, he’s a year older, the value starts to come down a little bit here,” he said.

They could basically wipe the slate clean [by trading Giannis],” he asserted, noting that it was difficult to envision a road where the Bucks kept Giannis that didn’t lead to a “dead end” due to their roster and cap situation.

Giannis has done nothing to indicate that he isn’t going to remain loyal to the Bucks. That makes him a rarity in today’s market, with even college players becoming ostensible free agents after each season. That loyalty could trump all other factors, even if the Bucks aren’t able to surround him with championship-level pieces.

Furthermore, Markieff Morris argued that the NBA’s complex salary cap mechanics make it more difficult than ever to remain loyal to one franchise.

“These teams are now handicapped with the way that the salary cap works out, so as a player, knowing that my team can’t make these moves, and it’s literally going to be impossible for us to compete next year … I’m thinking about my future, and I think going forward, players will think more about their future with different teams because of how handicapped these teams will become.

“If I’m Giannis, I’m looking at my future and saying, ‘Can I actually win?’ and not thinking about being loyal,” Morris insisted.

Morris is right that more and more players are thinking along these lines, but he could be fundamentally misguided with the definition of the word in this context.

Giannis is one of the few current players (Steph Curry and Nikola Jokic are two others that come to mind) who have remained loyal to their teams through thick and thin.

The Bucks may be tested on their own loyalty if another team comes calling with a monster offer for their franchise player. Will Giannis’ steadfastness be reciprocated, or will general manager Jon Horst blow it up and start fresh? Until we know for sure, it’s going to be a fascinating summer.