The Chicago Bulls have made no bones about what lies ahead of forward Kostas Antetkounmpo. Signed to an Exhibit-10 deal for training camp, Antetokounmpo is one of at least four hopefuls vying for the Bulls’ second two-way contract slot.
Rookie Justin Lewis currently occupies one of the slots. But he is out for the season after tearing his ACL.
Interestingly, it is Lewis’ injury that could create just the opportunity that Antetokounmpo needs.
He joins a Bulls team heavy on guards but light on players that fit his particular physical profile and theoretical skill set. Antetokounmpo also brings a bit of championship experience having won a ring as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. While not a participant in that run, Antetokounmpo has witnessed more playoff success than almost every other Bulls player.
Antetokounmpo Unique on Bulls
“For sure I’m a defensive player,” Antetokounmpo told K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, “able to guard multiple positions and switch 1 through 5. And then offensively, I space the floor and run the floor too. I definitely want to improve on my outside shooting and my playmaking in general.”
One of the biggest criticisms of the Bulls and their offseason is the lack of versatility in the frontcourt.
Both starting center Nikola Vucevic and his backup Andre Drummond are limited that way.
The Bulls do have youngster Marko Simonovic but he struggled to even see the floor last season. That leaves Patrick Williams as the lone viable option as a small-ball center outside of the re-signed Derrick Jones Jr. who manned the role last season.
Despite the dearth of options, Antetokoumpo is still very raw with just 22 NBA games under his belt.
Still, he showed enough during the EuroBasket qualifying round to pique the interest of Bulls vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas who has vowed to “look at everything” in the past.
“They saw me playing at the EuroBasket and they wanted me here. So I think it was a good opportunity for me to try to improve.”
No Gurantees for Antetokoumpo
It is no secret that Antetokoumpo is the younger brother of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The elder Antetokounmpo created a minor stir when he left the door open to joining the Bulls later in his career. Naturally, when the Bulls initially showed interest in the younger Antetokoumpo, the connection seemed clear.
Giannis’s Instagram story… It’s all coming together. 😎
But Kostas says that the Bulls have given him no indication he is on the team to do anything other than compete.
He isn’t letting that slow him down though.
“They haven’t given me any promises. It’s just an Exhibit 10 training camp deal. We’ll see from there, Antetkoumpo told Johnson before later saying of the pressure he might be feeling, “I just stay the course, try to get better, try to help the team as much as I can. Everything is meant to be. If you get it, you get it. If you don’t, move on to the next opportunity. The goal is just to get better. When I’m said and done, I’m going to say I became the best player I could.”
Bulls guard Alex Caruso was a teammate of Antetokounmpo’s on the championship Lakers. He might represent a greater chance of Antetokounmpo sticking than the faint possibility that his brother might defect down the line.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Brother Sends Strong Message on Joining Bulls