The Milwaukee Bucks didn’t hesitate to make their big moves, but they might also be holding up some other big transactions around the league.
This offseason, the Bucks made one of the biggest splashes, signing Myles Turner while waiving and stretching Damian Lillard. The rather surprising moves didn’t necessarily vault the Bucks back into title contention, but it did help Milwaukee persuade Giannis Antetokounmpo to stick around for next season.
While the rumors were abundant about Antetokounmpo’s future following the Bucks’ third-straight loss in the first round, there seems to be no interest for either side to move on just yet. Of course, the rest of the league is certainly hoping that the two-time MVP comes onto the market in the near future.
In a recent report from The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami, Antetokounmpo’s uncertain future is playing a factor in Golden State’s negotiations with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. Kawakami wrote that the Warriors would want Kuminga’s full value back in a trade or to bring him back on a sensible long-term deal to have some of the pieces needed to entice the Bucks if Antetokounmpo eventually becomes available.
Considering Milwaukee’s position, that could be sooner rather than later, and Kuminga could be a high-upside player worth taking a chance on in that type of deal. Of course, the Bucks would love to keep Antetokounmpo around for the long haul.
With Kuminga’s future still in the balance, it will be hard not to analyze Golden State’s future negotiations through the lens of a potential Antetokounmpo deal.