Giannis Won't Commit To Re-Signing With Bucks

The big guy isn't playing around.

In a new interview with the New York Times, Giannis Antetokounmpo made it quite clear to the Milwaukee Bucks - and everyone else - that they need to prove their commitment to winning, or he's out.

"I would not be the best version of myself if I don't know that everybody's on the same page, everybody's going for a championship, everybody's going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don't feel that, I'm not signing," the forward said.

"At the end of the day, I feel like all my teammates know and the organization knows that I want to win a championship," Antetokounmpo continued.

Giannis Antetokounmpo wants the Bucks organization to focus on winning another Championship. (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images).

GIANNIS DOESN'T WANT A REBUILD

As Giannis enters the third season of a five-year, $228 million deal, he will be eligible for another extension beginning next month. And despite the Bucks being able to offer him a three-year, $173 million extension at that time, Giannis says he's going to take his time until the team proves they're all-in on another championship run.

"As long as we're on the same page with that and you show me and we go together to win a championship, I'm all for it. The moment I feel like, 'Oh, yeah, we're trying to rebuild' then there will never be hard feelings with the Milwaukee Bucks."

Essentially, Giannis is saying the ball is in the Bucks court and it's up to them whether they want to keep the the 7x All-Star. Although I truly believe that Giannis is serious and wants to win a championship more than anything else, that doesn't mean he can't be smart about the way he goes about his next contract. He knows that by staying positive, being real and always focusing on that Bucks championship goal, the fanbase is going to be behind him. The 28-year-old monster hasn't shown any signs of regression, averaging his highest points-per-game of his career last season, 31.1.

BUCKS HAVE A NEW COACH AND RE-SIGNED OTHER STARS

For their part, the team has showed that they are still committed. After a disappointing first-round exit from last year's NBA playoffs to the Boston Celtics, the team fired coach Mike Budenhozler and hired Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin. They also re-signed Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton - both of whom have played with Giannis for several seasons.

Although the Bucks do have Giannis for two more seasons no matter what, you can be sure they would want to try and extend him sooner than later before things get a little more awkward. Antetokounmpo told the Times that it's not even about the money, and I kind of believe him. He said that ever since winning the Bucks a championship in 2021, he's gotten greedy. Giannis tasted that championship gold and now wants it back.

"At the end of the day, being a winner, it's over that goal," Antetokounmpo told The Times. "Winning a championship comes first. I don't want to be 20 years on the same team and don't win another championship."

The star forward has always said that he would love to follow in the footsteps of a Kobe Bryant, David Robinson or a Dirk Nowitzki who all played for just one team throughout their careers.

Giannis has it all laid out there for the Bucks. We'll see how they respond this coming season that begins in a little over a month.