Giannis Antetokounmpo is still the best bet to win the NBA MVP this season but a championship ring is already out of the question for the Milwaukee Bucks superstar. To earn his first NBA ring, speculations are rife the Greek Freak will join a new team, and the latest option for the 25-year-old points to the Los Angeles Clippers.
To be clear, the Clippers are in the long list of teams wanting to sign Antetokounmpo, who is up for free agency next summer. The expectation is Milwaukee will tempt the power forward with a five-year extension deal that will see his bank account getting richer by an estimated $248 million.
There is a chance the Bucks star will reject the offers and this assumption was bolstered by the frustrating playoffs run by the Antetokounmpo squad. The Miami Heat again proved that a chink in the armor of Milwaukee exists and Antetokounmpo might just be convinced he's not going to win an NBA title where he is now. So, he will ignore the max extension and force the Bucks to make a trade deal.
The Ringer said the young superstar will likely pick from the pack of suitors wanting to win his yes, and they are the biggies - Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, the Heat, and Golden State Warriors.
But it could be the Clippers that likely will catch Antetokounmpo's attention and for obvious reasons. The club is stacked solid and one of the favorites to win this season's title, mainly because of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
These two stars could be the main draw for Antetokounmpo but the magnet really is Clippers head coach Doc Rivers. The same report claimed the young superstar is a big fan of Rivers. Antetokounmpo admires how things are playing out technically with the Clippers and that is due to Rivers.
It looked like the Bucks star is entertaining the thought of working with the man in charge of the Clippers. If it's not happening in Milwaukee then he will be the one to make the move.
In reality though, Antetokounmpo leaving the Bucks seemed a remote possibility as things stand now. The star himself made clear that an immediate exit from his current team is out of the question. According to Sports Illustrated, addressed the concerns that he'd request a transfer following the Bucks defeat versus the Heat in two words: "Not happening."
The NBA star said he remains optimistic that the Bucks will return a stronger team next season and making the necessary improvements also apply to him.
Antetokounmpo explained: "Hopefully we can build a culture in Milwaukee that, for many years, we can come out and compete every single year for a championship."
He likened the situation right now as him staring at a wall, which he would plow through instead of looking for the easier direction.
