Thanasis Antetokounmpo Says He's Been Cleared to Play After Achilles Injury Recovery

Thanasis Antetokounmpo has been cleared for an NBA return.

The former Milwaukee Bucks forward and brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo revealed on his Thanalysis Show podcast (h/t Christopher Kuhagen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) that doctors cleared him to resume playing basketball after missing the 2024-25 campaign because of a torn Achilles.

"I'm back," he said.

Antetokounmpo underwent surgery for the torn Achilles in May 2024.

The brothers were previously teammates with Milwaukee from the 2019-20 campaign through the 2023-24 one. Thanasis also appeared in two games for the New York Knicks during the 2015-16 season and played professionally in Greece before joining the Bucks.

It remains to be seen where he will play now that he's a free agent, but any deal with Thanasis is going to be thought of in the context of Giannis considering the latter's future with the Bucks was a major storyline as soon as Milwaukee lost in the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.

Whether true or not, some are sure to see signing one Antetokounmpo as perhaps a way of enticing the other to join as well.

Thanasis averaged a career-best 3.6 points per game during the 2021-22 season and was even less of a factor in 2023-24 when he posted 0.9 points, 0.5 assists and 0.4 rebounds a night while shooting 53.3 percent from the field.

Adding Antetokounmpo will not be a headline move for any team, but he is at least a veteran who provides frontcourt depth.