Insider: Giannis Antetokounmpo "Intrigued" By 2 Teams If He Leaves Milwaukee
Certainly, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo would be on every NBA team's most-wanted list if he decided to move on from the Milwaukee Bucks. But according to NBA Insider Marc Stein, two teams that "intrigue" him would be the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks.
The Lakers and Knicks are franchises "presumed to interest" Giannis down the road if he does decide to move on from Milwaukee đź‘€
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) August 29, 2023
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“The Lakers and the Knicks are already being mentioned as franchises presumed to interest Antetokounmpo down the road if he does decide to move on from Milwaukee, which just made a slew of moves (re-signing Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez and replacing Mike Budenholzer as coach with Adrian Griffin) to try to appease its face of the franchise,” wrote Stein.
It was only last week that Giannis said in an interview, essentially, that it's no slam dunk that he re-signs with the Bucks when his contract is up in 2025 (player option) when he can become a free agent. The Greek Freak insists he needs to be somewhere where he can win another championship (he was the Finals MVP in leading the Bucks to the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2021).
That big-market and big-name franchises like the Lakers and the Knicks would be on Giannis's list is not much of a surprise. And from their end, the Purple & Gold will likely only have LeBron James for a couple of more seasons — Father Time will eventually win out over LeBron... won't it? — and will be looking for the next superstar to lead them into the future. And the Knicks are always looking for that elite All-NBA talent to add to their solid mix led by Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
It's still a year or two away before this hits the front burner in NBA front offices, but the Bucks will need to show that their big moves of this offseason can return the team to championship contender status, or the Bucks could stop here for Giannis.
Photo: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
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