Even after the Milwaukee Bucks' season ended, they could not escape the injury bug, as veteran wing Thanasis Antetokounmpo suffered an Achilles tear.
Typically, recovery from this particular surgery is the lengthiest among all injuries in sports, with some players, such as Kevin Durant, missing the entire following season before coming back. However, the latest injury update involving Thanasis claims that he's aiming to get back on the floor much quicker.
According to Harris Stavrou of SPORT24, Thanasis is currently attempting to get back on the floor within six months. Given the severity of the injury, that's certainly a lofty goal, though not impossible.
Will Thanasis Antetokounmpo be with the Bucks when he returns?
Thanasis is currently not under contract with the Bucks, as he's set to hit NBA Free Agency when it opens in the coming weeks. Prior to the injury, it felt like this would be a pretty open and shut case of him returning to the team for another go-round on a short term deal, as he's done consistently for the past several seasons. Now, that's not so clear.
There's been plenty of debate about whether or not the Milwaukee Bucks are justified in keeping him on the roster when he's healthy. Those debates could be take on a whole new meaning entirely if the team signs him when he's not even able to play. A lot of people have clamored for him to become a head coach on Doc Rivers' staff, but that simply seems unlikely.
It wouldn't be surprising if the Milwaukee Bucks opted not to re-sign Thanasis right away and kept their roster flexibility open until he's ready to play. If he's cleared in six months and the team has an open roster spot or two, they could pick him up. Yet, it should be noted that opposing teams were legitimately eyeing him last off-season, so perhaps that would give them a chance to pounce.
No matter what happens down the line, this writer delivers well wishes to Antetokounmpo as he faces a steep uphill climb following a brutal injury.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.