Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't leave the Bucks on bad terms, but after years of failed playoff runs, it was time for the superstar to try to win another championship elsewhere. He'll get to do so with the Miami Heat, an opportunity he's excited about, and it may not have come at a better time for him, as Milwaukee is under investigation for a potential cap-circumvention violation.
As Joe Vardon of The Athletic wrote on Wednesday, while the Bucks' situation differs from what the Clippers put themselves through with Kawhi Leonard, Milwaukee's punishment could match LA's, or be even worse (subscription required).
If league investigators find proof that the Bucks and Trent are guilty of what the Clippers and Leonard were guilty of, the punishment could be equally severe, if not worse.
The worst penalty the league handed the Clippers was losing five first-round picks, and if the Bucks face a similar fate, that will be a tough self-inflicted blow to their rebuild.
If Antetokounmpo had decided to sign an extension with Milwaukee rather than be traded, he could've regretted it if the investigation proves that the Bucks and Gary Trent Jr. agreed to smaller contracts over the past two offseasons, with the team ensuring they'd sign him to a larger contract later (he signed a four-year, $64 million deal this offseason).
That would end any hopes Giannis had of chasing another title in Wisconsin, so it's a good thing he's already in Miami.
Bucks could face punishment similar to the Clippers
Milwaukee would've convinced Trent to sign lesser deals because they were strapped financially and wanted to try to do whatever it took to win another championship with Antetokounmpo. That, of course, doesn't mean that Giannis would be at fault, so it's not like he jumped ship at the right time, which is what Leonard might've thought he was doing when the Clippers and Raptors first agreed to that trade in June.
Antetokounmpo has made it clear over the past few years that he wants to be in a position to compete for another title, and he wouldn't have had that chance if he stayed in Milwaukee. And that would be even more true if the Bucks get punished for violating the salary cap, if that's what they did.
Depending on when the investigation closes, it will hang like a dark storm cloud over Milwaukee's organization. If it lingers into the start of the regular season, it will serve as a distraction. And if Anteokounmpo were still around, he would've had to answer for it.
Antetokounmpo gushed about the opportunity to play for the Heat when the team officially introduced him in July, saying he and the organization are "like-minded" and that it was a "no-brainer" for him to go to Miami. He's exactly where he wants to be, though, as he said, Milwaukee will "always" be in his heart.
But if the Bucks end up joining the Clippers on the path they're trudging down, it should make Antetokounmpo feel even better about being in Miami now.
Add us as a preferred source on Google