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Against Miami, Milwaukee found out just how much it missed Brogdon's skill set. The Heat this season are already 27-12 and in third place in the Eastern Conference standings. As it stands, the Heat have only two contracts on the books when Antetokounmpo hits free agency. It also would save players such as Antetokounmpo and other soon-to-be free agents from seeing the salary cap suddenly plummet -- ruining the chances for many of them to be paid what they expected. AS WITH LEBRON JAMES, and Kevin Durant before him, Antetokounmpo's impending free agency has been a topic of conversation for years. Charles Barkley has Strong Words in Giannis vs. LeBron MVP Debate. “When the time is right we’re all gonna talk about it. "I think we won the last three quarters of the second game," he said. As a result, every decision made to this point will come under scrutiny -- both for why it didn't work and for how it could impact what comes next. Both were taken out of the game in the fourth quarters of Games 2 and 3. The opportunity to sign a league MVP who is a generational talent may cause Riley to change his style. Kostas Antetokounmpo has appeared in only three games for the Lakers. The Bucks will offer Antetokounmpo a supermax contract when eligible later this year, a deal that could be worth $220 million -- about $80 million more than he could get with another team as a free agent in 2021, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. They rampaged through the regular season, posting the NBA's best record before the shutdown in March. Meyers Leonard is being overpaid at $11 million for this season. ANTETOKOUNMPO HAS FIRMLY placed himself atop the NBA pyramid from October through April. Smith said he was, “told if he doesn’t get to the Finals, he’s leaving.”. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, at right. Of course Giannis would love to team up with his brothers. Mark Schwarz examines Milwaukee's breakdown in the playoffs and questions whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will want to move on next season. He is leading one of the hottest teams in the NBA, a team that was only good enough for 10th in the East last season with a 39-43 record. As Antetokounmpo is the rare player capable of single-handedly changing the fate of a franchise, teams have long been preparing to court him, should he become a free agent after next season. This is what Giannis Antetokounmpo could be looking for in a team. This will leave more room to potentially sign Antetokounmpo. After an intentional foul, he walked off the court, untucked his shirt and departed for the Bucks locker room. FAQ: When and how will the 2020-21 NBA season begin? The final piece for this offseason is Goran Dragic. When the Miami Heat signed Jimmy Butler, they opened the door for other stars to come to town. Philadelphia is a mess. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. an Eastern Conference executive asked of Antetokounmpo. The ongoing lack of a reliable midrange jumper -- let alone a 3-point shot -- remains the most glaring hole in Antetokounmpo's game. WITH BOTH THE Atlanta Hawks and the Bucks, Budenholzer has proved to be one of the league's best coaches at navigating the ups and downs of an 82-game season. It's always been, 'We do what we do.'". But if we could end up on a team in Milwaukee, L.A. whatever, that’d be awesome.”. Eventually, Antetokounmpo was helped to his feet and off the court by two teammates, before he briefly limped back to shoot a pair of free throws. Ersan Ilyasova and Robin Lopez are making nearly $12 million combined and didn't play a second in the Heat series. Budenholzer also came under fire in the conference semifinals for his unwillingness to give extended minutes to his All-Stars, Antetokounmpo and Middleton. Of course, all of this will be irrelevant if the Bucks win a championship. Antetokounmpo played an average of 36 minutes the first three games, and Middleton played 35. The Bucks believed they could suitably replace Brogdon with Wesley Matthews, whom Milwaukee signed to a minimum deal last summer with a player option for 2020-21. His role has changed from that as a starter to a key bench piece. The team will be in position to pursue Antetokounmpo in 2021 if he does not re-sign with Milwaukee. Milwaukee will have to win. In Game 4, Budenholzer's tune finally changed, as Middleton played 48 minutes in Milwaukee's overtime victory. Giannis Antetokounmpo will leave Milwaukee if the team fails to reach the Finals, according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. His struggles at the free throw line -- which date to last year's elimination by the Toronto Raptors -- remained a factor against Miami, as he shot 22-for-41 (53.7%) from the stripe. The Heat have a good culture and have been a successful franchise. Giannis Antetokounmpo had been on a tear to begin Game 4 of the Bucks' Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Miami Heat, scoring 19 points in 11 minutes, seemingly on a one-man mission to keep the team's season alive. He puts a precise system in place at both ends of the court, and his team runs it efficiently. Ask those around Antetokounmpo and they'll agree that he is singularly focused on winning. If they flop again there, you’ve got to start thinking something is wrong with the mix of players, maybe it’s time to find a new mix.”. They have four expiring contracts currently on the roster. If the Bucks don’t win a championship this year or next, Antetokounmpo might be able to be poached by another contender when he enters free agency. How the Bucks would benefit from this scenario is that Antetokounmpo will know exactly what the financial picture is when he becomes an unrestricted free agent -- and he'll know that he cannot get anywhere else the money he can get in Milwaukee. We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Miami Heat and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. I’m focused on getting better every day and going out there and competing as hard as we can. "Was re-signing Malcolm an imperative?" That stubbornness -- the belief that, in the end, the system will win out -- is a defining trait of Budenholzer's coaching career. (2:27), The Bucks have one season to convince Giannis to stay, NBA Power Rankings, way-too-early edition: What's next for Lakers, Heat and all 30 teams, Morey in farewell ad: 'Harden changed my life', Saints, Pels owner Benson victim of car thieves, Sources: Lue agrees to 5-year deal to coach Clips, Sources: NBA, union extend negotiations on CBA, Likely NBA top pick LaMelo Ball signs with Puma, Stan Van Gundy meets with Pelicans, sources say, Everything you need to know about the NBA GOAT debate, Lowe: How Daryl Morey challenged NBA norms and almost won it all. By then, it was already too late. I’m not gonna talk about it a lot this season, and I’m not gonna try to address it.”. It is a similar situation to Derrick Jones, who at 22 will draw interest from a number of teams around the league. But whatever they are doing, it ain't working.". “I thought about it this summer when I was sitting down with my family that if you have a great team — and our goal is to win a championship and be the last team standing — I think it’s disrespectful to my teammates to talk about my free agency and what I’m going to do,” Antetokounmpo said. "I see him before games, and he's working hard. The Heat also have team options on Justise Winslow ($13 million) and Tyler Herro ($4 million). Last summer, Milwaukee was weighing whether to go into the luxury tax to re-sign Malcolm Brogdon, a talented combo guard who was the team's only real option to both reliably break down defenses off the dribble and accurately shoot from 3. However, the true Jimmy Butler has come out. This means that if the Heat do not pick up Winslow’s option they will have only $47 million on the books for the Antetokounmpo summer. They have the reigning Most Valuable Player in Antetokounmpo, who is soon expected to become the third player in NBA history to win the league's MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season. "In the NBA, you have to have the ability to build foundation and build habits and build fundamentals, which Milwaukee does," an NBA assistant coach said. They are doing this with Dion Waiters suspended (also being buried at the end of the bench) and James Johnson just starting to play. Yes, his teammates managed to hold off the Heat on Sunday, escaping with an overtime victory. She says litmus test is Giannis this summer.Stephen A: “I’m told if he doesn’t get to the Finals, he’s leaving. The Bucks opted to sign and trade Brogdon to the Indiana Pacers, taking back the 24th pick in the 2020 NBA draft and two second-round picks rather than matching Brogdon's four-year, $85 million deal.

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