The road to EuroBasket 2025 is underway, and all eyes are on Greece. This isn’t a huge surprise, given that everyone wants to see the Greek Freak make his summer debut. However, the Hellas have played three friendlies so far against the likes of Belgium, Serbia, and, most recently Israel, without their superstar player. Now, they will be hosting Montenegro at the PAOK Arena in Thessaloniki for their fourth prep game before the EuroBasket group stage.

So, will Giannis play against Montenegro?

As it turns out, Giannis Antetokounmpo will reportedly yet again not feature for Greece. This news comes after the Greek national team confirmed its 14-man roster for their matchup against Montenegro on August 14th, which included Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he was sidelined.

It’s not like Greece is a better team without their superstar player (they are 1-2). So, why is the two-time MVP not playing? Well, that’s because of the ongoing dispute between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Greek national team.

Are the Milwaukee Bucks stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo from playing for Greece?

Everyone was looking forward to seeing Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Greek national team this summer. Why shouldn’t they? The former NBA champion appeared to be locked in just last week when he posted a picture in national threads. However, three preparation games into the summer,  the fans’ excitement has turned into utter disappointment. So far, the 30-year-old has not been featured in any of the three friendlies Greece has played.

According to reports, this is a result of an unresolved issue between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Greek national federation. You see, Giannis has allegedly taken the court due to an unpaid insurance payment. This insurance is something that protects the Bucks and Antetokounmpo’s interests if he gets injured while suiting up for his national team. But it’s evident that the Hellas need Giannis, so why would they hold the payment? It’s not that simple.

As we all know, the superstar forward’s name has been dragged into trade rumors throughout the summer. In fact, his future is still seemingly up in the air as we speak. “Perhaps because the Bucks are waiting to see whether the much-talked-about trade will happen or if Giannis will stay in Milwaukee. Otherwise, the agreement will have to be made with his next team.” Greek outlet SDNA reported.

The local news channel suggested that the reason why the insurance issue hasn’t been resolved and that Giannis Antetokounmpo is not playing, is the trade rumors. The Bucks were unsure about Giannis’s future, and if the trade did indeed happen, the payment should be made to his next team, causing a holdup. That’s why Giannis Antetokounmpo has not featured in any of the games thus far. So, does this mean we will not see the Greek Freak suit up for any of the prep games? Nope.

SDNA also revealed that this issue will be solved soon. “Logic says the alarm will be over within the next ten days. Still, the HBF (Greek Basketball Federation) remains deafeningly absent and exposed before Greek fans, who wonder why Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t training with the rest of the team and why he isn’t playing in the friendlies.” They reported. So, it shouldn’t be much longer before we see Antetokounmpo on the court playing for his nation.

This is great news for the Bucks as well as the Greek fans. Why? You’d ask. Well, for the Greek supporters, it’s pretty simple. That’s because they will finally be getting back their best player alongside their team, as they hope to finish on the podium this summer. As for the Bucks faithful, this could be a slight indication of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future plans about staying in Milwaukee after months of uncertainty. So, it will be worth watching how soon the issue is resolved, as everyone awaits the Greek Freak’s summer debut.