Getty Kostas Antetokounmpo #37 of the Dallas Mavericks grabs a rebound against the Golden State Warriors during the 2018 NBA Summer League.
The Chicago Bulls aren’t done making moves yet, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports that they’re adding 2020 NBA Champion Kostas Antetokounmpo to their training camp roster.
Free agent Kostas Antetokounmpo is signing a training camp deal with the Chicago Bulls and will compete for a two-way spot, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Antetokounmpo spent three seasons with the Lakers and Mavericks and played for Greece in EuroBasket this summer.
“Free agent Kostas Antetokounmpo is signing a training camp deal with the Chicago Bulls and will compete for a two-way spot, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Antetokounmpo spent three seasons with the Lakers and Mavericks and played for Greece in EuroBasket this summer,” Charania wrote on Twitter.
Antetokounmpo, 24, is entering his fourth year in the NBA, having spent the past two with the Los Angeles Lakers, participating in 20 regular-season games for the Purple and Gold while averaging, one point, 1.1 rebound, and 0.2 assists while playing 3.8 minutes per game.
At six-foot-ten, Antetokounmpo could potentially give Chicago some much-needed size in their frontcourt – assuming he impresses during training camp and earns himself a two-way contract with the team.
Antetokounmpo Participated in Euro Basket For Greece
Throughout the summer, Europe’s elite talent have all been taking part in the FIBA Euro Basket tournament, with numerous NBA players displaying their skills for their national team.
Greece, Antetokounmpo’s home nation, made it to the quarter-finals of the tournament, where they fell to Germany in a 107-96 loss – something which shocked the European basketball world, as Greece was considered to be heavy favorites due to the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
🗣 DON’T JUMP WITH A GREEK FREAK
Kostas Antetokounmpo caught a body
Still, Kostas Antetokounmpo was also present during the tournament, playing in two games for the Greek team, although his minutes were minimal and he struggled to make an impact when on the floor. However, his brother Giannis, was a dominant force, averaging 29.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, while Kostas’ other brother, Thanasis was also part of the squad and ended the tournament averaging three points and 1.6 boards per contest.
Chicago Needs Size
Chicago might boast some impressive talent at the center position, with Nikola Vucevic, Tony Bradley, Andre Drummond, and Tristan Thomspon all part of their rotation – but their power forward position is incredibly thin, with Patrick Williams the team’s only true power forward.
Sure, you can slide Bradley down to a power forward position for stretches, and go small with either DeMar DeRozan or Derrick Jones Jr. at the four – but having an additional big body makes sense – even if it’s just as a ‘break glass in case of emergency addition.
As such, assuming Kostas Antetokounmpo can impress during Chicago’s training camp, his size and length could be a valuable addition to Chicago’s bench – no matter how deep he is buried in it. Williams is coming into the new season having participated in just 17 games last year due to injury, so it’s prudent to have some form of backup that can absorb some of his minutes should he need to rest or suffers a slight setback.
Sure, Kostas Antetokounmpo is still an incredibly raw prospect, but he has spent the last two seasons buried on the Lakers bench, and would certainly have improved having trained with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on a daily basis. So, for a Chicago team that’s desperate to ensure they have enough in the tank to weather any potential storm heading their way, this move could end up being a smart piece of business – assuming Kostas Antetokounmpo actually makes the final roster.
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Bulls Sign Former NBA Champion & Brother of 2-Time League MVP: Report