The Los Angeles Lakers have re-signed Kostas Antetokounmpo, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Antetokounmpo will once again occupy one of the two two-way contract spots on the roster, meaning he will spend the majority of his time in the G-League with the South Bay Lakers.
The Lakers have made his return official.
Antetokounmpo appeared in 38 G-League games last season, starting in 37 of them. He averaged 14.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per outing and added 1.3 blocks and 0.9 steals on the defensive end. The 23-year-old only played in five games with the Lakers (bringing his NBA total to seven) but joined the team in Orlando during the bubble, officially earning his first championship.
Antetokounmpo is the younger brother of Milwaukee Bucks star and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is expected to hit free agency next year if he does not sign a supermax extension with his team this offseason.
At 6-foot-10, the younger Antetokounmpo has only played power forward and center in the NBA. The Lakers currently have Marc Gasol, Montrezl Harrell, and Markieff Morris as depth behind Anthony Davis (who is, of course, yet to sign the anticipated contract to stay with the Lakers). With a shortened offseason and rushed season starting on December 22nd, there may be opportunities for Antetokounmpo to find his way into the rotation due to injuries or rest for the frontcourt.
The Lakers also have Devontae Cacok, another big, signed to the other two-way spot on the roster. This year, two-way players no longer have a maximum of 45 days to spend with the parent team; instead, they can be active for up to 50 of the team’s 72 games.
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