Miami Heat Rumors: To take Giannis Antetokounmpo serious on staying with Bucks?

The Miami Heat are headed to the Eastern Conference Finals, but there’s a leftover storyline from the semi-finals. Is Giannis seriously staying with the Bucks?

The Miami Heat are merrily headed on their way to the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals. After plucking the Indiana Pacers in four straight games to sweep them in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the Heat were almost able to extend their record and win streak to 8-0.

Against the team with the best record in the NBA’s regular season and the potential MVP for a second consecutive year in Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Miami Heat were able to make them look mediocre for the first three games of the series.

Going up 3-0 before the Bucks could finally steal one, the game where Giannis didn’t finish after sitting out the entire second half due to injury, they wouldn’t be excited about that one for long. In the very next game, Tuesday’s contest, the Miami Heat were able to finish it, close the door on the Bucks, and punch their own ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.

That isn’t the story here though.

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As all the chatter has pointed towards Giannis possibly requesting a trade out of Milwaukee, potentially for Miami as all signs seem to indicate, he took it upon himself to clear the air. Or did he though?

Here was one set of his words on the topic of potentially exiting Milwaukee, via Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Based on the timing and wording of the quote, it appears that this was after their Game Five eliminating defeat.

"Hopefully, we can learn from this and get better as a team … come back and hopefully build a culture in Milwaukee for many years that we can come out here and compete every single year for a championship."

Well, right off after reading the quote, a ton of us with good eyes noticed his usage of a word there that is so often associated with Miami Heat basketball. You see it, the “c” word.

Giannis says he wants to stay in Milwaukee. What’s that mean for Miami Heat?

That would be culture. He knows what’s going on down in Miami.

On him actually leaving though and reading into this statement, you can make an inference there. Yes, based on what he’s saying, he seems to want to stay.

However, I will offer this. What is he supposed to say with one more year left on his contractual obligation to that team?

Was he supposed to say it right there, after a playoff defeat and one in which he didn’t play, that he was planning to leave the team, city, and organization? Was he supposed to get on the phone with his agent during the locker room chat to request a trade?

No, he wasn’t. He said and did exactly what he was supposed to do there in that scenario.

As his team’s best player and superstar, he was supposed to provide hope and a positive look for the future, not a bleak and gloomy send off to the offseason. Politically speaking, he did what he had to and what he should have.

What does this mean for his chances of joining Miami or any other team after next season once his current deal is over? It means that unless he signs a new deal/extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, he is just as likely to leave as he was before he made this declaration.

So, as far as if we should take him seriously about staying in Milwaukee or not, that answer is clear. No, we shouldn’t and until he contractually obligates himself to do so, that fact shouldn’t change.