Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks has been a major storyline throughout the offseason, and the future Hall of Famer confirmed he was evaluating his time with the only NBA team he has ever known.
“The same thing I’ve been saying my whole career,” he said Monday, per ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “I want to be on a team that allows me and gives me a chance to win a championship… it is never going to change. I want to be among the best.”
Antetokounmpo is signed through the 2026-27 season with a player option for 2027-28, so there is still time to figure out a potential long-term extension or even trade down the line.
But ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last month and in May that he was weighing his options:
“We’re standing here, it’s Aug. 4. Sources tell me there’s still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving,” Charania said. “And so, he’s going to continue to evaluate his future. I reported it in mid-May that he’s evaluating whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or is it elsewhere. And that process is continuing. There’s been some very real conversations over the past week or so. The constant question that Giannis has though is, ‘Can I win a championship with this roster? Is this roster going to be one for this upcoming year and 2026-2027?’ He wants to win a second championship. So, he’s asking that question over and over. There are multiple teams waiting in the wings, potentially, if Giannis this offseason still makes that decision.”
It seems like the nine-time All-NBA selection won’t be going anywhere in the immediate future, though, as Bucks governor Wes Edens told reporters Monday, “I had a great conversation with Giannis back in June. And he made it very clear he is committed to Milwaukee.”
At this point, Antetokounmpo’s legacy as an all-time great Buck is secure.
He won a championship and NBA Finals MVP in 2021 with the team and has built a resume that includes two league MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year, nine All-Star selections, nine All-NBA selections and a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
To say he has surpassed expectations that were put in place when Milwaukee selected him with the No. 15 overall pick of the 2013 NBA draft would be a massive understatement.
Milwaukee will be a threat as long as Antetokounmpo is on the roster, but it lost in the first round in each of the last three seasons and no longer has Khris Middleton, Damian Lillard or Brook Lopez on the roster. Even with the addition of Myles Turner, it would be fair for Antetokounmpo to at least wonder if this is the best place for him to win a championship.
But all indications are he will remain with the Bucks this season and pursue the second title of his career.
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