Giannis Antetokounmpo initially announced he would wait until the 2024 offseason to sign an extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, but he quietly changed his mind shortly before the Monday deadline. Antetokounmpo’s extension is worth $186 million over three years.
“This just came together, I’m told, really over the weekend,” said Adrian Wojnarowski on his podcast. “Really, Sunday when Jon Horst drove down to Chicago and sat down with Giannis’ agent Alex Saratis, who has been with Giannis from the very beginning. And they went through the numbers on this. And got it done. Signed the contract on Monday night in Milwaukee.”
Antetokounmpo expressed some level of unease over the direction of the Bucks this offseason before they responded by trading for Damian Lillard.
“Antetokounmpo has a tremendous amount of belief and trust in Jon Horst,” said Wojnarowski. “Horst was there at the beginning with John Hammond when he was drafted. They had a relationship. He has seen at every turn he finds way to improve this team. To turn whatever the assets he does have into deals to improve that group.”
James Harden has returned to the Philadelphia 76ers following a 10-day absence from the team. Harden joined the Sixers for practice in advance of the team’s flight to Milwaukee for the season opener on Thursday.
Harden will not play on Thursday against the Bucks as he ramps up.
Harden continues to want a trade away from Philadelphia, but there has been little movement on this front. At this point, it’s unknown if the 76ers will handle Harden’s absence as excused or unexcused.
The Sixers have asked Harden not to travel with the team to Milwaukee.
The NBA has opened an investigation into the Phoenix Suns for potential early contact with Drew Eubanks in free agency. If found guilty, the standard penalty has been to deduct a second-round pick from the team.
Phoenix signed Eubanks to a two-year veteran minimum deal this offseason. The agreement was reported shortly after free agency opened, as Eubanks left the Portland Trail Blazers for the Suns.
