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Report: Bucks interested in former lottery pick Georgios Papagiannis

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Robin Adams | Last updated 7/2/22

The Milwaukee Bucks were busy on the first day of NBA free agency.

The most important move in the eyes of many was the signing of Bobby Portis to a four-year contract worth $49 million. In addition to Portis, the Bucks brought back Wesley Matthews and Jevon Carter on team-friendly deals. Finally, Milwaukee used the tax payer mid-level exception (TPMLE) to sign forward Joe Ingles.

Despite no further signings or trades on day two of free agency, the Bucks still made headlines. According to reports, they have expressed interest in former 2016 lottery pick Georgios Papagiannis.

The Bucks are interested in Panathinaikos star center Georgios Papagiannis, per @sta_ba11.

If they decide to sign him, they’re going to have to buy him out from Panathinaikos — which doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Papagiannis made the All-EuroLeague Second Team this season.

— Dionysis Aravantinos (@AravantinosDA) July 1, 2022

Georgios Papagiannis did not have a long NBA career

Papagiannis was drafted by the Sacramento Kings with the 13th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. His career in the NBA only last two seasons. As a rookie with the Kings, he appeared in 22 games and averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

The next season, Papagiannis played just 17 games: 16 for the Kings and one for the Portland Trailblazers. The Kings waived him midway through the 2017-18 season and he signed a 10-day contract with Portland. After they released him, he returned to Europe to continue his professional career.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Georgios Papagiannis are teammates on the Greek National Team

One of the reasons why the Bucks have shown interest in Papagiannis is two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo's familiarity with him. The two are teammates on the Greek National Team.

Papagiannis has several foreign league accomplishments to boast as well. Since returning to Greece, he and his club (Panathinaikos) have won two Greek League Championships (2019 and 2020). Additionally, Papagiannis has been on four Greek Cup winning teams (2015, 2016, 2019, 2021). He was named a Greek League All-Star in 2019 and 2020 and was a participant in the Greek League slam dunk contest in 2020.

Last season with Panathinaikos, Papagiannis averaged 8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. He does not have much of an outside shot, which may limit his offensive effectiveness in today’s NBA. That being said, he was a hot prospect once for a reason and could be an interesting addition for the Bucks.

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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