New signing suggests Giannis Antetokounmpo is staying in Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Bucks are eager to tie down the two-time MVP and will hope that he stays for a 13th season with the team.
The Milwaukee Bucks announced a new signing on Sunday, one that looks set to keep the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player with the team for the 2025/26 season.
But it’s not Giannis Antetokounmpo who has put pen to paper. It’s his brother, Thanasis. NBA Insider Shams Charania believes that this is confirmation that Giannis, too, will be playing for the Bucks next season, writing: "This also means after a summer of exploring options, Giannis is staying in Milwaukee to start the season."
Thanasis Antetokounmpo is signing a guaranteed one-year, $2.9 million deal to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell ESPN. Antetokounmpo played for Bucks from 2019-24. This also means after a summer of exploring options, Giannis is staying in Milwaukee to start the season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 31, 2025
The future of Giannis has been up in the air since the Bucks’ disappointing first round exit in the NBA playoffs. It was the third consecutive season in which Milwaukee had failed to make it past the first round and it looked, at one point, like Giannis was ready to move on.
“Me not having a second championship -- I look back at my career and everybody can say, ‘Oh, incredible career, active Hall of Famer, first ballot, whatever.’ But me, my personal goal, if I am not able to help my team win a second ring, I’m letting down myself,” Giannis said back in April.
Still only 30 years old, there is still plenty to come from Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have maintained that he is considered un-tradable without the organization. His unique combination of defensive and offensive talents make him impossible to replace for Milwaukee and they have built the team around him during his 12 seasons in the NBA.
The return of his brother all-but confirms that Giannis is staying in Milwaukee to start the 2025/26 season. Thanasis spent five years with the team after joining from Greek giants Panathinaikos in 2019. He was a part of the Bucks team that won a championship in 2021 and he will be eager to play alongside his brother once again.
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