Giannis Antetokounmpo wants “everyone back” in Milwaukee next season.
The Bucks have three starters—Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon and Brook Lopez—heading into either unrestricted or restricted free agency this summer.
The Greek Freak says Milwaukee, which earned the NBA’s best regular season record and bowed out of the Eastern Conference Finals after six games, will be a title contender for years to come.
Per ESPN:
Brogdon said that he will wait and see when it comes to his restricted free agency this summer. [George] Hill, whose contract is only partially guaranteed, said that money has never been the most important thing for him. Middleton, who is a restricted free agent, said, “It’s family first and fit second.” Lopez said he would “love to be back.” Antetokounmpo was adamant that he wants the roster to remain intact.
“I want everyone back,” Antetokounmpo said. “Great fricking team — unselfish players that play basketball the right way. They’re winners. We had a great atmosphere. We didn’t have no — I want to be polite. I want to say the A-word — we didn’t have no buttheads. Obviously, I want everyone back. I am going to let my teammates know that.”
For the first time in a year-and-a-half, Antetokounmpo walked around Milwaukee on Monday. He saw the buses that flashed “Go Bucks” on the side and the skyways that had his face plastered on to them. The city, he realized, had truly embraced this team.
“I don’t promise we’re gonna get 61 next year,” Antetokounmpo said. “But we’re gonna put ourselves in a place to be a championship contending team for many more years to come. And there’s not a lot of teams that can say that in the league — there’s one, two, three, four teams that can say that — but we’re gonna put ourselves in that situation for many more years to come.”
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