The Los Angeles Lakers have claimed forward Kostas Antetokounmpo off of waivers, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. The 21-year-old forward will be on a two-way contract and is expected to join the team's training camp and preseason roster
Kostas, the younger brother of Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, signed a two-way contract with the Mavs last offseason after the team selected him with the 60th pick in the NBA Draft. However, he never really got the chance to showcase his skills in the NBA as he spent most of his time in the G-League, playing for the Texas Legends. Kostas only appeared in two games for Dallas back in March, where he scored a combined two points.
In Antetokounmpo's stint with the Legends, he averaged 10.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 40 games.
If he makes it through the preseason, Kostas will most likely begin his Lakers stint with their G-League affiliate, South Bay Lakers. However, if he continues to improve next season, he could make the team's main roster. The Purple and Gold are currently thin in the power forward position, and at 6'11, Kostas can provide some good minutes as the backup of All-NBA forward Anthony Davis.
A lot of things can happen for Antetokounmpo at this point. He's still very young and if developed properly, could turn out to be a decent player moving forward. He's not expected to reach the same level as his reigning MVP brother, but he might be able to write his own legacy, and playing for the Lakers is a great way to start.
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