After a rule change a few years ago, the NBA allows teams to carry a pair of two-way players on their roster that can bounce back and forth between the G League and the parent team. The Los Angeles Lakers struck gold with their first two-way contract, Alex Caruso, who obviously turned into a legit NBA player and key contributor.
L.A. hasn’t had nearly as much success with their recent two-way contracts as those have been occupied by Kostas Antetokounmpo and Devontae Cacok the last two seasons.
Neither saw the court very often and are now free agents, likely to move on to other teams. In fact, it appears that Antetokounmpo has already done so. According to Christos Harpidis of betcornernews, the younger brother of current NBA star and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to return home to Greece, agreeing to sign a four-year contract with Olympiacos of the EuroLeagueL
????Kostas Antetokounmpo to Olympiacos is a done deal and the 23-year old center will sign a four-year contract,per @Totalbasketgr sources and I totally confirm @TolisLeoussis from @overfmgr.
More to follow after the games of Greek NT. #Euroleague #OlympiacosBc @Kostas_ante13
— Christos Harpidis (@chrisalucard) July 2, 2021
This seems to be a wise move for Antetokounmpo as after playing sparingly for the Lakers over the last two seasons, the 23-year-old did not appear to have much of a future in the NBA.
He now will be heading home to play for an Olympiacos team that is one of the most respected in Europe, winning three EuroLeagues, a FIBA Intercontinental Cup, a Triple Crown, 12 Greek Championships and nine Greek Cups in their history.
If Antetokounmpo is able to have success during his four years with Olympiacos, then perhaps a return to the NBA is possible, although he will have to take some big leaps in a number of aspects of the game for that to happen.
In two seasons with the Lakers, the center played n a total of 20 games and averaged 1.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 3.8 minutes per game.
Schroder seeking $100-$120 million in free agency
One of the Lakers’ biggest free agents this summer is another international player in point guard Dennis Schroder. Recent reports are indicating that he is seeking $100-$120 million in free agency, so it will be interesting to see if the Lakers are able to retain him or let him walk after an up-and-down first season with the team.
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