Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo re-committed to the Milwaukee Bucks by signing a five-year, $228 million supermax extension on Tuesday. While Antetokounmpo was ecstatic to continue his career in Milwaukee, it was not without him urging the team to improve their backcourt in hopes of contending for an NBA championship.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Kevin Arnovitz, one of the names Antetokounmpo pushed for the Bucks to target was Washington Wizards star guard Bradley Beal.
“In addition to [Bogdan] Bogdanovic, [Antetokounmpo] cited Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal as a desirable target for the Bucks. Without impugning specific teammates, Antetokounmpo was implicitly suggesting what just about everyone in the organization — and the NBA — knew: The Bucks needed to upgrade their backcourt.”
The Bucks squandered a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings to land Bogdanovic. Meanwhile, the Wizards contended they had no intentions of trading Beal. General manager Tommy Sheppard stressed the Wizards were building around Beal.
Beal’s name has come affixed to trade rumors for much of the past two years as he has developed into a superstar. Last season he averaged a career-high 30.5 points per game which was only second in the league to James Harden.
Ultimately, the Bucks landed Jrue Holiday in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Wizards handed the keys of the franchise to Beal, trading away previous cornerstone player John Wall to the Houston Rockets in exchange for 2017 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook ideally will complement Beal as the Wizards push for the relevancy that has alluded the franchise since 2017.
The Bucks appeased Giannis Antetokounmpo enough to get him to sign the supermax extension. It’s a move that sent shock waves throughout the league, considering superstars of the same caliber, such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis pushed their ways out of small market teams in pursuit of championships.
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