Report: Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Had 'Cleanup' Knee Surgery; World Cup Status TBD

The status of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup is up in the air, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Antetokounmpo had a "cleanup procedure" on his knee two weeks ago, and his recovery timeline is unclear at the moment.

This comes after injuries limited him in the 2023 NBA playoffs and played a role in Milwaukee's first-round exit.

The 28-year-old was able to return from a lower back contusion in Game 4 against the Miami Heat. The injury had kept him sidelined for the previous two games, but it didn't hinder him when he was back on the floor. He finished with 26 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in his first game back as the Bucks went on to lose 119-114.

The Bucks had sorely missed Antetokounmpo during his absence. Milwaukee surrendered at least 120 points in each of the first three games in the series against Miami, a far cry from the team that ranked fourth in defensive rating during the regular season. The Bucks went 11-8 without the MVP finalist in the lineup this year.

When healthy, Antetokounmpo put forth another stellar campaign in which he averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Thanks to his brilliance, the Bucks finished with the best record in the NBA at 58-24. However, it was the fourth straight year that he's played in fewer than 70 games.

It doesn't appear the knee procedure will jeopardize Antetokounmpo's availability for the start of the 2023-24 NBA season. He'd surely be disappointed to miss out on the World Cup if it comes to that, though.