Milwaukee Bucks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stein’s Latest: Paul, Holiday, Leonard, Harrison

July 16th, 2021 at 1:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks considered a trade for Chris Paul last offseason before deciding to make a run at Jrue Holiday, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column. Milwaukee wanted to add a veteran guard who could fill a leadership role after a disappointing playoff loss to the Heat, and Paul was an obvious name to consider.

The Bucks opted for a younger alternative in Holiday, who has helped them reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 50 years. Stein believes the addition of Holiday helped convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to commit to the franchise with a five-year, $228MM contract extension.

Holiday finds himself matched up in the Finals against Paul, whom the Thunder promised to trade to a contender last fall as they began rebuilding. Paul wanted to be closer to his son in Los Angeles, so the Bucks would have been at a disadvantage if he’d been their preferred choice.

Stein offers more news from around the league:

There were rumors that Paul might be interested in opting out of his $44.2MM salary for next season and leaving Phoenix this summer, but that seems less likely after the Finals run. No matter what he decides on the option, Stein expects Paul to be back with the Suns next season, noting that he fits perfectly alongside Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and coach Monty Williams. Booker said recently that the team’s 8-0 record after the restart motivated management to pursue Paul.
Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has a $36MM option decision to make, and the ACL surgery he had this week will likely influence his thinking. League sources expect him to remain in L.A., according to Stein, but several teams will be interested if he hits the open market. Stein states that the Mavericks are willing to sign Leonard even if the ACL prevents him from playing next season.
New Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said he has received offers from other teams in the past, but he chose to remain with Nike until the opportunity with Dallas arose. League sources tell Stein that the Spurs and Lakers are among the franchises that have shown interest in Harrison.

Middleton Discusses NBL Ownership

July 15th, 2021 at 9:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bucks forward Khris Middleton is focused on the Finals but he’s also a minority owner with the Brisbane Bullets in Australia’s NBL. Middleton told Marc Spears of The Undefeated many players are looking into similar ventures. “Being a part of an ownership group is something I wanted to do, for sure,” Middleton said. “As a player it could be tough. But I realize the responsibilities I had wasn’t going to really affect my basketball career right now. But it’s something I think a lot of players are starting to trend towards is finding ways to invest their money, finding things to do with their money that can grow, and it’s something I’m interested in.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Middleton are the two main building blocks that made the Bucks a championship-level team. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today examines the lengthy partnership between the two teammates. Middleton was acquired in 2013 from Detroit in the same year the two-time MVP was drafted. “At first, friendly competition, a guy like him from Detroit and I just got drafted,” Antetokounmpo said. “We just tried to get on the floor, going at one another in practices. But throughout the time, there was a lot of times that he proved that he’s going to do whatever it takes to help the team win. That’s the type of guy that you want next to you.”

Draft Workouts: Wizards, Springer, Kuminga, Pacers, Hornets, Bezhanishvili

July 14th, 2021 at 3:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Wizards own the No. 15 pick and they’ve been very busy working out players. Guards Chris Duarte of Oregon, Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois and Josh Christopher of Arizona State visited last week, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. They brought in some less heralded prospects on Tuesday, a list that includes Mitchell Ballock (Creighton), D.J. Carton (Marquette), Matt Coleman III (Texas), Ryan Daly (St. Joseph) and Mark Vital (Baylor), according to a team press release.

Potential first-round Jaden Springer (Tennessee) heads the list of prospects who will work out for the club on Thursday, Hughes tweets. They’ll also take a look at Zane Martin (Towson), Asbjorn Midtgaard (Grand Canyon), Eugene Omoruyi (Oregon), Micah Potter (Wisconsin) and Guilherme Santos (Minas-Brazil).

We have more draft workout info:

Jaden Springer, a point guard currently ranked No. 27 on ESPN’s Best Available list, has also worked out for the Knicks, Spurs, Thunder and Pelicans, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report tweets.
G League Ignite forward Jonathan Kuminga, ranked No. 5 by ESPN, worked out for the Cavaliers on Wednesday, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer tweets. The Cavs hold the No. 3 overall pick.
Jose Alvarado (Georgia Tech), Dalano Banton (Nebraska), Chaundee Brown (Michigan), Sharife Cooper (Auburn), Jalen Crutcher (Dayton) and Mac McClung (Texas Tech) will work out for the Pacers on Thursday, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets.
The Hornets hosted Vrenz Bleijenbergh (Antwerp Belgium), Feron Hunt (SMU), D.J. Stewart (Mississippi State), Ethan Thompson (Oregon State), Romeo Weems (DePaul) and Marcus Zegarowski (Creighton), the team’s PR department tweets.
Illinois big man Giorgi Bezhanishvili is working out for the Hawks Thursday, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweets. He’s also worked out recently for the Bucks and Grizzlies.

Fischer’s Latest: Collins, Schröder, Lowry, Green, Tucker, Dinwiddie, Oubre

July 14th, 2021 at 12:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sign-and-trade deals are expected to be plentiful this summer and the largest one could involve Hawks forward John Collins, writes Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report. Most contenders have limited cap flexibility, so league insiders are expecting the sign-and-trade option to be used with several of the top free agents.

Collins, a restricted free agent, could be on the move because of the perception that Atlanta doesn’t view him as a max player. Team owner Tony Ressler said last week that the team is hoping to reach a “fair agreement” with Collins, which raises questions about how high the Hawks would be willing to go to match an offer.

League sources tell Fischer there will be a “sizable market” for Collins once free agency begins next month. The Mavericks have been considered a possible destination for some time, and the Timberwolves are another team to watch, according to Fischer.

He shares some more rumors involving potential sign-and-trades:

Dennis Schröder turned down a four-year, $84MM extension offer from the Lakers and is expected to be on the move this summer. Fischer notes that Schröder wants a bigger salary and a larger role in the offense, but he’s not likely to get either in L.A. The Bulls and Knicks are expected to have interest in the veteran point guard, according to league sources, and a sign-and-trade is the Lakers’ best opportunity to add talent this offseason. L.A. will also continue to see what it can get in return for Kyle Kuzma, Fischer adds.
The Sixers remain interested in Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and he’s believed to welcome the chance to play for his hometown team. Several contenders will have their eyes on Philadelphia guard Danny Green, who represents another sign-and-trade opportunity.
Giving P.J. Tucker a new deal with the $12MM average salary he asked for in Houston would push the Bucks over the tax apron. Fischer states that the Nets have been interested in Tucker since they started negotiating the James Harden trade, and the Heat expressed interest as well when they talked to the Rockets about Victor Oladipo. Fischer identifies the Lakers, Warriors, Nuggets and Jazz as other teams to watch, along with the Timberwolves, who are led by former Houston executive Gersson Rosas and have been trying to acquire Tucker since the 2020 draft.
Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Warriors forward Kelly Oubre are two other potential names on the sign-and-trade market, according to Fischer. Sources say Brooklyn kept Dinwiddie past the trade deadline so he could be a potential sign-and-trade asset, while Oubre offers a chance for tax-strapped Golden State to pick up talent. Fischer names the Mavericks, Knicks and Heat as teams that would be interested in both players.

Wes Unseld Jr., Darvin Ham Leading Contenders To Become Wizards Coach

July 14th, 2021 at 10:36am CST by Arthur Hill

The frontrunners in the Wizards‘ search for a new head coach are Nuggets assistant Wes Unseld Jr. and Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Bucks assistant Charles Lee is also a finalist for the job, Woj adds.

All three were reported last week as moving past the first round of interviews, along with former Mavericks assistant Jamahl Mosley, who was hired as head coach of the Magic over the weekend. Washington and New Orleans are the only teams currently without a head coach.

Unseld is the sentimental choice for Wizards fans because his father was a legend in the area as a five-time All-Star with the Bullets. The younger Unseld started his coaching career with the Wizards in 2005 and spent time with the Warriors and Magic before coming to Denver.

Ham has been as assistant under Budenholzer for the past eight years in Milwaukee and Atlanta. His coaching career began with the Lakers in 2011.

The Wizards have been looking for a coach since deciding not to extend Scott Brooks‘ contract in mid-June.

Central Notes: Pistons, Antetokounmpo, Tucker, Taylor

July 13th, 2021 at 9:29pm CST by Eli Cohen

With the number one pick in the draft and a promising, newly re-made young core, this is a pivotal offseason for the Pistons, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic in a mailbag.

Within the piece, Edwards discusses the likelihood of the Pistons selecting Cade Cunningham (very likely), the fit between Cunningham and last year’s top selection (French point guard Killian Hayes), 2021 free agency plans, what the Pistons are likely to do with restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo, Isaiah Stewart‘s status as a starting center, Jerami Grant, and much more.

We have more from the Central Division:

David Aldridge of The Athletic profiles Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s dramatic return from injury and resumption of his regular season dominance. He talks to two-time NBA champion Isiah Thomas, among others, about what Antetokounmpo has done in the three games since his return. “He’s been the most inspiring player during these playoffs, while (Chris) Paul has been the sentimental player we all root for and want his career to end with a ring,” Thomas said in a text to Aldridge.
Tim MacMahon and Tim Bontemps of ESPN examine the journey Bucks forward P.J. Tucker has taken from the Ukrainian SuperLeague to the NBA Finals. One of the keys to Tucker’s resilience and fortitude, write MacMahon and Bontemps, was his ability to form connections in the locker room. “We had a team with an old Serbian guy who didn’t speak particularly good English, and P.J. made a connection with him and had a great friendship with him,” said former coach Chris Fleming. “The U.S. players, the young German players, he had an ability to reach everybody.”
The Bulls worked out Terry Taylor on Monday, tweets Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw. The 6’5″ guard averaged over 20 PPG and 11 RPG over his final two seasons at Austin Peay State University.

Community Shootaround: Antetokounmpo’s Finals Run

July 13th, 2021 at 7:37pm CST by Eli Cohen

When Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with a hyperextended knee in Game 4 of the Bucks‘ Eastern Conference Finals series against the Hawks, it was unclear what it would mean for the his chances at playing in the NBA Finals. His medical status was up in the air until just moments before tip-off in Game 1 against the Suns, but he ultimately was able to suit up.

Even with the Bucks losing the opening game and getting a relatively pedestrian 20-point performance from the two-time MVP, it was clear that Giannis was back. From his 17 rebounds to his work in the post, he found his footing after some early hesitancy.

Antetokounmpo’s following two games were nothing short of spectacular. The Greek Freak joined Shaquille O’Neal as the only two players in Finals history to post back-to-back 40-point, 10-rebound games as the Bucks split Games 2 and 3 with the Suns.

With Game 4 looming on Wednesday on the Bucks’ home court, Antetokounmpo currently has the 12th-highest scoring rate in NBA Finals history at 34.3 PPG, the fifth-highest rebound rate at 14 RPG, and the third-highest free throw rate at 15.7 FTA. Only two points per game separate Antetokounmpo’s scoring rate with the sixth-highest output in Finals history, O’Neal’s 36.3 PPG in the 2000 Finals.

Antetokounmpo’s co-stars, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, have struggled to contribute at the highest level all series, though Holiday managed to free himself for 21 points in Game 3. If those two players continue to struggle, the Bucks will need Antetokounmpo to continue his Herculean efforts if they want any chance to bring home the coveted Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

If the Bucks are to complete the comeback from a 2-0 deficit for the second time this postseason, it will likely be on the back of an all-time, legacy-making Finals performance from Antetokounmpo.

Which leads to the question of the day: Can Antetokounmpo enshrine his name in the pantheon of the all-time Finals performances? Can he lead the Bucks to their first championship since 1971?

Head to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Bobby Portis Talks 2020 Free Agency, Giannis, Mirotic, Bulls

July 12th, 2021 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to Shams Charania of The Athletic about his experience as a free agent in 2020, Bucks forward Bobby Portis confirmed that the Knicks offered him a new contract after turning down his $15.75MM team option. However, he didn’t view New York as a “good situation” for him in 2019/20 and was unsure about whether the new leadership group (executives Leon Rose and William Wesley, along with head coach Tom Thibodeau) would change that.

“Obviously, Leon and (Wesley) and those guys were going to come in and try to change it around, but I just wanted to go to a winning culture and where I felt like I can fit in with guys,” Portis said. “I watched the bubble last season and I watched Milwaukee a lot, and I felt like it was a team I really fit on.

Joining the Bucks meant taking a substantial pay cut — Milwaukee had to fit in Portis using the bi-annual exception, meaning he earned just $3.6MM in 2020/21. However, the 26-year-old told Charania that he has saved money throughout his career and that a modest salary “wasn’t the biggest issue” for him, since he hopes to be playing in the NBA for another decade. After years of playing for lottery teams, Portis’ preference was to show he’s capable of contributing to a contender.

“I wanted to use this year as a get-back year for me just to get my name back,” Portis said. “An investment year. And so far, so good. It’s one of the best decisions of my career so far.”

Here are a few more of the most notable comments from Portis’ interview with Charania:

On how he and the Bucks began free agent talks last offseason:

“I actually hit Giannis (Antetokounmpo) up and told him I can come help the team and I can help everyone out. He went to the boss (front office) and told him come and get me.

“… I didn’t know Giannis much. So being able to reach out to him and him responding back was great. He was over in Greece. We were in two different time zones so I had to catch him when he was seven hours. I finally caught up with him, and everything worked out.”

On what changed his mindset and made him want to take a discount to play for a winning team:

“I think last year, the bubble did it for me. Years before, when my team didn’t make the playoffs, I was able to take my mind off of it. Going on a trip with my family or traveling or flying here and working out there. But last year when my team wasn’t invited to the bubble, I think that’s when I had enough of it because I was at home for f—ing nine months from March to November. No NBA games to play in, just straight working out. Watching the other teams that were invited in the bubble from home, that’s what really did it for me.”

On the 2017 incident when Portis punched Bulls teammate Nikola Mirotic in practice:

“Me and Mirotic, we always got into altercations. That wasn’t our first time. The guys in the front office knew that. That one was a little different. Some of the things that got misconstrued was that I sucker-punched him or whatever. The guys that were there at the time, they knew what happened. If it was that serious, they wouldn’t have offered me a contract extension.

“… What’s so crazy is me and (Mirotic) were balling together when he came back from injury. I haven’t talked to him ever since then, but no hard feelings at all my way. I was 22 at the time, and he was 26 or something. So we were both young guys. That’s a blur for me.”

On turning down a four-year contract extension (reportedly worth $40-50MM) from the Bulls prior to his fourth NBA season in 2018:

“If I knew then what I know now, I’d tell my younger self to take the extension. It’s life-changing money, money that can set my family up and generational wealth that can provide for generations to come. I wasn’t looking at it like that. I was looking at it like, ‘Oh, I think my worth is this and that.’ But really at the time, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Sometimes, it works for people. I would’ve told myself to take it. I think it was a great fit for me. I had a very good connection with the Bulls.”

Torrey Craig Probable For Game 3

July 11th, 2021 at 3:02pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns reserve swingman Torrey Craig, who exited Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Bucks with a right knee contusion, has been listed as probable for Game 3 tonight, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Sources inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter) that Craig intends to play in this evening’s contest.

An MRI taken of Craig’s knee earlier this week indicated no structural damage to the ligament. He had been considered day-to-day ahead of this latest health status update.

Craig, a 30-year-old pro basketball journeyman who was traded from the Bucks to the Suns for cash considerations in March, has proven to be a helpful and versatile defensive-oriented wing at the end of Phoenix’s rotation during the end of the regular season and throughout the Suns’ run to the Finals.

In the playoffs, Craig is averaging 4.3 PPG and 3.2 RPG across 12.5 MPG, with a solid shooting line of .446/.452/.667.

Bucks Notes: Middleton, Giannis, Team Building, Portis

July 10th, 2021 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks may be in a difficult situation, trailing Phoenix 2-0 in the NBA Finals, but the mood was relaxed at today’s media session, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Giannis Antetokounmpo joked with reporters as he answered questions, explaining that the team has chosen this approach rather than being dragged down by the must-win game Sunday night.

Khris Middleton noted that Milwaukee was in the same predicament in the second round against the Nets. The Bucks were able to regroup and take that series after two lopsided losses in Brooklyn.

“A lot of people thought our season was done,” he said. “We still believed in ourselves. We came back and had an ugly grind-it-out game that we found a way to win. Sometimes it’s not going to be pretty. Sometimes it’s going to be ugly. We just got to find a way to win one game at a time from here on out.”

There’s more from Milwaukee:

An impassioned speech that Antetokounmpo delivered late in the first half of Game 2 shows how much he has grown in a leadership role, observes Sam Amick of The Athletic. Although he prefers to avoid the spotlight, Giannis has become the team’s on-court leader, a status he cemented when he agreed to a contract extension in December. “He’s grown as a leader vocally. He always had that, you know, workman-type attitude and he always put as much time in the gym as anybody,” Pat Connaughton said. “But even when he got hurt (in the East finals), he was vocal. He was with us. He was present. He was in the locker room. He was on the bench during games. He was pulling people aside individually. He was pulling the team aside collectively and I think he’s done a phenomenal job in his growth as a leader vocally.”
It took eight years for the Bucks to build a Finals team around Antetokounmpo and Middleton, who have been with the team since 2013, and Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN looks back at nine significant events in that process.
In an article for The Players’ Tribune, Bobby Portis talks about the challenge facing the Bucks and how it relates to his own journey to become an NBA player.