Charles Barkley worried Giannis-Bucks becomes ‘Kevin Durant situation'

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There already has been lots of speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo's future.

Will he sign the supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason? Has the coronavirus pandemic -- and its pending impact on the NBA's salary cap -- complicated his thought process? Is he seriously considering joining the Golden State Warriors?

On Thursday morning, Mike Greenberg asked Charles Barkley a specific question on ESPN's show "Get Up!"

Greenberg: "Maybe Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks win the championship and everyone is happy. But if they get knocked out early ... other teams, other players around the league are gonna be whispering in his ear. What is your expectation regarding Giannis' long-term future if the Bucks don't win this thing?"

Barkley: "That concerns me -- that we'll have another Kevin Durant situation, and we really don't want that. I think it would be great for basketball if the Bucks won. Giannis is such a great kid, and Milwaukee is one of the most underrated cities in the NBA.

"(When) Toronto won the championship -- it was great for the NBA. And I think it'll be great if Milwaukee won it this year."

[RUNNIN' PLAYS PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode]

We all know that the KD "situation" was him leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder for Golden State in the summer of 2016. It's unclear if Barkley meant that Giannis, too, would choose the Dubs, or if Chuck simply meant he's concerned the Greek Freak could leave a small market for a "big-market superteam." 

Clearly, Barkley will not be happy if Giannis and Steph Curry both are rocking a Warriors uniform at some point in the not-so-distant future.

[RELATED: Why hypothetical Klay-for-Giannis trade is clear to Legler]

And the Hall of Famer certainly isn't the only one who is hoping Giannis stays with the team that drafted him No. 15 overall in 2013 (Warning: NSFW).

Everything will play itself out eventually. For now, just enjoy watching Giannis play in a real basketball game this Friday at 3:30 p.m. PT.

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