There’s no denying the Milwaukee Bucks are on the clock to make sure superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo recommits long term to the franchise. So, they went out and signed not one but two more Antetokounmpos this offseason: Giannis’s brothers Thanasis and Alex.
The Bucks first re-signed Thanasis, Giannis’s older brother and second oldest among the Antetokounmpo siblings, in August despite missing all of last season because of an Achilles tear. Then, on Tuesday, Milwaukee signed younger brother Alex to a two-way contract, waiving guard Jamaree Bouyea in the process to make room for the team’s latest Antetokounmpo.
With Alex’s signing, the Bucks and the Antetokounmpos made history, with the former becoming the first team in NBA history to have three brothers on the active roster of the same franchise and the latter becoming the first set of brothers to be signed to the same NBA team. They will also be the third set of three brothers to make it to the NBA following the Holidays (Jrue, Justin, and Aaron) and the Plumlees (Mason, Miles, and Marshall).
Who’s Alex Antetokounmpo, and Why Did the Bucks Sign Him?
Alex, 24, went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft. He did play ever so briefly in the 2021 NBA Summer League and for three seasons in the NBA G League, where he posted career averages of 5.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 0.5 blocks in 65 games for the Wisconsin Herd and Raptors 905. He has since played internationally but has posted only modest stats.
Put simply, nothing in Alex Antetokounmpo’s career so far suggests he’s NBA material at the moment. It might be unfair to say this, but the only thing he’s got going for him, it seems, is that he is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s little brother. And with big brother hinting at potentially wanting out of Milwaukee, it appears being the Greek Freak’s sibling is enough to get Alex into the NBA.
Then again, Alex might just prove pundits wrong in the end, though the odds of that happening are probably slim to none. But at the very least, history was made.
Now, if only the Bucks could actually improve their roster . . .
(Watch Alex Antetokounmpo’s highlights below.)
