All-star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is under contract with the Milwaukee Bucks for another four years, but there are already rumblings about his departure.
Earlier this summer, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said that teams around "the league [are] trying to figure out how they are going to get [Antetkounmpo] out of [Milwaukee]."
Antetokounmpo quickly responded with a tweet, and it looked like all was good between the upstart Bucks and the happy-go-lucky superstar.
I got loyalty inside my DNA ?
— GiannisAntetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) July 7, 2017
But now, things seem much more uncertain. Antetokounmpo was recently on a trip to the Philippines, and he was asked about his "loyalty" tweet.
“A lot of people say they’re going to stay on a team, and decide to move to a different team," the 22-year-old said.
"But you guys got to remember: A guy might want to stay on a team, but the team does not do the right things... for the player to become great...
“Do not hate only the player. Because sometimes it’s not up to the player.”
Not ideal for the Bucks, who would clearly like to keep their transcendent player around for years to come.
Now, these quotes are not the end of Giannis in Milwaukee. His contract extension is just kicking in this season and the Bucks are one of the few rising teams in the Eastern Conference. There is plenty of room for growth between both the player and the organization over the next four years.
But there may not be as much time as people think. Cleveland's Kyrie Irving - he who plays with LeBron James, has made three straight Finals appearances, drilled the biggest shot of his life to win the 2016 NBA Finals, and has two years left on his contract - has reportedly demanded a trade.
The Cavaliers have not handed everything perfectly, but it is hard to imagine the Bucks ever being a more attractive situation than Cleveland has been. If Irving wants out, what's to say Giannis won't as well?
Don't fret yet, Bucks fans. Milwaukee will not trade him now or in the near future, and the relationship between the two parties still seems like a positive one. But this is just something to keep on the radar, especially as the Bucks sat out free agency this summer and reportedly dealt with a power struggle in the front office and ownership.
The Bucks aren't on the clock yet, but every move Milwaukee makes from now on will be under the microscope.
