Bucks Join Pursuit Of Brandon Rush
The Bucks are the latest team in the mix for former Timberwolves swingman Brandon Rush, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
Rush is one of the top free agents left on the market with training camp just a week away. The 32-year-old spent just one season with Minnesota after signing there last summer. He appeared in 47 games, starting 33, and averaged 4.2 points per night. He has also played for the Pacers, Warriors and Jazz in a nine-year NBA career.
Milwaukee has also expressed interest in free agent forward Dante Cunningham, who spent the last three seasons with the Pelicans, Wolfson adds, but he is expected to sign somewhere else.
The Bucks will have 18 players under contract with the expected re-signing of Jason Terry. Only 14 have guaranteed money, so an opening exists for Rush or Cunningham.
Bucks Had Interest In Anthony Morrow
- Anthony Morrow will officially come off the market shortly, having reached an agreement with the Trail Blazers. Before striking a deal with Portland though, Morrow also received interest from several teams, including the Timberwolves, Bucks, Pelicans, and Bulls, reports Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
Poll: Milwaukee Bucks’ 2017/18 Win Total
The Bucks were one of the NBA’s best teams down the stretch in 2016/17. Having fallen to 22-30 in early February, Milwaukee reeled off a 22-10 run to finish the season, earning a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and then giving the Raptors all they could handle in the first round.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s star on the rise and many of the Bucks’ other core players – such as Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, Thon Maker, and Jabari Parker – still young enough to expect improvements, the team is a popular pick to make some noise in the East in 2017/18.
Still, the Bucks’ cap situation prevented the club from making roster upgrades over the summer. Milwaukee didn’t lose many key pieces — off-the-bench scorer Michael Beasley headed elsewhere, and veteran glue guy Jason Terry remains unsigned, but virtually everyone else is back. The Bucks also didn’t add any players likely to make an impact in 2017/18 though. The team’s only real additions were draftees D.J. Wilson and Sterling Brown.
The Bucks have enough young talent that it’s reasonable to expect the team to take a step forward even without any changes to the roster, and oddsmakers are counting on that. After finishing with a 42-40 record last season, the Bucks have an over/under of 47.5 wins for 2017/18, per offshore betting site Bovada.
What do you think? Can the Bucks improve by at least six wins this season, even with Parker not expected to return until sometime in 2018? Or should we temper our expectations for the young squad a little? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
How many games will the Bucks win in 2017/18?
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Over 47.5 64% (398)
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Under 47.5 36% (225)
Total votes: 623
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Previous over/under voting results:
- Golden State Warriors: Over 67.5 (53.57%)
- Boston Celtics: Over 55.5 (63.5%)
- Houston Rockets: Over 55.5 (65.57%)
- San Antonio Spurs: Over 54.5 (67.74%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Over 53.5 (68.82%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Over 50.5 (71.77%)
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 48.5 (55.69%)
- Toronto Raptors: Over 48.5 (64.21%)
- Washington Wizards: Over 47.5 (71.29%)
15 Two-Way Contract Slots Remain Open
With NBA training camps just a couple weeks away, most teams are putting the finishing touches on their respective rosters. In addition to having secured at least a dozen players on guaranteed contracts and perhaps a handful of camp invitees, each NBA club has also signed at least one player to a two-way contract.
As we explain in depth in our FAQ, two-way contracts – a new concept under the league’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement – allow NBA teams to carry two extra players in addition to the 15 on their regular season roster. These players spend most of their time with the club’s G League affiliate, but are eligible to join the NBA roster for up to 45 days per season, and remain under team control — they can’t be poached by rival franchises.
Teams have been signing players to two-way contracts since July, so we’re starting to get a better idea of what players on those deals will look like — some are late second-round draft picks; some are undrafted rookies; others are G League or international veterans, or former NBA players looking to work their way back into the league.
Every NBA club has signed at least one player to a two-way deal, but only half of those 30 clubs have filled both spots, meaning that there are still 15 two-way openings around the league. With the help of our two-way tracker, here’s a breakdown of the teams that still have an open two-way slot:
- Atlanta Hawks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Dallas Mavericks
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Miami Heat
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Portland Trail Blazers
While the Suns and Jazz technically could be included on this list, they’ve reportedly reached agreements – with Alec Peters and Nate Wolters, respectively – to fill their second two-way slots, so unless those deals unexpectedly fall through, they won’t have any openings.
Although some of these two-way openings figure to be filled in advance of training camp, many of the clubs listed above have signed camp invitees to Exhibit 10 contracts, which can later be converted into two-way deals. So rather than signing someone new and waiving a camp invitee, a handful of teams may simply convert an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way contract before the regular season begins.
Timberwolves Continue To Eye Dante Cunningham
SEPTEMBER 13, 10:39am: The Timberwolves are putting the “full-court press” on Cunningham in the hopes of bringing him back to Minnesota, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press.
SEPTEMBER 12, 7:56pm: After agreeing to terms with Shabazz Muhammad earlier today, the Timberwolves continue to scour the free agent market for veteran additions, and they’d “very much welcome” forward Dante Cunningham, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). Wolfson, who tweeted on Monday about the “buzz” on Muhammad and the Wolves, suggests there’s a comparable buzz now on Minnesota’s chances for Cunningham.
As we’ve written several times over the last few weeks, the Timberwolves have been on the lookout for two wings and a point guard to fill out their roster. With Muhammad set to finalize a new contract, that leaves a wing and a point guard on Minnesota’s shopping list. Cunningham is more of a power forward, but has added a three-point shot to his arsenal and has seen plenty of minutes at small forward in past seasons.
We heard nearly two weeks ago that the Pelicans and Bucks are in play for Cunningham as well, in addition to the Wolves. New Orleans and Milwaukee are hovering around luxury tax territory and Minnesota has used its cap space and room exception, so a minimum salary deal appears likely for Cunningham when he eventually strikes a deal.
The Wolves have brought in a number of veteran free agents for workouts this month, with Anthony Morrow, Alan Anderson, Isaiah Canaan, and Thomas Robinson among the players to get a look last week. Jason Terry and Marcus Thornton are reportedly visiting Minnesota this week, though Wolfson suggests (via Twitter) that Terry is more likely to end up with the Bucks than the Wolves. Wolfson also adds another name to the list of veterans drawing interest from Minnesota, tweeting that free agent swingman Gerald Green is in town this week.
Season Ticket Sales Spike
- The Bucks have seen their season ticket numbers rise this summer on the heels of a solid 2016/17 and the looming benefits of a new venue. James Nelson of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that the franchise is selling multi-year packs that will give fans the chance to watch the team in the BMO Harris Bradley Center this season and the team’s yet-to-be-named new facility in 2018/19.
- Ever wonder just how much of a physical advantage Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has over some of his opponents? A post on Reddit demonstrates just how big the 22-year-old’s hands really are.
Bucks Waiving Jalen Moore
10:44am: Moore tells Matt Velasquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he asked to be released from his contract because of anxiety issues (Twitter link). Moore said he wants to get help with that problem before pursuing an NBA career.
10:01am: The Bucks have requested waivers on Jalen Moore, who signed a two-way contract July 8, the team announced via Twitter.
Milwaukee signed former Celtics guard James Young to a training camp deal this week, so it’s possible the team is considering him for the open two-way spot. Bronson Koenig has the Bucks’ other two-way contract. The Bucks now have 17 players under contract for training camp, but only 13 have guaranteed money.
Moore, who played for Milwaukee’s entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, was an All-Mountain West selection last season at Utah State. The 6’8″ forward averaged 17.0 points and 5.5 rebounds as a senior and shot 38.3% from 3-point range.
Extension Talks Underway Between Bucks, Parker
While agent Mark Bartelstein isn’t commenting on the specifics, he acknowledged to Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times that he has been in contact with the Bucks to begin negotiating a possible contract extension for client Jabari Parker.
“We have had discussions; there has been dialogue,” Bartelstein said. “It’s been a positive dialogue. But that’s all I can say at this time.”
Parker continues to recover from a second ACL tear and likely won’t be back on the court for the Bucks until 2018, though the club is confident he’ll make a full recovery from his knee injury. Multiple sources who spoke to Woelfel believe that the young forward will be looking for a contract similar to the one he would’ve sought if not for the injury — a five-year, maximum salary extension. According to Woelfel, Parker and Bartelstein declined to comment themselves on specifics, but “those familiar with both individuals insist [they] won’t settle for anything less than a max contract.”
[RELATED: Extension Candidate: Jabari Parker]
If that’s the case, an extension before the October 16 deadline seems very unlikely for Parker. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders recently reported that the Bucks are open to getting something done with the 22-year-old. However, Milwaukee is expected to seek team-friendly terms, given the current state of Parker’s knee.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Giannis Antetokounmpo accepted less than the maximum salary a year ago, inking a four-year, $100MM extension that will go into effect this season. With Antetokounmpo on the books at that price, a max deal for Parker – which figures to be worth in the neighborhood of $150MM over five years – would be a tough sell. As Woefel observes, Bartelstein has a reputation for getting his clients top dollar, but I can’t see the Bucks going that high.
If the Bucks aren’t willing to meet Parker’s asking price this fall, he’d be eligible for restricted free agency in 2018, at which point he’d have three options: Working out a long-term deal with the Bucks, signing an offer sheet with another club (which the Bucks could match), or signing his one-year qualifying offer and reaching unrestricted free agency in 2019.
Powell Discusses Bucks' Offseason
- In a pair of pieces for NBA.com, Shaun Powell takes a look back at the offseason moves by the Bucks and Bulls, noting that Milwaukee continues to focus on developing its talented young core, while Chicago’s Jimmy Butler trade signals that the Bulls are also trying to make youth a priority.
Latest On Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade feels misled by the Bulls and hasn’t talked with anyone from the front office for two months, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. Those strained feelings have led to rumors of an impending buyout and the possibility that Wade might be headed to Cleveland, Los Angeles or Miami.
Sources tell Kennedy that Wade asked management for assurances that Chicago would have a competitive team next season before deciding to opt in for $23.8MM. The front office promised him it would, so Wade announced June 21 that he will stay for another year. The next day, the Bulls traded Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves and signaled the start of a rebuilding process.
At 35, Wade doesn’t have a lot of years left in the league and he doesn’t want to waste a season playing for a lottery team. Kennedy states Wade’s only discussions with the organization since the deal were with coach Fred Hoiberg and didn’t involve anything related to the team.
Several recent stories in the national media have been negative toward Wade, which Kennedy speculates is the Bulls’ way of angering him so he might be willing to accept less in a buyout just to get out of Chicago. A recent report from ESPN suggested the Bulls’ younger players don’t like having Wade as a teammate. A Fox Sports story claimed Wade and Butler had a strained relationship, which Butler denies.
Even if a breakup is imminent, all public comments from the Bulls’ front office have indicated Wade is staying with the team. Kennedy adds that Wade is preparing to report to training camp if a buyout doesn’t happen in the next three weeks.
A source tells Kennedy the Cavaliers and Heat are the most likely destinations for Wade once a buyout is completed. If he does go to Cleveland, he will probably become a starter, with J.R. Smith being moved to a reserve role. The Cavs see a Wade addition as a way to improve their roster and appease LeBron James before he enters free agency next summer.
Wade recently took his children out of school in Chicago and moved them back to Miami, but Kennedy warns not to read too much into the move. Wade and Heat president Pat Riley have barely communicated since their 2016 breakup, and Wade wouldn’t be guaranteed a starting spot in Miami. Other teams, such as the Nuggets and Bucks, who both tried to sign Wade last summer, could also get involved.