Unheralded signing could be secret weapon for Bucks

After Thanasis Antetokounmpo missed the entire 2024-25 NBA season with an Achilles tear, the Milwaukee Bucks are bringing back the older brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo on a one-year minimum deal. The elder Antetokounmpo has been a member of the Bucks since the 2019-20 season, where he's played sporadically, averaging 7.7 minutes and scoring 2.4 points.

His real role on the team is to support his younger brother, who has won an MVP trophy, a Defensive Player of the Year Award and an NBA title with his brother on his team. The "Greek Freak" has been close to his brother since they were Nigerian immigrants living in poverty in Athens, Greece, often forced to sell goods like watches and handbags on the streets just to afford food.

Perhaps that's why former teammate Jeff Teague, a member of the Bucks' championship team in 2021, said on a podcast in 2024 that Giannis' brother was crucial to his success.

In an appearance on "The Draymond Green Show" in 2024, Teague explained that when the elder Antetokounmpo had to leave the Bucks during the 2021 NBA Finals, his brother Giannis struggled.

"Giannis' brother, when we went down 0-2, he had COVID. So, he couldn't come to the plane," Teague said. "That's why we went down 0-2, Giannis was messed up. Like him and his brother, bro, they got some different kind of connection. He can't function or play if he doesn't see his brother."

Teague went on to explain that Thanasis returned to the team after two games, perhaps while still stricken with COVID-19, while the Bucks won four straight games to take the title. 

It wasn't as if the Greek Freak was bad. He scored 42 points in the Bucks' Game 2 loss and shot 15-for-22, but Giannis did average 37.3 points and 12.5 rebounds in the Bucks' wins, including a 50-point, five-block effort in the clinching Game 6.

But if Giannis Antetokounmpo thinks he's better with his brother on his team, or simply feels more comfortable, then it's worth it for the Bucks to devote a minimum salary and a roster spot to Thanasis. Especially since the team spent the summer unsure about their superstar's future. After Damian Lillard's Achilles tear and three consecutive first-round playoff exits, Milwaukee was unsure if Giannis Antetokounmpo would ask for a trade.

Signing his brother ensures that they'll have stability, going into a season where the Eastern Conference is wide open and the team has swapped center Brook Lopez for Myles Turner. It's also the second-to-last season of Giannis Antetokounmpo's contract, as the two-time MVP can opt out of his deal after the 2026-27 season.

Thanasis will make $2.9M next season. That's a pittance compared to his brother's $54.1M salary and the extra revenue the Bucks would get from a sustained playoff run. Thanasis might not be the most talented basketball player, but he has a unique skill set as a "Giannis Whisperer." He could go the entire season without scoring a point, and if his brother doesn't demand a trade, the Bucks would still feel like they got a bargain.