No one could have expected Giannis Antetokounmpo to get much better after his 2018-19 NBA season, but somehow he has.
Not only is Antetounmpo the favorite to win Most Valuable Player award again this season, but he also has the Milwaukee Bucks with the best record in the league ahead of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Antetokounmpo is the biggest young star in the league today and many teams are gearing up for his impending 2021 NBA free agency. He recently made news in talking about the possibility of teaming up with his brothers, but the expectation from most in the league hasn’t wavered.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, executives around the NBA universally expect Antetokounmpo to re-sign in Milwaukee barring the Bucks failing to make the NBA Finals over the next two seasons:
Given how well the Bucks are playing, every executive we spoke to expects Antetokounmpo to re-sign with Milwaukee. The Bucks are overwhelming favorites to reach the NBA Finals, and falling short of that bar looks to be the only thing that could put Milwaukee’s MVP in play.
As noted, the Bucks are the heavy favorites to reach the NBA Finals out of the Eastern Conference this season and Antetokounmpo is the main reason why. He is putting up unbelievable numbers and has the drive and desire to take out anyone who stands in his way. He also loves it in Milwaukee and is a very loyal person, hence most believing him staying there is a foregone conclusion.
Mentioning Los Angeles as a possibility if he wanted to team up with his brothers surely sparked the interest of many, but the fact remains that Milwaukee would be the easier place for that to occur as well. With Thanasis Antetokounmpo already in Milwaukee, all it would take is the Bucks signing Kostas Antetokounmpo for all three brothers to be united on one team.
Regardless of the chances, Antetokounmpo is one player that every team — including the Lakers — should be prepared to pursue just in case. He is a true franchise changer that doesn’t come along very often and if he’s available, the Lakers and the rest of the league will do everything in their power to convince him to come.
The odds are slim but in two seasons, the Lakers could have a championship or two under their belt and the Bucks could come up short, leaving the door just open enough should Antetokounmpo want to shock the basketball world.
