Raptors Once Again Mentioned Among Teams Keeping Tabs on Giannis Antetokounmpo
Here we go again.
The eyes of the basketball world are once again turning to Giannis Antetokounmpo who will become eligible to sign a long-term extension with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. It’s been three years since the two-time NBA MVP signed his last extension with the Bucks, ending whatever hope there was that he’d sign with the Toronto Raptors in the summer of 2021.
This time, though, things seem different. Antetokounmpo has made it clear he’s prioritizing winning over loyalty and he’s only going to stay with the Bucks as long as they’re as committed to winning as he is. It’s therefore expected Antetokounmpo will not sign the extension this season and keep his leverage for a little bit longer as he remains two years away from becoming a free agent.
Toronto is already being mentioned as one of many teams that is going to be keeping tabs on the Greek superstar and it’s not hard to see why. Raptors president Masai Ujiri has coveted Antetokounmpo dating back to the 2013 draft. In 2020, Toronto was reluctant to sign Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol to long-term deals because the organization wanted to remain flexible in case Antetokounmpo did hit the open market.
This time around, the Raptors are in a very different place. Toronto isn’t currently set up to be the kind of win-now destination Antetokounmpo seems to be looking for. But things can change quickly in the NBA.
Steps forward from Scottie Barnes, O.G. Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr. could make Toronto’s young core attractive to a 28-year-old Antetokounmpo. Conversely, the Raptors could make win-now moves, trying to surround Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl with enough talent to draw Antetokounmpo’s interest.
The Raptors have opted to go all-in on Antetokounmpo before, opting to take a step back in 2020 just for a chance to woo the superstar to Toronto. It didn’t work then, but players of Antetokounmpo don’t hit the market very often and this time could be entirely different.
