The summer of 2027 could be huge in the NBA, with several big-name stars in the league potentially becoming free agents and therefore possibly changing teams, resulting in a power shift. One of those big-name players is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
With Damian Lillard now back with the Portland Trail Blazers following his Achilles injury and Milwaukee’s decision to part ways, Antetokounmpo’s future has been a hot topic of discussion in the NBA. The Bucks made a move to bring in more talent this summer by signing Myles Turner in free agency. Still, few think that’ll be enough for the team to be a contender or enough to convince Antetokounmpo that he can win another title with the team moving forward.
That said, the Bucks will need to be aggressive in their efforts to provide Antetokounmpo with a title-contending roster, and they might be able to do that with a blockbuster trade, or it might be more likely to sign a superstar free agent.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic Duo in Milwaukee?
During an appearance on The Zach Lowe Show on Sept. 22, Sam Amick of The Athletic dropped an interesting tidbit about the Bucks and what could be a game-changing summer in the NBA in 2027.
“That’s something I spent a fair amount of time this summer talking to people about,” Amick said. “I had a Bucks person give me a hard time and say they were just happy that I included Joker in a column about ’27 because they were tired of Giannis being by himself.”
Although it seems like a long shot that the Bucks would be able to pair Antetokounmpo with Nikola Jokic, the trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, to play alongside LeBron James, has opened the door for more dynamic duos in the NBA.
The Bucks are not an organization that draws superstar talent unless they can provide an opportunity to play alongside a player of Giannis’ caliber. It’s always been a problem for small-market teams, as the Denver Nuggets are currently in the same situation with Jokić.
That said, significant changes need to be made, or it’ll be back to a rebuilding process that can take a long time unless they land a player in the NBA Draft who can become a franchise cornerstone, like Antetokounmpo and Jokic turned out to be.
NBA Free Agency in the Summer of 2027 Could be Wild
GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket against Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets.
The Bucks aren’t the only team preparing for the summer of 2027, as Amick points out. Plus, it’s not just Antetokounmpo and Jokic that are intriguing targets.
“I’m an actions-over-words person, and my thing is that just because there’s no panic in Denver, which does matter to me, that has not stopped some of these other teams from making decisions that are at least in part tied to the type of players that might be available in the summer of ’27, and Joker being one of them,” Amick said on The Zach Lowe Show. “Lakers and [L.A.] Clippers, the Clippers are obviously a mess right now, otherwise, but they are signaling they want the freedom in ’27. [Golden State] Warriors are doing the same thing.
“That’s not just about Giannis. That’s about the possibility of Joker, the possibility of Donovan [Mitchell], and the Joker thing to be me too; this is a little apples-to-oranges, Zach. I told someone when De’Aaron Fox turned down his extension in Sacramento a couple years ago, it was the same narrative, ‘Well, it’s only for financial reasons. It’s got nothing to do with his feelings about the organization.’ It was a life-comes-at-you-fast type of situation, because six months later, it had everything to do with what he actually wanted. Next thing you know, he’s pushing his way out of town. So you never know how these things are going to go.”
Along with Antetokounmpo and Jokic, who have player options that will almost certainly get opted out of in the summer of 2027, Stephen Curry and Mitchell will be in the same situation.
Obviously, most of the time, superstars like these sign massive contract extensions with their current teams. That’s what everyone anticipates these players will do, but it depends on the state of their franchises and what they prioritize, such as winning titles, at that point in their careers.
Other notable names who will be unrestricted free agents in 2027 include Jimmy Butler, Trae Young, Kawhi Leonard and Zach LaVine.
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