Raptors rumors: Is Alex Antetokounmpo coming to Toronto?

Just when it looked like the Toronto Raptors rumors were about to die down, Masai Ujiri may have pulled an interesting name out of his hat. Apparently still not over the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo chose to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks long-term, Ujiri has shown interest in his younger brother, Alex Antetokounmpo.

While Giannis has become one of the best NBA players of the last decade, and brothers Kostas and Thanasis continue to carve out a role on the end of some NBA benches, Alex, just 20 years old, has yet to make his debut in North America. He has limited experience with UCAM Murcia in Spain.

Even with that, teams are always on the hunt for more Antetokounmpo brothers to bring overseas considering how all three of the older ones have established themselves in the league. The Raptors are trying to check their Antetokounmpo quota by taking a flier on a 20-year-old.

According to Greek newspaper Ethnos, Antetokounmpo is set to sign a deal with the Raptors. Given the state of the roster, this deal will likely be an Exhibit 10 contract or a G League deal that will force Alex to show that he can make it in the NBA.

Will the Toronto Raptors sign Alex Antetokounmpo?

While the 6-8 Antetokounmpo is shorter than Giannis and Kostas while profiling as a skinnier player than Thanasis, the fact he has a 7-1 wingspan shows that he could still end up becoming a very solid defensive player. The athleticism that all three of his brothers possess has been passed down to Alex.

Antetokounmpo, who went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, is a bit of a gamble given the fact that he doesn’t have a ton of pro experience, is a bit of an unknown. However, Giannis tried to hype his family up by saying that he could be the best of the four brothers, which is certainly an encouraging reference.

Antetokounmpo fits in with the type of athlete that Ujiri wants, as he profiles as a versatile defender with the ability to sky to the rim. Toronto will need to develop his ball-handling and shooting, but the 905 staff has had plenty of success with those two traits in the past.

Antetokounmpo is the definition of a wild card, but drafting his older brother 15th overall in 2013 was a wild card. While Alex likely isn’t going to reach those meteoric heights, he could develop into an intriguing bench presence down the line, and Nick Nurse the Raptors have the flexibility to take a chance on a prospect like this.