Thanasis Antetokounmpo considered joining Eastern Conference rival

Thanasis Antetokounmpo tells Donatas Urbonis of Basket News that he came close to signing with the Knicks this summer, but decided to remain with the Bucks because of his brother and new head coach Adrian Griffin.

“Obviously, Giannis is my brother, and obviously, I love Milwaukee. I love Milwaukee,” Antetokounmpo said. “But at the same time … I want to play. You always want to play and feel important. And at the same time, you want, like … It’s just because of how I am as a player. That would be different if I were in Europe and any other team. But now it became a little bit more like, oh, okay, he’s on the team because … But I was like: you know what? No. Why would I do this?”

The 31-year-old forward reportedly talked with several teams in free agency, but the strongest interest came from New York. Antetokounmpo was looking for a situation where he could contribute after seeing his role in Milwaukee decline over the past two years. Last season, he appeared in just 37 games and averaged 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 5.6 minutes per night.

After meeting with Griffin, Antetokounmpo got the sense that things might be different this season. He decided to re-sign with the Bucks, and although his one-year contract is for the veteran’s minimum, it is fully guaranteed for $2,346,614.

“During the free agency, I was off in Greece,” Antetokounmpo said. “But I sat down with the new coach and talked with him. He said he appreciates the way I play, he values my game. You know, every coach has a different opinion of everybody. But when I picked the teams, hearing the coach and everything … I thought this was the place for me.

“And obviously, the Milwaukee fanbase has been … You don’t know how much I love the Bucks, their fanbase, and how the city has embraced my family for so many years. So it was kind of a no-brainer. But at the same time, I’m an athlete, and you want to feel important. You want to feel a part of the team. And sometimes there are other places where they want to provide you with an opportunity, just show us what you got.”

Antetokounmpo’s NBA career began in 2015-16 with two games with the Knicks, who drafted him with the 51st pick in 2014. After spending one year in Spain and two years in Greece, he returned to the league in the 2019-20 season with Milwaukee, where he has been ever since.

Antetokounmpo is currently involved in the World Cup, where he’s the only active NBA player on Greece’s roster. He considers international basketball and the chance to represent his country an important part of who he is as a player.

“This court, for me, is sacred,” he said. “When I step on the court, I play to win, I play to the best of my abilities, and whatever I have to give, I give. And certainly, I enjoy it. I enjoy this feeling in my heart.”