Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be a free agent for at least two more season, having signed a four year max deal in 2016. That said, Kevin Durant has some advice for the young star that’s bound to ruffle a few feathers.
Everyone remembers the shockwaves Durant caused on the way out of Oklahoma City when he signed with the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016. It turned out to be a successful move, having won the NBA title last season and furthering himself as one of the clear faces of the league.
So Durant took to ESPN to spread the gospel of his own happiness after leaving a small-town franchise for one of the larger markets. In the feature on Giannis, Durant spoke about how Antetokounmpo shouldn’t factor small-town loyalty into his upcoming free agent decision in 24 months. Instead, Durant implored the young Bucks player to keep his own counsel and do what’s best for him.
Via Nick Friedell of ESPN:
What I would say to him, I would tell him to play for himself,” Durant said. “Because he’s the one out there putting in the work, he’s the one out there getting up in the morning staying committed to the game. Obviously [the comments about staying put] sounds good to the fans in Milwaukee and to the ownership, because he cares so much about wanting to please them and play well for them, and I get it. But his career is about him; it’s about whatever he wants to do and however he feels is right for him. And what type of basketball does he want to play? He’s not going to stay in Milwaukee if he’s not having fun playing the game
On one hand, Durant has a point: the decision to leave Milwaukee is his and his alone. On the other hand, Durant might be one of the worst messengers to deliver this. Durant is a man who felt so comfortable with his move to Oakland that at some point he created fake Twitter accounts to help deal with the pressure.
The best part about this conversation is that it has no immediate bearing upon whether Giannis leaves after the end of this season. However, if Giannis does leave in the summer of 2020, Milwaukee will have a target for their ire, and it wont be just Giannis.
(ESPN)
