Thanasis Antetokounmpo had options, including playing for the Knicks.
Instead, for the fifth straight season, he will be back by his brother’s side with the Milwaukee Bucks, signing a one-year, minimum contract deal, something the team announced.
Welcome back, Thanasty! 💚 pic.twitter.com/cqpbxcPI2T
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 28, 2023
Thanasis, a deep bench forward, got into 37 games for the Bucks last season and has played 162 games in the previous four years with the team (starting 11).
Of course, part of signing Thanasis is keeping his brother Giannis Antetokounmpo happy, which is a good use of a deep roster spot. Giannis is up for an extension this fall but nobody expects him to sign it — partly because it keeps pressure on the organization to ensure they have a contender around the former MVP and that he is happy. The Bucks have a contender, which is why they re-signed Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton this summer. Next July, Giannis Antetokounmpo can sign a five-year, $334 million contract to stay with the Bucks (it would be the largest contract in NBA history). The Bucks need him in the right frame of mind to do that, and bringing back Thanasis can be part of that.
