Giannis Says He’s Focused On Basketball, Letting Agent Handle Contract

Addressing reporters for the first time this season on Wednesday, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t offer up any particularly juicy quotes when he was inevitably asked about his contract situation. Antetokounmpo, who can sign a five-year super-max extension with Milwaukee before the season begins, said he’s letting agent Alex Saratsis handle talks with the team.

“I’m not focused on that,” Antetokounmpo said, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “I know my agent, Alex, and (Bucks GM) Jon Horst and the Bucks ownership are focusing on those discussions, but I’m just trying to focus on myself. How I can get better, how I can help my teammates get better, how can we be ready Saturday to play our first preseason game.”

As we detailed earlier today, a five-year super-max deal for Antetokounmpo would start in 2021/22 and is worth a projected $228MM+. He could sign that extension on or before December 21. If he doesn’t sign it this month, he’d be eligible for the same deal with the Bucks if he waits until free agency in 2021. During the season, he can’t sign a super-max contract, but could sign a shorter-term extension that would start at 30% of the cap instead of 35%.

Antetokounmpo’s contract situation is arguably the NBA’s biggest storyline, though he did make a valiant effort today to downplay the focus on a potential extension.

“I know this is big for the City of Milwaukee, (the) NBA world, and (the) media world,” Giannis said, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link). “But I’m a private person.”

Antetokounmpo added that he hoped reporters’ focus would be on basketball going forward, since his answers about his contract “are going to be the same,” Spears notes.

The two-time Most Valuable Player also said today that he doesn’t believe the Bucks are in a “championship or bust” situation in 2020/21.

“Obviously, everybody wants to win a championship, I want to win a championship,” Giannis said, according to Woodyard. “There’s nobody that wants to win a championship more than me. I can guarantee you that. But there’s steps to that. You’ve got to keep improving. You’ve got to keep getting better and hopefully we can get there this year.”

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