While there will be suitors lined up around the building for the services of Giannis Antetokounmpo should he decide to leave the Milwaukee Bucks. One should note his passion, and love for the organization and its fans. However, he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2021 NBA season. With his team down 2-0 against the Miami Heat, what is the market for Giannis, and should he leave the Bucks behind?
While nobody could have expected the Heat to go up 2-0 in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, fans and analysts alike have added fuel to the fire, spitting flames to any and every rumor you could imagine. A plethora of teams have been added to the mix, with plenty of wiggle room to make a deal happen, let’s take a look.
Toronto Raptors
They are considered the front-runners to land him in 2021. In their playoff series against the Celtics, they are also down 2-0. Without Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors offensive struggles become more apparent, lack of ball movement or superstar X-factor makes it easy for teams to target Pascal Siakam in their defensive plans. While their game in transition is one of the best in the NBA, it is simply not enough to get past this Celtics team, who is without Gordon Hayward. The Greek Freak would bring that Leonard X-factor, but most importantly, they can afford him. Which makes Toronto, and this next team the two most dangerous to sign him.
Miami Heat
With a core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn, and the rest of this uprising team, Giannis would put the heat over the competition in the East. With even more cap space than the Raptors, beating the Bucks could shift Giannis into leave town. While also being good friends with Adebayo, the recruitment process for the Heat could get even easier. The location, money, and talent alone will give them a spot on his list of teams. Also, let’s not forget there is no state income tax in Florida. This series will be a huge one to watch out for in the coming days.
Boston Celtics
While Giannis and the Celtics always will have good battles against each other on the court, what if they were paired together? With Hayward potentially off the books as soon as the end of this season, (with pending free agency also in 2021) The core of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, and Marcus Smart as well as three first-round picks in this year’s draft should entice Giannis to give Boston a meeting. They have the chips necessary to make the finances work, in addition to absolutely tearing it up in the 2020 playoffs. The legacy of the franchise is also something to behold, and the thought of building another dynasty is a great meeting point.
Milwaukee Bucks
There is always a chance the supermax contract will keep Giannis in Wisconsin for years to come. After all, they drafted him 15th overall in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft and gave him a cool salary of over $20 million per season. They have the ultimate negotiation chip right there. He can continue to build with his team until they finally get it right. He will never have to worry about gaining input with the Bucks.
While we have a whole season ahead of us before teams even begin to move pieces around to attract Giannis one thing is clear, these rumors will not go away anytime soon.
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