Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade News Emerges After Bucks’ Latest Roster Move

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 3:48 PM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks were perennial basement dwellers before one man changed the course of the franchise forever.

The Bucks drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo back in 2013, and although it took a while for him to develop, he eventually became one of the league’s biggest stars.

In 2021, the Greek star delivered the team its first championship in 50 years, defeating the Phoenix Suns as the only star, cementing himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history.

The team made the Eastern Conference Finals the next year, but it’s been downhill ever since.

Milwaukee has lost three consecutive first-round series, which led to Antetokounmpo seriously considering a change of scenery for the first time in his career.

The Bucks have significantly altered their roster this offseason in hopes of keeping their two-time MVP happy, and their latest roster move should go a long way towards making that happen.

Keeping Giannis Happy at All Costs

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Monday afternoon that the team is bringing back their star power forward’s brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo is signing a guaranteed one-year, $2.9 million deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell ESPN. Antetokounmpo played for Bucks from 2019-24. This also means after a summer of exploring options, Giannis is staying in Milwaukee to start the season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 31, 2025

He didn’t play much during his first stint with the team, but by all accounts from people close to to the organization, the older Antetokounmpo is a tremendous leader and keeps his baby brother grounded and happy.

The vibes around the nine-time All-Star were just never right last season, leading many to speculate that his brother no longer being with the team was the root of his issues.

Now, with his brother back on the sidelines cheering him on, Charania says that Antetokounmpo will in fact be in Milwaukee, at least to begin the season.

Bucks’ Massive Roster Overhaul

In their efforts to appease their superstar, Milwaukee spent this offseason building what they believe to be a much more suitable team for Antetokounmpo.

They let go of point guard Damian Lillard, who was never quite able to find his footing in the city, as well as signing center Myles Turner to a massive deal in free agency.

The Bucks made a concerted effort to add more youth, athleticism and defense to the roster in the offseason, but now time will tell if those decisions will pay off.

It seems that they’ve managed to keep Antetokounmpo happy for now, but he’s made it clear that he views his career as a failure if he never wins another championship.

So, Milwaukee can’t get complacent, because Antetokounmpo will not wait forever for a contender to be built.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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