Bucks co-owner says Giannis Antetokounmpo will either be traded or extended this summer
That has long been the sense of other teams around the league, but co-owner Wes Edens didn't exactly clear things up.
One might think the drama around Giannis Antetokounmpo and his future with the Milwaukee Bucks would wind down, at least until the season ends and we get closer to the NBA Draft. Nothing is happening before then. One would be wrong.
The latest saga comes from Bucks' co-owners Wes Edens and Jimmy Haslam telling ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne the duo will work together on what comes next for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Then Edens said basically what every other team has been expecting, what has been reported here and elsewhere: It all comes down to what Antetokounmpo says he will do about a $275 million extension the Bucks can offer (but Antetokounmpo could not sign until Oct. 1).
"Giannis is going into the last year [of his contract]," said Edens, the team's controlling owner until April 2028. "So one of two things will happen: Either he will be extended or he'll be traded. The likelihood you'll let him just kind of play out the last year, we can't afford that.
It's not consistent with what's good for the organization. That's not a Giannis issue. That's any player that's in their last year.