The Milwaukee Bucks entered the NBA offseason with a lot of questions to sort through. They not only had to replace Mike Budenholzer at the head coaching position, but both Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez were to key free agents various teams around the league were showing interest in.
Ultimately, the Bucks signed both Middleton and Lopez, plus they replaced Budenholzer with former Toronto Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin, who served as an assistant in Milwaukee from 2008-10 after retiring from the NBA in 2008.
The offseason is not finished for the Bucks just yet though, as they still have some open roster spots they are expected to fill. One of these spots may very well go to Thanasis Antetokounmpo, as the Bucks could use the extra forward depth he provides on the bench.
Thanasis, the brother of two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, has spent the last four seasons with the Bucks and was a member of their 2020-21 championship team. According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, Antetokounmpo is a candidate for one of Milwaukee's remaining roster spots, as he is currently an unrestricted free agent.
Andre Jackson Jr., the No. 36 pick in this year's draft, as well as Chris Livingston, the No. 58 pick in this year's draft, remain without contracts and could also fill a roster spot for the Bucks this upcoming season.
In a total of 162 regular season games with the Bucks over the years, Thanasis has averaged 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in about 8.4 minutes per game. He may not play much, but Antetokounmpo is a great locker room presence for his team and holds relationships with a vast majority of their roster.
Keeping him around from a morale standpoint makes sense, especially if the Bucks do not have any other deals lined up in free agency. Given as there are not many high-impact players available anymore, re-signing Antetokounmpo to a one-year, minimum contract seems like the most likely avenue for the Bucks to go down.
Not only could he continue to be a spark of energy on his team's bench, but re-signing Thansis would make Giannis happy and with a contract extension looming, the Bucks definitely want to make sure their superstar is pleased with his situation.
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