Giannis Antetokounmpo

International Notes: Giannis, Jokic, Doncic, Osman

Giannis Antetokounmpo will represent Greece when EuroBasket begins later this month, but he hasn’t been active for any of the team’s preparation games, writes Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. The Bucks star will miss his third straight contest today as his team faces Israel.

Antetokounmpo is training on his own in Athens, and Greek national team coach Vassilis Spanoulis isn’t sure if he’ll join the squad for the next game against Montenegro, which is set for Thursday in Thessaloniki.

“We don’t know yet if he will play in Thessaloniki,” Spanoulis told Greek national television. “Giannis will be on the court when he should be.”

While it’s not unusual for a player of Antetokounmpo’s status to get star treatment, his absence has caused some consternation among Greece’s opponents. Serbian coach Svetislav Pesic expressed disappointment that Antetokounmpo didn’t take part in Saturday’s contest, Barkis adds in a separate story.

“I’m sorry that Giannis is not here; that’s why we scheduled this tournament,” Pesic said. “We have a good relationship with the Greeks; they always respond to us.”

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • While Antetokounmpo missed a potential battle of perennial MVP candidates, Serbia’s Nikola Jokic dominated with 23 points, 19 rebounds and four assists in a 76-66 victory, according to Eurohoops. The Nuggets star controlled the paint area as Serbia pulled away from Greece in the second quarter.
  • Slovenian teammates have noticed a change in Luka Doncic that goes beyond his slimmed-down appearance, per Martin Pavncik of Sport Klub. Playing in his first international tournament since joining the Lakers, Doncic has become more of a vocal leader than he was in the past. “Already at the first training session, I noticed that he talks significantly more than in previous years,” longtime teammate Klemno Prepelić said. “I believe this is a challenge that awaits him at the club as he takes on the role of the first face of the franchise. His word carries a lot of weight just because of his exceptional basketball knowledge and incredible feeling. At the same time, he does it with great enthusiasm and a desire to make every individual in training better.”
  • Former NBA player Cedi Osman, who’s part of Turkey’s EuroBasket roster, enjoys playing in Europe because it allows him to participate in more international competitions, BasketNews relays. “The difference between the NBA and Europe is that here, I can also take part in the FIBA windows,” Osman said. “That’s very important. When I was in the NBA, there were long breaks in between. But now, every two or three months, I get the chance to come to Turkey and play for the national team. I think this helps both me and the team a lot. The same goes for other players returning from the NBA — their involvement during the windows builds continuity and chemistry.”

Atlantic Notes: Pritchard, Bridges, Knicks, Nets

The Celtics‘ biggest transactions this offseason – including trades that sent Jrue Holiday to Portland and Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta – have been more about reducing the team’s payroll as opposed to upgrading the roster. Still, despite those summer moves and the fact that Jayson Tatum will be sidelined with a torn Achilles, reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard remains confident in the team’s ability to compete.

“We’re definitely trying to be a playoff team. We’re trying to win a championship,” Pritchard said on the Celtics Talk Podcast with Chris Forsberg (story via Logan Reardon of NBC Sports Boston). “It’s not even about playoffs, we have one standard in Boston and it’s to win a championship. Everybody in that locker room will have the goal of competing for a championship. And we will do everything in our power necessary to go for that. That’s what (the fans) should know.”

Pritchard went on to acknowledge that it “definitely sucks” to lose players like Holiday, Porzingis, and Luke Kornet, adding that he’ll especially miss Holiday, who was “like a big brother.” Still, the Celtics guard is optimistic that other players will step up and play well in increased roles — Pritchard himself, who averaged a career-high 28.4 minutes per game last season, is among the players who will likely take on more responsibilities in 2025/26.

“I feel like everybody should be excited,” Pritchard said. “There’s a lot of opportunities across the board. For me, personally, I’m excited every year. Because it’s an opportunity to prove myself again, to show that I can take another step. And that’s my goal every year. I’m definitely hungry and motivated this year, been working really hard. So I’m excited.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Despite the fact that Mikal Bridges accepted a little less than he could have received on his four-year, $150MM contract extension, the Knicks project to be a second-apron team next season if they re-sign Mitchell Robinson, Yossi Gozlan writes for The Third Apron (Substack link). Within his look at the Knicks’ cap situation, Gozlan notes that Bridges’ unusual 5.69% trade kicker would put him in line to receive a bonus of about $6.17MM if he’s traded during the 2026 offseason — it would be almost the exact amount he gave up as part of his extension agreement (his max extension would have been worth roughly $156.17MM).
  • In a mailbag for The Athletic, James L. Edwards III explores Robinson’s contract situation and the timing of Bridges’ extension, among other topics. Edwards also explains why he wouldn’t be a fan of even a minimum-salary investment in free agent guard Ben Simmons and confirms that the Knicks – along with many other teams around the league – have been monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s situation in Milwaukee throughout the offseason.
  • After ending up at No. 8 in this year’s draft lottery, the Nets appear likely to tank again in 2025/26 in the hopes of landing a higher first-round pick. Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link) discusses the potential pitfalls of that approach, noting that teams who prioritize draft positioning for multiple years risk creating culture issues. “A lot of these teams that try to bottom out by tanking like Brooklyn is doing, they think there’s no consequences,” one agent told Lewis. “You risk eroding the environment you’re trying to create. That’s what happened in Philadelphia.”

Southwest Notes: Lively, Flagg, Giannis, Wembanyama, Sengun, Durant, Smith Jr.

Mavericks center Dereck Lively II has only two years of NBA experience but he’s playing a mentorship role to top pick Cooper Flagg, according to Jake Rogers of Dallas Hoops Journal. Naturally, they have a college connection, as both were one-and-dones at Duke.

“I’ve probably known him for a couple of years now, at least two or three,” Lively said. “He’s always been the same smiling, joking kid. I’m glad he’s been able to stay grounded, not letting the spotlight overwhelm him. Whether he’s in the gym or hanging out at the house, he’s always just being Coop.”

Lively has stayed in frequent contact with Flagg since the draft.

“I’m making sure he feels as comfortable as possible, giving him any little detail or advice. I remember how frightened I was at 19. He’s only 18,” Lively said.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has carved out a Hall of Fame worthy career but he’s also into collecting memorabilia of other NBA superstars. His current target is Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama, he told Brooks Peck of The Athletic during an appearance at the National Sports Collector Convention. “I want Wemby’s first rookie card ever,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think he’s gonna be one of the best players in the league in the next couple of years. I think he will have a very great career moving forward, so — maybe like a jersey, his first jersey or his first basketball shoe when he played his first NBA game, or the first ball that he played with and scored his very first point. You gotta go with Wemby, Steph (Curry), LeBron (James), MJ (Michael Jordan). Those are great investments.”
  • Rockets center Alperen Sengun believes the offense will thrive with the addition of Kevin Durant. Sengun, who will play for Turkey in EuroBasket, made his comments to Anadolu, Turkey’s state-run news agency (hat tip to RocketsWire).  “I’m excited to play with Durant. Everyone is excited to play with him. It doesn’t matter his age — ultimately, he’s Kevin Durant. I have no doubt he will bring a lot to the team,” Sengun said. “He’s very experienced, and we have some very young players. I think he’ll open up the game for us. He’s incredibly effective both offensively and defensively.”
  • Along the same lines, Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. said he believes playing with Durant will be a learning experience, RocketsWire relays via an interview with Space City Home Network’s Vanessa Richardson. “Kevin Durant is one of the greatest players to ever touch a basketball,” Smith said. “It’s going to be great for me to learn from him, and see what he does, day-to-day… and just soak up as much game as I can. It’s going to be fun playing alongside him and going to battle with him.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Future In Milwaukee Remains Unsettled

Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors have died down in recent weeks, but the two-time MVP hasn’t reached a decision on whether he wants to continue playing for the Bucks, ESPN’s Shams Charania said this morning during an appearance on “Get Up.” (Twitter video link).

“Sources tell me there’s still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving,” Charania said.

There have been past reports that Antetokounmpo might consider leaving Milwaukee to improve his chances of winning at least one more NBA title. Speculation began to grow after the Bucks were eliminated in this first round of this year’s playoffs and star guard Damian Lillard suffered an Achilles tear that’s expected to sideline him for all of next season.

Bucks general manager Jon Horst responded by retooling the team’s roster this summer. He waived and stretched the $112.6MM that Lillard had left on his contract for the next two years and used the newfound cap space to sign center Myles Turner away from the Pacers.

Horst also added Gary Harris, Jericho Sims and Cole Anthony in free agency and re-signed several of the team’s own free agents, such as Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins and Taurean Prince.

The aggressive move with Turner was viewed as an important step toward convincing Antetokounmpo that the Bucks could remain competitive in the Eastern Conference. Although there hasn’t been much trade talk over the last month, Charania insists that Antetokounmpo’s situation hasn’t been resolved.

“There’s been some very real conversations over the last week or so,” Charania said. “The constant question that Giannis has, though, is can I win a championship with this roster? … He wants to win a second championship, so he’s asking that question over and over.”

He added that there are “multiple teams waiting in the wings” to make offers if Antetokounmpo decides he wants out.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Confirmed For EuroBasket

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has confirmed his participation in EuroBasket, according to a tweet from FIBA EuroBasket.

Antetokounmpo was already on Greece’s 19-man preliminary roster for the tournament, but this indicates he’ll once again represent his home country. He’s been on the country’s national team since 2014, appearing in a total of 37 official games in major FIBA tournaments.

Antetokounmpo was the leading scorer at EuroBasket 2022 but Greece was eliminated by Germany in the quarterfinals. He averaged 29.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks in six games.

It was a similar story in last year’s Summer Olympics. The two-time NBA MVP averaged a tournament high 25.8 points along with 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists in four games but Greece was once again knocked out by Germany.

Speculation regarding his status with the Bucks has cooled this summer. Team president Peter Feigin said this month that the organization was in a “good place” with its franchise player. Milwaukee was eliminated by Indiana in the first round of the playoffs despite Antetokounmpo averaging 33 points, 15.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists during the series.

Atlantic Notes: Bridges, Hansen, Knicks Summer League, Embiid

The Knicks and Mikal Bridges have yet to agree to an extension. There’s a chance the team has an ulterior motive for putting off a new deal, according to SNY’s Ian Begley (video link).

While it’s likely not the only factor, Begley believes the lingering uncertainty surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s status regarding his future with the Bucks may be playing a part in the lack of movement on a deal between the Knicks and Bridges.

With the Knicks and all the other teams kind of keeping an eye on Milwaukee and what may or may not happen there, I think one of the reasons why he has not been extended yet is because once you extend him, you cannot trade him for six months, Begley said on an episode of The Putback. “I think that’s why you haven’t seen Bridges extended yet. When he does extend, I think that would tell you Giannis is put to bed, is off the table in a sense.”

The Knicks’ potential interest in the two-time MVP has been well documented. While the offseason noise surrounding Antetokounmpo has quieted since the acquisition of Myles Turner and the departure of Damian Lillard, the matter might not be closed yet.

We have more from around the Atlantic division:

  • According to Nets Daily (via Twitter), the general manager of the Qingdao Eagles stated that Yang Hansen had a promise from the Nets if he fell to No. 19 in the 2025 draft. Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan tweets that the Trail Blazers were unwilling to trade further down than No. 16 due to Hansen’s stock rising in the lead-up to the draft. The Blazers ultimately traded from 11th to 16th overall to select the former Eagles center.
  • The Knicks have posted a 1-3 Summer League record with a mixed bag of performances, even from their rostered players, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Tyler Kolek shook off a brutal start to display some self-creation flashes, but overall was too loose with the ball for someone billed as a floor general, says Edwards. Pacome Dadiet and Kevin McCullar‘s shooting struggles continued, but both were effective getting to the rim. The standout on the team was the team’s second-round draft pick, Mohamed Diawara, who showed an interesting set of ball skills and physical tools and may have played his way into conversations surrounding a two-way contract.
  • The recent Joel Embiid feature from ESPN revealed the lack of trust Embiid has in the Sixers organization when it comes to his health, writes The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey (subscription required), who also took the article as a sign that regardless of what the team wants, he will only return from his injury rehab when he’s ready. Pompey adds that the article suggested the team’s culture and lack of top-down cohesiveness under Sam Hinkie hasn’t significantly improved and that for Daryl Morey and the organization to restore the faith of fans, only winning will help.

Bucks GM Jon Horst Talks Turner, Rivers, Sims, More

The Bucks made two of the most surprising moves of the NBA offseason within a single hour on July 1 when they agreed to a four-year deal with free agent center Myles Turner and decided to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard in order to create the cap room necessary to sign Turner.

Speaking to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Bucks general manager Jon Horst explained that he and his front office felt as if the moves represented the best way to maximize the team’s window of contention around two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“I think every decision, every move that you make, has risk and reward, so there’s nothing unique about that in this case,” Horst said. “We looked at the opportunity to acquire a highly productive, elite free agent (Turner), who is in the prime of his career, and who is an incredible fit next to Giannis, as an opportunity for these next two seasons in particular, instead of what would have been Dame on our books at a full salary, as really opportunistic, more than anything.

The Bucks will carry annual cap hits of roughly $22.5MM on their books through 2029/30 for Lillard, but Horst believes the gains in both the short and long term will outweigh the compromised flexibility that dead money creates.

“The carry for the following three years, there’s no question that if you want to call it an impediment or another hurdle, that’s fine,” Horst said. “But we were dealing with a really big hurdle and complication that we had to figure out how to deal with now, and the now matters more than anything. Maximizing Giannis’ prime, our opportunities to win, I feel like that’s our responsibility always. So it was really a now versus future decision.”

“That being said, Myles is an incredible player in the prime of his career for four years. So four of those five years, we have Myles Turner, so it wasn’t like we just did something now and then we have to take four years of risk beyond this year and four years of carry without any production. We have four years, at least, of Myles Turner at elite production while that’s on our books. And there (are) other things that we did, there (are) other moves that we made, other players we’re able to acquire because of this move now that I believe will outweigh the carry of the 20-plus million dollars that we have.”

In his wide-ranging conversation with Nehm, which is worth checking out in full if you’re an Athletic subscriber, Horst also touched on several other topics, including how the addition of Turner affects the team’s playing style, why he believes Doc Rivers is still the right coach for the Bucks, and much more.

Here are some of the highlights from Horst:

On his belief in Rivers:

“I think he’s a championship-level coach. He’s the right coach to get us to where we want to go. We haven’t had the results yet in our two years together that we wanted. But it’s been two of the most adversity-filled seasons that I’ve been part of. And we’ve had two really successful regular seasons. To go through the things that we went through, if people actually look at the facts of what we went through over two years — we still finished with a fifth seed and a third seed. Near 50 wins in both seasons. And then we lost to the team that lost in the conference finals two years ago and the team that lost in Game 7 of the (NBA) Finals this year.”

On why the Bucks re-signed Jericho Sims:

“Jericho was one of the best switch defenders in the playoffs. He’s got a limited, limited sample, but I believe that he can do it. He’s an elite rim protector. He’s big, he’s physical, he’s athletic. I think the core four of those guys as a frontcourt is as good as anybody. And I think that it’s largely the way that we’ve been dominant in that space over 10 years. But I also think it gives us a chance to modernize and catch up in some of the other areas as well.”

On using Antetokounmpo in more of a point forward role:

I feel like we’ve always played with a certain type of guard. Typically a guard that’s willing to catch and shoot, a guard that is capable of being a primary play-maker, but doesn’t need to be a primary play-maker. And I think some of our best teams that we’ve ever had — and we’ve had a lot of great teams — we had guys at the guard spot in that mold. They can really shoot. They’re capable and willing defenders, and they could go five, six, seven possessions and just play off Giannis, or they can go five, six, seven possessions and they can initiate our offense.

“And that’s what we’ve tried to do. We tried to build a team like that this offseason. Take the opportunity for Giannis to go even more down that road. I would say we’ve always doubled down on it, maybe we’re tripling down or quadrupling down on it now.

On whether the Bucks have done enough to build a roster capable of contending for a title:

“We’ve done everything, I’ve done everything within my human possible power this offseason. I feel like our group works our butts off. … And so have we done enough? I don’t know. We’ll find out. Have we done everything that we possibly could? Absolutely. And have we done more than anyone else could possibly do? I believe we have. And that’s not an arrogant thing to say. In a very humble way. I think we’ve done as much or more than anyone else could possibly do, and I’m proud of that.

“It’s a really tough Eastern Conference and it’s a really tough NBA and that’s what makes it fun. I think there are other teams that have had great offseasons. But we took our set of circumstances, we evaluated everything we possibly could to have the best possible chance that we could at the upcoming season. And I think we’re in that spot right now.”

Bucks President Feigin: Team In ‘Good Place’ With Giannis

Appearing on NBA TV’s broadcast of the team’s Summer League game against the Clippers on Sunday, Bucks president Peter Feigin was asked for his two cents on where the organization stands with Giannis Antetokounmpo and what the relationship looks like moving forward.

“We kind of laugh internally, it’s where we’ve been for 10 years,” Feigin said (Twitter video link; hat tip to Bleacher Report). “Giannis loves Milwaukee, Milwaukee loves Giannis. We’re in a good place. We feel great about it. It’s business as usual.

“I think we get kind of a fun little joy in everybody else thinking they know what’s going on and what the clickbait is, but for us, we’re in a good spot. Giannis is in a good place. He’s enjoying the summer, and we’re looking forward to next season.”

Antetokounmpo’s future has been one of the most popular subjects of speculation this offseason on the heels of a third consecutive first-round playoff exit for the Bucks and a Damian Lillard Achilles tear.

However, while rival clubs have been monitoring the situation closely in the hopes that Giannis will ask for a trade, that hasn’t happened. In fact, Milwaukee has moved aggressively this summer in an effort to maintain a roster capable of contending without Lillard and longtime starting center Brook Lopez, who left in free agency for the Clippers.

The Bucks re-signed several of their own free agents, including Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., and Taurean Prince, reached agreements to bring in new role players like Gary Harris and Cole Anthony, and made the most surprising free agent addition of the NBA offseason when they landed Myles Turner on a four-year, $109MM deal.

While Antetokounmpo hasn’t entirely shut down the speculation by making any definitive statements about his future, most teams have gone about their business this summer as if the two-time MVP won’t be seeking a change of scenery in the short term. For his part, Giannis suggested last week that he’ll “probably” be in Milwaukee going forward. Feigin’s remarks on Sunday point in that direction too.

Myles Turner Discusses Signing With Bucks

After publishing a farewell to Pacers fans on Thursday, Myles Turner was formally introduced as a member of the Bucks at a Friday press conference in Las Vegas, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. Indiana’s longtime starting center has been the top free agent to switch teams so far this offseason.

For me, ultimately it was about just staying competitive,” Turner said of signing with Milwaukee. “Two years ago, (the Pacers) got to the conference finals. Obviously, last year we got to the Finals. Being a big part of winning basketball just changed my entire perspective on this league. I saw a chance to remain competitive here.”

The 29-year-old big man said the chance to join forces with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was a significant factor in his decision, Wright notes. Turner said he briefly exchanged text messages with the Greek superstar.

I was tired of taking damned shoulders and elbows to the chest all the time,” Turner joked of playing with Antetokounmpo. “It’s a rarity to be alongside him. He’s a generational player, arguably one of the greatest players to play this game. I’m sure we’re going to talk here in the weeks to come. I’ve played against Giannis for quite some time now. Very familiar with his game and what he’s capable of. I do see a seamless fit. He’s someone that is able to push the ball, get out in transition, create for people. He’s developed a jumper.

Defensively, his intangibles are there. I think our fit is going to be a pretty cohesive fit. But not even that, I just look at this roster and I’ve competed against these guys. There’s a respect from afar of just how they go about their business. There’s a reason why guys are there. Gary Trent just signed. Bobby Portis just signed. Taurean Prince just signed. Ryan Rollins just signed. Everybody sees the vision. They didn’t sign just to do it. I just think that there’s a real belief in this organization. I’ve aligned myself with that.”

According to Wright, Bucks general manager Jon Horst and head coach Doc Rivers flanked Turner at the presser and said they view him as an optimal fit for both Antetokounmpo and the way the team wants to play. Rivers also tried to put any speculation to rest that Antetokounmpo might request a trade at some point before the season begins.

Giannis came to me the day after the season and we were talking about next season already,” Rivers said. “So, there’s far more talk outside of Milwaukee than there is inside of Milwaukee. Giannis loves Milwaukee. We love Giannis, and it’s been a great relationship. We’ve had some of our young guys in Greece already playing with him. I think we had six or seven guys go down (to Greece), several coaches. So, we are communicating a lot. It’s about next year, and it’s about winning.”

Central Notes: Giannis, Turner, Pacers, Lanier, Holland

Appearing on a live stream in Greece on Thursday with YouTube personality IShowSpeed, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was asked if his plan is to remain in Milwaukee going forward.

“Probably,” Antetokounmpo said (Twitter video link). “We’ll see. Probably. I love Milwaukee.”

While any public statement that Antetokounmpo makes about his future is notable, it’s hard to draw any definitive conclusions from those brief comments — they’re pretty much what you’d expect him to say if he hasn’t requested a trade but also hasn’t yet decisively committed to not asking for a trade. And by all accounts, that’s where his situation currently stands.

As we wait for a more conclusive update on Giannis’ future, the Bucks and their fans can take solace in the “probably” part of his response on Thursday, while potential suitors will likely be emboldened by the “we’ll see.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • After signing with the Bucks on Monday following 10 years in Indiana, Myles Turner published a farewell to Pacers fans on his Instagram account on Thursday. “This chapter is closing, but the respect and love I have for this city and its people is forever,” Turner wrote within a much longer statement. “Thank you Indy, from the bottom of my heart. I mean it when I say The 317 will always be home. And I’ve been proud to call myself a Hoosier! I hope you continue to embrace me as much as I’ve always embraced you!”
  • Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star shares three takeaways from the Pacers‘ victory in their first Las Vegas Summer League game on Thursday, noting that two-way players RayJ Dennis (26 points, nine assists) and Quenton Jackson (24 points on 8-of-10 shooting) were among the standouts. It would be a boon for the Pacers if Dennis emerges as a reliable option at the NBA level, Dopirak observes, since the team will be on the lookout for additional point guard depth with Tyrese Haliburton out for the entire 2025/26 season.
  • Pistons second-round pick Chaz Lanier believes he’s capable of “immediately” playing a role for his new NBA team as a rookie, he told reporters during his introductory press conference this week. “Coming in to do whatever they need me to do,” Lanier said, per Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News. “Coming in and making shots when I need to. … I am a shooter first, that is what I hang my hat on; putting the ball in the basket. However, I believe that at the NBA level, you need to be able to make an impact on defense. That is how I plan on making my mark.”
  • Pistons forward Ron Holland, who turned 20 on Monday, was pleased that he was able to earn an every-game rotation role as a rookie last season, but he feels like he “left a lot on the table” and “could’ve done more,” as Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press relays (subscription required). “That’s definitely putting a chip on my shoulder and being able to go into next season trying to thrive and get better every single day,” Holland said.