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MILWAUKEE (AP) — The postseason is starting without the Milwaukee Bucks for the first time in a decade.
How soon Milwaukee gets back to the playoffs could depend on an offseason that’s shaping up to be among the most critical in franchise history due to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s uncertain future.
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Has the two-time MVP played his last game in a Bucks uniform?
“I don’t know,” Antetokounmpo said Sunday after a 126-106 loss at Philadelphia that capped the Bucks’ 32-50 season. “It’s not up to me. We’ll see.”
Antetokounmpo, 31, has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee, which selected the 6-foot-11 forward with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft. Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first title in half a century in 2021, and he owns franchise career records in virtually every major statistical category.
He’s eligible to become a free agent after next season if he doesn’t sign a four-year, $275 million contract extension in October. Or the Bucks could trade him beforehand if they don’t believe he will sign that extension. That uncertainty helps explain why Antetokounmpo was the center of attention at this season’s trade deadline though the Bucks ultimately kept him.
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Antetokounmpo was asked Sunday whether he’d sign an extension.
“It’s something I have to sit down with my family and see what’s best for me, what’s best for my family,” he replied.
Doc Rivers, who announced Monday that he’s stepping down as the Bucks’ coach, said he just wants a positive resolution for both parties.
“Giannis and this franchise won a title together, and to me, that should never be lost, no matter how this ends up,” Rivers said. “As I said, Giannis is a fantastic person. I’ve been lucky to coach a lot of stars, and he’s right at the top as far as just good people. I want good people to be taken care of.”
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Late-season dispute hinders relationship
This crossroads arrives at a time when the relationship between Antetokounmpo and the front office is at its most fragile.
Antetokounmpo’s final game of the season came March 15 when an awkward fall on a dunk caused…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/bucks-disappointing-finish-leads-uncertain-150036422.html
Author : STEVE MEGARGEE
Publish date : 2026-04-13 15:00:00
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