Milwaukee Bucks: Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s purpose

No stone is being left unturned. By signing the older brother of the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, what could the Milwaukee Bucks have in mind for Thanasis Antetokounmpo moving forward?

After the first week or so of NBA free agency action, things are finally starting to slow down. Teams are beginning to round out their rosters as the offseason approaches its “slow” period. For the Milwaukee Bucks, that means player evaluation is a top priority. Finding someone to tie the roster together will help ensure a successful season.

If recent transactions are any indication, it appears general manager Jon Horst believes Thanasis Antetokounmpo could be that player. The older brother of reigning league MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis returns to the NBA and could see his first minutes since the 2015-16 season with the New York Knicks. Playing in six total minutes that season, the 6’7″ forward’s stay was short.

Averaging 5.4 points per game on 43.3 percent shooting last season in EuroLeague play, Antetokounmpo didn’t receive a huge amount of playing time. In 19 games, he played 14.5 minutes per night. A career 23 percent 3-point shooter overseas, his game doesn’t have a calling card besides athleticism.

His 2017-18 season with Greece’s same Panathinaikos team offers a bit more promise. Antetokounmpo converted on a whopping 58.3 percent of his field goal attempts and shot 28.6 percent from beyond the arc. That was his career season, as he averaged 8.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game over the course of 24 contests.

Agreeing to a two-year deal for the veteran minimum, this is an extremely low-risk move for the Bucks. Cap space won’t be available for the foreseeable future as the roster currently stands, but that type of contract is always available. Set to turn 27 years old within the next couple of weeks, his best basketball should be arriving at just the right time. Taking a flyer on a foreign player could make for a neat comeback story, but there’s a bigger reason Antetokounmpo was signed: his brother.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best young players in the NBA. Remove the “young,” and the statement is still true. Winning league MVP despite having one tremendous flaw in his game (shooting) serves as a testament to how truly diverse his toolbox is. At just 24 years old, he’s likely years away from his peak as a player.

Possessing one of the best drive-and-kick skill-sets in all of basketball — along with being a top-five defender every year — makes Antetokounmpo nearly unstoppable. His ability as a playmaker has improved tremendously since he entered the league as a lanky kid from Greece. He’s on a meteoric rise and should receive one of the richest contract extensions in league history next summer.

By acquiring his brother, Milwaukee ensures its star will remain as comfortable and happy with the franchise as possible. For the younger of these two Antetokounmpo siblings, having that type of friendship not only in the same country but also the same city, arena, locker room, etc. has got to be a great feeling.

Regardless of how much playing time Thanasis Antetokounmpo receives over the duration of his contract, this is a savvy move by the Milwaukee Bucks and Horst to keep their superstar happy. In today’s NBA where many top players can become discontent with the state of the franchise at the drop of a hat, preventative maintenance may go a long way to completely avoiding a situation like that in Wisconsin.

Bringing the Antetokounmpo brothers together on the court may not happen very often. Having them in the same locker room and on the same bench, though, could pay dividends for the next couple of seasons.