The Milwaukee Bucks begin the regular season December 23rd against the Boston Celtics.
When the season begins, 2-time MVP forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will have either signed a supermax contract extension with the Bucks, or decided to forgo the supermax extension.
Giannis, in his Wednesday afternoon ZOOM session, did his best to deflect questions regarding his future in Milwaukee saying he’s not trying to speed up the process…and that his agent is handling discussions.
So what is left to negotiate?
The Supermax contact details include 5-years and 35% of the team’s salary cap. The numbers are what the numbers are…and the roster will not see significant change between now and the start of the season.
Does he want custard at 6:00am on gameday (as he joked during the ZOOM call)?
Does he want a say in roster construction?
Does he want to play in Greece in a given off-season?
Is he looking for a non-supermax deal?
With regard to the contract, there is no doubt more to the discussion than years and compensation. For decades, athlete contracts have contained, for example, motorcycle and skydiving clauses.
For as much as Giannis says he’s not thinking about the deal and deadline, he admits to being keenly aware of what his decision means for the Bucks and state of Wisconsin.
I still firmly believe a deal gets done before the NBA season begins December 22nd.