In a spin move reminiscent of his signature on-court move, Giannis Antetokounmpo has pivoted and signed a three-year, $186 million max contract extension to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks, a story the star himself broke (and multiple reporters followed up with the details).
MILWAUKEEEEEEEEE!! Let’s get it!!!! #BucksInSix #Extended pic.twitter.com/2wP0AVqG3Y
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) October 23, 2023
The two-time MVP had two seasons left on his current contract at $94.4 million total, this extension locks him in for two years after that at the new max ($54.9 million the first year, $59 million the second), plus gives him a player option for the 2027-28 season ($60.1 million).
Milwaukee is now the big winner of the Damian Lillard trade — convincing Antetokounmpo to stay was one of the primary goals of the deal. Antetokounmpo is one of the top three players in the world today, he averaged 31.1 points and 11.8 rebounds a game last season while being one of the best defenders in the league. He has proven he is a player the Bucks could build a champion around.
Antetokounmpo had been very clear what mattered most to him was being in a position to contend for a title — he doesn’t want just one ring. Plus, he would not sign a contract extension with the Bucks until next summer because he could get more money (a five-year max). His words put pressure on the organization to be bold.
What changed was the very bold Lillard trade, along with the Bucks shelling out to re-sign Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez — this team is a clear contender for the next couple of years. Antetokounmpo said he wanted to see a commitment to winning from the organization, there couldn’t be much more of a commitment than this.
However, this is an aging roster — Lopez is 36, Lillard 33, Middleton 32 — and by signing now Antetokounmpo is only locked in for a few more years and could leave Milwaukee as this group fades from contention while he is still in his prime. With this extension, Antetokounmpo is under contract for the same four years Lillard is. It is possible near the end of this deal Antetokounmpo decides to move on from Milwaukee and they have the chance to make a trade that jump-starts a rebuild, or maybe the Bucks could make some other bold moves that keep them in contention, and Antetokounmpo decides to stay.
Either way, that is years away after this extension. Antetokounmpo will be in Milwaukee for a while, and the Bucks will be title contenders throughout that run.
