For the first time in his career, Giannis Antetokounmpo will explore options of leaving the Milwaukee Bucks following a third straight first round playoff exit.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Antetokounmpo has not made any firm decisions regarding his future with the franchise but is open-minded on whether staying in Milwaukee is best for his career or not.
At the end of April the Bucks were eliminated from the postseason at the first hurdle for a third consecutive year and at the age of 30, the player won’t want any more of his prime years to go to waste.
Antetokounmpo’s contract features a $62 million player option coming up in in 2027 ahead of potentially hitting unrestricted free agency a year later.
The Bucks finished as the five seed in the Eastern Conference and the ‘Greek Freak’ delivered another scintillating campaign, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists a game.
It marked his second straight year averaging 30-10-5 on 60% shooting, which no other player in NBA history has even done once.
The nine-time All-Star, widely regarded as one of the top three players in the league, led Milwaukee to its first first NBA championship since 1971 in 2021 and won Finals MVP.
WATCH: Shams Charania discusses Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potential exit from the Bucks
A two-time MVP with eight All-NBA honors to his name, you can expect every team across the league to give the Bucks front office a call regarding Antetokounmpo’s availability following the news.
Charania’s report states the player’s representatives will sit down with the team later this offseason to discuss his future, which looks to be hanging in the balance at this current point.
Antetokounmpo was drafted by the Bucks in 2013 with the 15th overall pick and has gone on to blossom as one of the greatest players in history.
In the 2016-17 season, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks in all five major statistical categories and became the first player to finish a regular season in the top 20 in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
He is one of two players alongside LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to win two MVP awards before turning 26 – and in 2020 joined only Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as winners of both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.
