Giannis Antetokounmpo He acknowledged at the beginning of the season that, if the Milwaukee Bucks suffered another failure – eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in the last two years – he expected to be traded at the end of the current campaign. However, the joy of NBA Cup with the Greek as MVP it would have changed the plans of the Wisconsin franchise.
According to Shams Charania, he revealed that the Bucks are not going to trade their star or not at least this season.
Although the old guard that helped the Hellenic team win the 2021 ring – and now the Cup – is getting older with the 36 years of Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton’s 33, Anteto has just turned 30 and is averaging his best numbers ever in what is the oldest team in the NBA.
Lillard and Anteto won their first title together
In figures better than those of his two regular season MVPs, the interior is scoring 32.7 points on average at his usual scoring peak, also adding 11.5 rebounds and 6 assists with 61% shooting from the field.
Damian Lillard is also his age at his 34 years although he is in the best moment of his partnership with Giannis after many doubts. Maintaining the duo is going to be expensive for Milwaukee in the context of the NBA’s increasingly restrictive finances, with Anteto under contract until 2027 at a rate of 160 million and a player option to renew until 2028 of 62.7.
For his part, Lillard has a contract until 2026 with 112 million to be collected with a player option to renew until 2027 in exchange for 58 million. If Giannis is traded, the most logical thing is that the former Blazers player would also be traded, but the Bucks are going to give themselves another chance for now.
However, it is already known that memory in the NBA is ephemeral and a new setback in the playoffs could trigger a change of plans. More, if Anteto does not play a minute of the postseason due to injury and Lillard is injured in the first round as was the case last year.
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