Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s Surprise Contract Decision—How Giannis’s Brother Could Shift the Bucks’ 2025 Title Odds

MILWAUKEE — Thanasis Antetokounmpo is officially back in green and cream. The 33-year-old forward has agreed to a fully guaranteed one-year, $2.9 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, reuniting him with younger brother Giannis for the 2025-26 NBA season. A comeback two years in the making • Antetokounmpo underwent season-ending surgery late in 2023-24 and spent the entire 2024-25 campaign rehabbing. • He tested his surgically repaired knee this summer with the Greek national team at EuroBasket 2025, averaging 3.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and trademark defensive energy through Greece’s perfect 3-0 start in Group C. • Healthy, motivated and already in game shape, the Athens native chose continuity over richer European offers in order to chase a second NBA championship ring alongside Giannis. Why the deal matters for the Bucks 1. Depth on the wing: Milwaukee lacked a high-motor perimeter stopper last year. Thanasis gives new head coach Chris Livingston an athletic 6-foot-6 defender who can guard positions 2-4 and ignite fast breaks. 2. Locker-room chemistry: The elder Antetokounmpo is a respected voice in a room headlined by two-time MVP Giannis and veteran Damian Lillard. His return reinforces the family-first culture that helped deliver the 2021 title. 3. Cap flexibility: By using the veteran minimum exception, the Bucks keep their taxpayer mid-level available for additional shooting at the trade deadline. Summer résumé boost During Greece’s EuroBasket build-up, head coach Vassilis Spanoulis praised Thanasis for “bringing contagious intensity every second he steps on the floor,” a trait Milwaukee sorely missed while ranking just 17th in defensive rating last season. His plus-15 net rating through three tournament games suggests the knee is no longer an issue. What comes next • Antetokounmpo is expected in Milwaukee for the Sept. 28 media day before flying back to Frankfurt for the EuroBasket knockout rounds if Greece advances. • The Bucks will likely experiment with him in small-ball lineups next to Giannis at center during preseason games against Dallas (Oct. 4) and Chicago (Oct. 8). • A strong camp could secure Thanasis the ninth-man spot, especially if sophomore Andre Jackson Jr. struggles to stretch the floor. Bottom line Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s return checks three boxes for the Bucks: on-court hustle, off-court leadership and cap-savvy roster building. If his EuroBasket form carries over, Milwaukee just added a familiar sparkplug who can tilt tight playoff possessions — and who knows exactly how to celebrate a championship parade down Wisconsin Avenue.