Giannis Antetokounmpo has signed an extension with the Bucks that could be worth $186 million

On Oct. 2, Giannis Antetokounmpo playfully – sort of – said it did not make sense for him to sign the maximum contract extension he was eligible for because, well, he could make a lot more money by doing it next July.

To the tune of nearly $80 million more, if NBA salary cap projections held.

He changed his mind.

The two-time league most valuable player said he signed the three-year extension Monday, ahead of a midnight deadline.

Antetokounmpo announced the extension on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter with the text: "MILWAUKEEEEEEEEE!! Let’s get it!!!! #BucksInSix #Extended"

The deal is for the maximum allowed, which could be worth up to $186 million if the salary cap rises by 10% in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.

Antetokounmpo is now under contract through the 2027-28 season, and the Journal Sentinel confirmed that season is a player option.

His decision comes on the heels of the summer re-signings of Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, along with the Sept. 27 acquisition of Damian Lillard.

Now, the Bucks have their “core four” signed together through the 2024-25 season and Antetokounmpo and Lillard are under contract together through the final year of Lillard’s contract (2026-27).

Earlier in the summer, Antetokounmpo had said he would not sign the deal but added his usual caveat that he wanted to continue to see a commitment from the Bucks to keep a winning product on the court.

The timeline is very similar to the last time he was in this position, which was the 2020-21 offseason. Then, the team traded for point guard Jrue Holiday and Antetokounmpo signed a “super max” extension.

Antetokounmpo has always maintained that he wants to play his entire career in Milwaukee as long as he feels it can continue to compete for championships. The short-term nature of this extension does allow the possibility for two more extensions with the team, which can help him maximize his earning potential.

“We are judged in winning games, right? So I want to win,” Antetokounmpo said Oct. 2. “I’ve always wanted to win. I still want to win. And it’s always going to be like that. I want to be a part of a winning team and I feel like, I hope everyone feel that way, I do feel that way. For the team I definitely see, the last couple of years, I see the commitment from the team they’ll do whatever they can to make this team a championship-level team, so I’m happy.

“I’m happy to be able to wake up every single day, come to work and know that I have a chance to win a championship instead of just coming here and knowing that there’s no way we’re going to make the playoffs or we are going to be one of the worst teams in the NBA. Like, I don’t like that feeling. I like kind of looking forward to something bigger than me, greater than me. Every year that I wake up and every day that going to wake up going forward and I’m going to be on the team I want to feel like I walk in here and I have a chance to win a championship.”

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis Antetokounmpo signs 3-year contract extension with Bucks