Thanasis Antetokounmpo is heading home. The Greek wing has signed with Aris Thessaloniki on a two-year deal plus one optional year, closing out seven seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks alongside his brother Giannis. He will play under Vassilis Spanoulis and share the locker room with another of his brothers, Kostas Antetokounmpo.
The 2025-26 Numbers
His last season in the NBA was a reserve role: 34 games with Milwaukee and averages of 1.4 points and 0.9 rebounds. He was coming off missing the entire 2024-25 season due to injury, so simply being able to compete regularly was already noteworthy in his case.
His best statistical output in the North American league dates back to 2021-22, when he averaged 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in nearly nine minutes per game. He has never been a stats-driven player: his recognized value is his locker room presence, energy, and effort in the role of eleventh or twelfth man. He is also an NBA champion with the Bucks in 2021.
Aris Targeting the EuroCup
The move makes more sense when looking at the roster the Thessaloniki club is building. With Spanoulis making his coaching debut, Aris has assembled EuroLeague-caliber players like Stefan Jovic, Nenad Dimitrijevic, Matt Morgan, Vassilis Toliopoulos, and Khem Birch. This is not a filler project: it is a declared contender for the EuroCup title.
The Spanoulis detail adds another layer. The head coach is balancing the Aris bench with the Greek national team, which he led last Monday to a victory over Spain at the OAKA. In that game, both Thanasis and Kostas Antetokounmpo played, as did Toliopoulos, their new teammate in Thessaloniki.
Why He Didn't Follow Giannis
The obvious reading was different. Many assumed Thanasis would end up with the Miami Heat, following Giannis after the trade that sent the MVP to Florida this summer. Instead, he has chosen his other brother, Greece, and presumably more playing time than he would have had on a roster that has been filling up with bench depth.
At 34 years old, and with a résumé built more on locker room presence than on the scoreboard, the decision makes sense. The three brothers have already played together on the national team; now two of them will do so at the club level as well.