The Milwaukee Bucks have added one superstar in a trade for point guard Damian Lillard but re-signed power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to a massive max contract extension. The deal will keep Giannis in Milwaukee for another three years and get him $186 million as a result.
BREAKING: Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has agreed to a three-year, $186 million maximum contract extension, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/tlkkTIHPYx
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 23, 2023
This extension will replace a $51.5 million player option in 2025-26 and sees the Greek Freak getting $57.6 million in 2025-26, $62.2 million in 2026-27 and $66.8 million as a player option in 2027-28. The extension is also based on the salary cap increasing by 10 percent throughout the next two seasons.
This is a great day for the Milwaukee Bucks as there were questions surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s happiness in Milwaukee. He publicly stated that he wants to remain in contention for championships and it seems like the front office is in agreement.
With the Over-38 rule in the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, he is eligible to sign a short-term deal in 2026 and another four-year deal in 2028. One thing is clear though: the Bucks are doing everything possible make Giannis Antetokounmpo a lifelong Milwaukee Buck.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming off a season in which he averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals in 32.1 minutes. This extension also guarantees the Bucks will have at least two seasons with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo together on the court in an attempt to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
What will Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks do this season?
After being upset in the first round of the NBA Playoffs last season, the Milwaukee Bucks have changed a lot of things surrounding the organization. They fired coach Mike Budenholzer and hired Adrian Griffin. They also traded away Jrue Holiday in a three-team deal to acquire All-NBA guard Damian Lillard as a formidable pair to Giannis.
The Bucks are currently either tied for first or second in the NBA Championship betting odds with the Boston Celtics right there as well. They are viewed as one of the most formidable teams in the Eastern Conference and should continue to dominate. Milwaukee has two superstars and could continue to add talent around this core in an attempt to win a second championship ring.
The Bucks were known as a defensive beast throughout the season but with Lillard replacing Jrue Holiday, the defense did get worse while the scoring improved. Having two elite closers at the end of the game in Giannis and Lillard could be beneficial but also could provide some issues to begin the relationship. Expect a lot of wins for the Bucks this season as they have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA and are hungry after a short postseason berth last season.
The rest of the NBA needs to be ready to Fear the Deer.
