The Milwaukee Bucks were fined $50,000 for violating league rules prohibiting teams from discussing future player contracts. The fine is a result of comments that Bucks general manager Jon Horst made about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s contract at a televised town hall on Sept. 12, when he said the Bucks plan to offer Antetokounmpo a supermax contract worth $253.8 million, the largest in NBA history, next summer.
The collective bargaining agreement stipulates that team officials can’t commit to offer a player a supermax contract until he has played seven seasons. Giannis has played six seasons and will be eligible to sign a supermax contract in July 2020.
Horst had originally said he could not talk about Antetokounmpo’s contract situation at the town hall.
“Giannis, a year from now, will be eligible for a supermax extension,” Horst said. “At that time of course he will be offered the supermax extenison.”
Horst added, “We all fully believe that if we put the right things in place and give Giannis the right opportunities…he loves Milwaukee, he loves the state of Wisconsin and I think he will be a Buck a long time.”