“How is this thing going to be a contender?” – Tim Bontemps weighs in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the NBA's biggest superstars, and his two-way play has put him in perennial MVP contention for close to half a decade now.

Having been drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, he has stayed with his franchise and won the championship for the first time since the days of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Oscar Robertson.

While his impending free agency did create a scare a couple of seasons ago, it has been relatively smooth sailing between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks so far. However, after last season's disappointing playoff performance without the "Greek Freak", there seems to be a sense of impending doom - fueled by the player himself.

Antetokounmpo is extension-eligible next summer and is due one of the biggest paychecks in NBA history. However, the former MVP has said that if it appears that the franchise's ambitions do not match his, he will refrain from signing that extension.

NBA media channels are known to overreact and create waves of debate among the fandom, and Antetokounmpo's statement certainly stirred the off-season drama pot. The Bucks were, after all, favorites to win it all. An anomalous performance might just not be enough to raise the panic meter.

However, Tim Bontempts, The Washington Post's NBA writer, hinted at the statement being a sign of worry for the Bucks. On The Hoop Collective, Bontemps said about Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.

"How is this thing going to be a contender a couple years from now. I don't see it."

Bontemps shed more light on Giannis Antetokounmpo's thought process at this point and the chances of keeping him in Wisconcin.

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"Brook is 35, Jrue Holiday is 33, Khris Middleton is 32" - Bontemps on Giannis Antetokounmpo's concerns

Giannis' teammates Holiday and Middleton head into the mid 30s

The 2022-23 Bucks may have been contenders, but they're still an aging team. With three of their best supporting cast members heading into the mid-30s, the Bucks certainly look like a time on the fringe of a collapse.

The silver lining, though, is that Giannis Antetokounmpo has made his stance clear, so the Bucks must now set to retool and replenish their ranks to put a long-term contender around the Greek star. Time, though, does not appear to be with the Bucks.

"Look at these dudes in the locker room with me. Look at the dudes in the core. Like hey Brook Lopez is 35, Jrue Holiday's 33, Khris Middleton's 32. How is this thing going to be a contender a couple of years from now. I don't see it." described Bontemps on the situation the Bucks star finds himself in.

"So the fact that he went this route, I don't know why he would choose to say that, but I think the reality would be even more problematic to say out loud," said Bontemps about Antetokounmpou's situation, sending alarm bells ringing across Milwaukee.

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo be tempted elsewhere, or will the Bucks be able to construct a contending roster? It will be an interesting headline to follow for the coming seasons.