giannis antetokounmpo
Photo: Yahoo Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks have no intention whatsoever to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, even if he does not sign the supermax contract extension.

The back-to-back NBA MVP is eligible for a supermax contract extension this offseason. If he turns it down, though, he will become a free agent in 2021.

“Multiple sources have emphatically said Milwaukee will not look to trade Antetokounmpo if he passes on the extension. Instead, the Bucks will try to improve their roster and use the next year to show Antetokounmpo why he should stay.

Waiting would give Antetokounmpo maximum leverage over Milwaukee over the next 12 months. If the Bucks are willing to add to their payroll to improve the team — something ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported they are — Milwaukee could chase a significant upgrade in trades (despite being short on prime assets),” Tim Bontemps of ESPN reports.

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have finished the last two regular seasons with the best record in the NBA, but have failed to reach the Finals.