The Milwaukee Bucks have one spot on their 15-man roster remaining. For months, many have speculated that Thanasis Antetokounmpo would be back in Milwaukee despite his hitting unrestricted free agency. Even though the Bucks do not have a true backup point guard behind Jrue Holiday, Thanasis has been the favorite to get the last spot.
Thanasis, like Giannis Antetokounmpo, is on the preliminary roster for the Greek National Team. Giannis is questionable for the tournament due to a cleanup procedure he had on his knee this offseason. Thanasis, though, expects to play.
That being said, Thanasis is expected to miss the next few days of practice with the Greek National Team. According to Harris Stavrou, who covers professional basketball in Greece and all over Europe, Thanasis is flying to the United States to sign his next NBA contract:
Thanasis Antetokounmpo is travelling to the United States to sign his new NBA contract. TA will miss the next few training sessions of the Greek National Team.
— Harris Stavrou (@harris_stavrou) July 27, 2023
It is interesting to note that Stavrou does not indicate which team Thanasis will be signing with. As mentioned, many have assumed he would return to Milwaukee.
Of course, many believe that the Bucks desire to keep Thanasis around as a way to further entice Giannis to stay in Milwaukee. The Bucks have kept Thanasis on their 15-man roster for the past four seasons, during which time he has averaged 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds while averaging 8.4 minutes per game.
Prior to signing with Milwaukee in 2019, Thanasis played in the New York Knicks organization, though he played in just two games for the club. From 2016-2019, he played professionally in Spain and Greece.
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