After a fourth-straight disappointing postseason for the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo is questioning his future with the franchise for the first time in years. With Damian Lillard likely sidelined for the entirety of next season with a torn Achilles tendon, it will be difficult for the Bucks to improve on what was a disastrous end to the season. Even with Giannis continuing to dominate the league, Milwaukee doesn’t have much of a path to a championship.
Advertisement
Giannis has shared that he is “open-minded” about where he will be playing next season, a sign that he could want to change teams while still in the prime of his career. His words have re-ignited the notion that the two-time MVP may not be destined to finish his career with the Bucks and also resulted in plenty of speculation about a possible offseason blockbuster.
The NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement has already made it incredibly difficult to keep multiple highly-paid stars together for more than one contract. Teams like the Boston Celtics will be forced to move on from at least two members of their 2023 championship core, while teams like the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves already had to make changes.
Brian Windhorst explained why having multiple stars on mega deals simply isn’t sustainable in the modern NBA. “It’s very hard, not impossible, but it’s very hard to have three gigantic salaries, you know $50 million-plus salaries. And if you do, all three of those guys better be awesome, because you can’t fill out the rest of your roster,” Windhorst said on The Dan Patrick Show.
With these new strict financial obstacles imposed on the league’s rules, not many teams can afford to take on Giannis’ gargantuan $54 million salary next season. The nine-time All-Star will still have plenty of suitors, though – namely, ones who are hoping to cash in on their cheap, but talented young assets and have the salary filler to make it happen.
“So San Antonio has something that is extremely attractive,” Windhorst continued. “They have a star player in Victor Wembanyama, who is on his rookie contract for several more years… So they have a star player on a rookie-scale contract. They have young pieces in-house that would interest anybody, including Stephon Castle who just won Rookie of the Year.”
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the few teams equipped with a trade package that could entice the Bucks while also boasting a future that’s enticing to Antetokounmpo. Wembanyama and Giannis would immediately become the NBA’s most feared frontcourt. Alongside De’Aaron Fox and whatever is left over, the Spurs might have a contender.
Texas’ lack of income tax could be another key factor in Giannis’ next destination. Playing in Texas would allow the 30-year-old to save a massive portion of his next contract. While that likely won’t be the determining factor, the Houston Rockets can offer Giannis the same as both are in Texas.
Houston doesn’t boast a game-breaking talent like Wemby, but they do possess an exciting young core that has already had a taste of regular-season success. The Rockets could offer an equally exciting trade package to the Spurs while providing Giannis with a roster that’s ready to win now.
Only time will tell if Giannis even ends up departing from the franchise he’s spent over a decade with. But if he is seen in a new jersey next season, it will likely be in San Antonio or Houston.
