Getty Images Kostas Antetokounmpo of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kostas Antetokounmpo’s time in the NBA may be coming to a close after spending the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kostas Antetokounmpo, the younger brother of Milwaukee Bucks two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, is considering returning to Greece, per Stavros Barbarousis Eurohoops.net.
Olympiacos Piraeus and Panathinaikos Athens have inquired about big man Kostas Antetokounmpo according to Eurohoops sources.
Antetokounmpo, 23, is becoming a free agent after spending the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s now occupied with the Greek national team ahead of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament of Canada and will then evaluate the offers he has in order to decide on his future.
Antetokounmpo has yet to prove that he has the talent to be a contributor at the NBA level. Last season he played just 3.7 minutes over 15 games and averaged 0.7 points and 1.3 rebounds. He was not with the Lakers during their first-round series against the Suns, attending to a personal matter in Greece.
Antetokounmpo will be a restricted free agent but there’s no guarantee the Lakers will tender him a minimum-salary qualifying offer. He’s currently competing for a roster spot on the national team in Greece. Antetokounmpo scored a team-high 14 points against Puerto Rico at the Akropolis Tournament.
Antetokounmpo Brothers Don’t Talk Basketball
There were lots of jokes about the Lakers hanging on to one of the Antetokounmpo brothers as a way to lure Giannis to Los Angeles. However, that went out the door when he signed a five-year supermax with the Bucks prior to the season.
It might have been a good plan from Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, although it sounds like basketball isn’t a conversation piece in the Antetokounmpo household.
“I be like hey, hey, hey, we’re not talking about basketball in this house. This household, we don’t talk about basketball,” Giannis told the Bucks official site recently. “You know why? Because the way my brain operates, all I think about is basketball, so I don’t need to talk more. I’m gonna drive myself crazy, right?”
In this house, we don’t talk about basketball.
If Kostas Antetokounmpo has played his last game in the NBA, he’ll head back home with a ring, which he won as part of the Lakers title run in the bubble.
Lakers Have Busy Offseason Ahead
The Lakers have more pressing issues than the fate of Kostas Antetokounmpo as they look to reload for another run at a championship. Injuries played an obvious part in upending the Lakers’ repeat bid, so getting healthy is the top goal for the offseason.
“It doesn’t matter what changes we make, we get [Anthony Davis] healthy and he’s back to what he was before the injury, get my ankle back right — which I 1,000% know that I’ll be 100% as far as my ankle when the season starts in October — and then go from there,” LeBron James said. “That puts us in the best possible position to be successful next year.”
While some Lakers have shared a desire to “run it back” next season, the team faces some important personnel decisions. That includes unrestricted free agents Dennis Schroder, Wesley Matthews, Alex Caruso, Jared Dudley, Markieff Morris, Andre Drummond and Ben McLemore.
Antetokounmpo, Talen-Horton-Tucker and Devontae Cacok are restricted free agents. After a rocky first year, big man Montrezl Harrell has to make a decision on his player option, which he could opt-in to for $9.72 million or walk and become a free agent.