NBA fans might be interested to hear that the ongoing situation between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks might hinge on their handling of the Jrue Holiday situation. As some of us may have heard by now, Antetokounmpo recently caused quite a lot of commotion in the NBA media and basketball community by discussing a potential departure from the Bucks.
Although the Greek Freak managed to win a title in 2021, he made it clear that he would not re-sign a contract extension with the Bucks unless they were all on the same page and willing to make sacrifices in order to win another NBA championship.
Upon hearing this declaration, many fans were confused regarding what the Bucks star meant by sacrifices and being on the same page. Senior NBA Insider Bobby Marks recently revealed that his decision to stay with or leave the Bucks could be based on how the franchise handles Jrue Holiday. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out more.
Will the potential departure of Jrue Holiday urge Giannis Antetokounmpo to leave the Bucks?
Milwaukee Bucks fans will certainly be able to recall the contributions of Jrue Holiday to their organization. After being traded to the team at the start of the 2020-2021 NBA season, Holiday played an instrumental role in the deep postseason run the Bucks had that year which ended with them winning an NBA championship.
Soon after that, Jrue signed a 4-year contract with the Bucks worth $135 million. He is now entering the third year of his deal and will soon be eligible for a contract extension. However, it is unclear if Holiday will sign a new deal with the Bucks or if the organization will keep him on the roster.
Bobby Marks broke down how the handling of Jrue Holiday will likely play a role in the Milwaukee Bucks keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo in the long run,
“I think it goes two ways here. I don’t think he’s(Giannis) going to sign this extension. It doesn’t make sense financially..3 years for 169. If he doesn’t then he’ll walk into basically the last year of his contract. I would be concerned based on what happens with Jrue Holiday. I think that’s going to be the X factor,… because Holiday’s extension eligibility starts on February 22nd, and potentially could be a free agent next year. What does Milwaukee do with him? If they lose him they are going to be in big trouble….”
“I would be concerned based on what happens with Jrue Holiday”
Bobby Marks explains why Holiday will play a major role in Giannis’ future decisions pic.twitter.com/dJEU09Kehd
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 16, 2023
The Bucks are now in a very tough position. They might not want to give Jrue Holiday a new max contract considering that he is in the backend of his career. However, not keeping him and failing to make any other significant roster changes would all but guarantee the Greek Freak’s departure. We look forward to finding out how this situation unfolds in the near future.
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