Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Sentiments About Future Might Concern Bucks Fans

The more Giannis Antetokounmpo addresses his NBA future, the more concerning the future of the Milwaukee Bucks becomes.

Antetokounmpo, who suffered a mid-playoff injury, also endured the wrong end of an upset, falling to the No. 8-seeded Miami Heat in Round 1. The Bucks finished the regular season as the No. 1 seed, two years removed from Milwaukee’s NBA Finals title in 2021. Therefore, high expectations are more than understandable making the disappointment of a first-round exit even more difficult to swallow.

Now, with a clean slate approaching, Antetokounmpo once again made some not-so-assuring comments regarding his future in Milwaukee, which should rattle the many Bucks fans still managing the nightmare of last season.

“As long as we play and we approach the game every single day the right way and we all sacrifice for a common goal, I can see myself being (with the) Milwaukee Bucks for the rest of my career,” Antetokounmpo said on Bleav’s “48 Minutes” podcast, per ESPN video. “But the moment I feel people aren’t committed as I am to (win an NBA Finals), I am not. I’m a Milwaukee Buck, but most importantly I’m a winner. … If there is a better situation for me to win the Larry O’Brien I have to take that better situation.”

Is that a wake-up call (and threat) from a distance?

On the one hand, losing to Miami, regardless of circumstances is pretty daunting. The Heat barely snuck into the playoffs plus the Bucks appeared destined to compete for another title with the Eastern Conference posing very few sure-thing threats. It wasn’t ideal to let the opportunity slip away.

Antetokounmpo did his part. Averaging a career-high 31.1 points and 11.8 rebounds through 63 games, which placed the 28-year-old third in league MVP voting, was a huge foundation to build off.

Milwaukee’s bench averaged 18.7 points, ranking 17th in the NBA. They also shot just 42.8% from the field, placing the Bucks dead last among all teams in that category. Depth, as was proven through Miami’s improbable run to the finals, is a critical component for any team, regardless of talent within the starting lineup.

Either way, there could be one factor that sways Antetokounmpo’s mind.

Starting on Sept. 22, Antetokounmpo becomes eligible to sign a three-year, $173 million contract extension, which could ultimately hint at where the two-time MVP leans ahead of Opening Night in October.

Panic time in Milwaukee? Perhaps.