The Milwaukee Bucks are bringing back a familiar face. Thanasis Antetokounmpo has agreed to a one-year, $2.9 million deal to rejoin the team, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The 32-year-old confirmed the news on social media, making his return official after missing last season due to injury.
I’m back. pic.twitter.com/2L4VrngACi
— T. Antetokounmpo (@Thanasis_ante43) August 31, 2025
Thanasis tore his Achilles during a workout in May 2024, sidelining him for the year and preventing him from competing in the Paris Olympics with Greece.
Before the injury, he had spent five seasons with Milwaukee, highlighted by the 2021-22 campaign where he averaged 3.6 points and 2.1 rebounds across 48 games.
The signing might look minor on paper, but it carries major implications. By bringing back Giannis’ older brother, the Bucks are signaling that their franchise cornerstone has no plans to force a trade, at least not this season.
Giannis’ future in Milwaukee has been a question mark since the Bucks were bounced from the first round of the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers.
Damian Lillard’s Achilles injury in Game 4 of that series only added to the uncertainty. Milwaukee later waived Lillard and stretched the $113 million left on his deal over five years. That financial move opened space for the Bucks to sign center Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million contract.
Giannis still has one year remaining at $58.5 million on his current deal, along with a $63 million player option for 2026-27. Milwaukee’s front office reportedly met with the two-time MVP to map out their future, and while details of that conversation weren’t made public, signing his brother appears to be part of the reassurance.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has spent his entire 12-year career with the Bucks, winning two MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year award, and delivering the franchise’s first championship in 50 years in 2021.
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