Giannis Re-Signs in Milwaukee While Raptors Transition to Plan B
Giannis Antetokounmpo is re-signing with the Milwaukee Bucks on a five-year supermax contract worth $228 million.
For the Toronto Raptors that news sucks. It kills any hope of Toronto signing the two-time MVP this summer with the cap space they so masterfully saved for a max contract player. It means all those hopes for the 2021 offseason will have to be altered, and as of today, Tuesday, December 15, there's no obvious target for the Raptors to go after.
But this news is good for basketball.
It's good because it means small market teams still can still re-sign superstar players. It's not easy by any means. You might have to spend a late lottery pick on a Greek-Nigerian player who prioritizes loyalty and family over all else and then develop him into an MVP candidate, but it's not impossible. It means that if your organization does right by its superstar, you can still re-sign the NBA's best players in some situations.
For now, though, the Raptors will have to turn to their Plan B. It's not clear what that will be, but there are a few things the organization needs to take care of this offseason. First among them, is the front office and ensuring that president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster are with the organization for the years to come.
On the player side, OG Anunoby is extension eligible until the start of the season. It made sense for Toronto to delay giving the 23-year-old Anunoby an extension to save cap space for the 2021 offseason, but with Antetokounmpo off the board, the Raptors would be wise to get a deal done with their own burgeoning star.
