Georgios Kalaitzakis has been drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in a draft trade with the Indiana Pacers. The Bucks selected the 22 year-old Kalaitzakis, who currently plays professionally in Greece with Panathinaikos. His contract with Panathinaikos is set to expire in 2022.
Kalaitzakis has a twin brother, Panos, who plays for the Lithuanian professional basketball league with Lietkabelis.
The Bucks’ GM Jon Horst spoke about the potential he sees in Kalaitzakis and what he expects from him now that he’s been drafted to the Milwaukee Bucks:
“He is to be determined, like a lot of times. You still have to figure out buyouts, you have to figure out contracts that will make sense. We’re excited about him from a skill-set standpoint and size – he’s 6-6, 6-7 – really versatile. Has played at a high level. Hasn’t played a lot of minutes but he’s played in a really competitive league and played for Panathinaikos. He’s got toughness. So I think there’s a place and a way for him to come over now, potentially, but he’s a development guy. We’re going to really invest in him the right way and try to bring him along the right way and develop him and try to figure out when that is and how that is. He’s an interesting guy. He’s kind of fun to watch and study and he’s got really great upside.”
Horst continued, “I think he’s willing to put in the work and he’ll do that and hopefully we can really help him develop and come along whenever that is, whether it’s this year or going forward. He’s an interesting guy. … For us and the way that we play, guys that can make reads off the second side of the ball and can make an open shot and have competitiveness and have size, we’ve done well with those guys.”
The Milwaukee Bucks’ huge season with Antetokounmpo
The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 100-94 in game six of the NBA finals to win the 2021 NBA Championship last week. Giannis Antetokounmpo once again led the team to a great game to secure the first Championship of his career.
Behind 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks from their superstar forward, the Bucks held off the Phoenix Suns to win the franchise’s first championship since 1971 on their home court.
They did so in front of a madhouse, sellout crowd of more than 17,000 fans inside Fiserv Forum — along with a truly remarkable 65,000 more fans assembled outside into the “Deer District” surrounding the building.
Antetokounmpo won the Bill Russell NBA Finals’ Most Valuable Player Award.
His 50 points were tied for the most all-time in a closeout game of the NBA Finals, per ESPN Stats and Information research, equaling Bob Pettit’s 50 points for the St. Louis Hawks at home in Game 6 of the 1958 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
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