Timberwolves’ Reid, Hawks’ Gueye Fined $35K
Timberwolves big man Naz Reid and Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye have been fined $35K apiece for their roles in an on-court altercation in Monday’s game in Atlanta, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).
On the first possession of the fourth quarter, Gueye committed a defensive foul on Reid, who fell to the floor after being shoved by the Hawks forward. Upset by the play, Reid got up and confronted Gueye, which led to some shoving between the two players, who also grabbed and held each other’s jerseys “in an aggressive manner,” per the league (YouTube video link).
Coaches and players from both teams stepped in and were eventually able to deescalate the confrontation between Reid and Gueye. Both players received technical fouls and were ejected from the game, which the Timberwolves won by a score of 138-116. Now they’ve been hit with matching fines as well.
The $35K penalty will be felt more by Gueye, who is earning a minimum salary of $2,221,677 in the third season of a four-year contract with Atlanta.
Reid, who signed a five-year, $125MM deal last offseason that made him 2025’s highest-paid free agent, is earning $21,551,724 this season.
NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots
A number of free agent signings have been finalized in the days since last Thursday’s trade deadline, but there are still many teams around the NBA with one or more open spots on their respective rosters.
For clubs with just a single standard or two-way opening, there’s not necessarily any urgency to fill those spots, especially ahead of the All-Star break. But the clock is ticking for teams who have two or more openings on their standard rosters to make a move, since clubs are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.
These situations remain fluid, with more roster moves being finalized each day. But with the help of our roster count tracker, here’s where things stand for all 30 teams around the NBA as of Tuesday morning. As a reminder, teams are typically permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.
(Note: Teams marked with an asterisk have a player on a 10-day contract.)
Multiple open roster spots
- Teams with multiple 15-man openings:
- Boston Celtics
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Teams with one 15-man and one two-way opening:
- Golden State Warriors
- Sacramento Kings
The Celtics entered trade deadline week with 14 players on their standard roster and sent out four players (Anfernee Simons, Chris Boucher, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Josh Minott) while only taking back one (Nikola Vucevic). They promoted Amari Williams from his two-way contract to the standard roster to get to 12 players, but they still have three roster openings.
Given how tight their margins are below the tax line, the Celtics will likely use their full two-week allotment and wait until February 19 before making two additions to get back to the roster minimum of 14.
The Nuggets dipped to 13 players on standard contracts by trading Hunter Tyson last Thursday and also have until Feb. 19 to get back to 14. Two-way standout Spencer Jones has reached his 50-game limit and is the obvious candidate to be promoted into that spot, though he’s in the concussion protocol for now, so Denver may not to need to make that move until after the All-Star break.
The Timberwolves went from 14 players to 13 when they sent out Mike Conley on Tuesday of trade deadline week, so they have until Feb. 17 to reach the roster minimum again. It sounds like their old 14th man will likely become their new 14th man, with Conley expected to re-sign in Minnesota after being dealt twice ahead of last week’s deadline.
As for the Warriors and Kings, both clubs both briefly went down to 13 players, but they’ve since promoted two-way players Pat Spencer and Dylan Cardwell, respectively, so they’re back to 14 and there’s no urgency for them to make additional moves. Still, it’s worth noting that both teams technically have multiple roster openings, since they’ve yet to sign new two-way players to replace Spencer and Cardwell. Both Golden State and Sacramento are carrying 14 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals.
One open roster spot
- Teams with a 15-man opening:
- Brooklyn Nets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Heat
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Phoenix Suns
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards *
- Teams with a two-way opening:
- Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Clippers *
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers **
The Nets, Cavaliers, Rockets, Pacers, Heat, Pelicans, Knicks, Magic, and Jazz are all carrying 14 players on full-season standard contracts and three on two-way deals, with no reported signings pending. They’re each free to carry that open roster spot for as long as they want to, though some figure to fill it sooner rather than later.
The Suns, meanwhile, are in the same boat as those teams but might create a second opening on their 15-man roster in the near future — the expectation is that they’ll waive newly acquired guard Cole Anthony. If they do so, they’d have 14 days to add a replacement.
The Wizards have perhaps the most fluid situation of any team in this group. They have 13 players on standard, full-season contracts, with Keshon Gilbert on a 10-day deal that will expire during the All-Star break. It’s also possible that D’Angelo Russell, acquired in the Anthony Davis blockbuster, won’t be on the roster much longer, with buyout rumors swirling around him. If Washington parts ways with Russell and doesn’t re-sign Gilbert, the team would have three 15-man openings and would need to fill at least two of them.
The Pistons, Clippers, Bucks, and Sixers all currently have full 15-man rosters and one open two-way slot, but L.A. and Philadelphia will soon open up standard roster spots.
The Clippers have Dalano Banton on a 10-day deal through next Monday, while the 76ers have Charles Bassey and Patrick Baldwin Jr. on 10-day pacts through Saturday. Both teams are at or near their limit of “under-15” games for two-way players, so if they want to continue using their players on two-way contracts, they’ll need to ensure they maintain full 15-man rosters.
No open roster spots
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Dallas Mavericks
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies *
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors
The Hawks, Hornets, Bulls, Mavericks, Lakers, Thunder, Trail Blazers, Spurs, and Raptors are all carrying 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. If they want to make a free agent addition during the season’s final two months, they’ll have to cut a player to do so.
In some of those cases, there’s an obvious release candidate on the roster. For instance, it’s believed to be just a matter of time until Toronto officially waives Chris Paul. A few of those clubs will also need to make room on their 15-man rosters to convert two-way players — Ryan Nembhard in Dallas and Sidy Cissoko in Portland are among the top candidates for promotions.
As for the Grizzlies, one of their 15 standard players – Lawson Lovering – is on a 10-day contract. His deal will expire after the team’s Feb. 20 game, opening up a roster spot in Memphis.
Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert Calls Out Teammates For Lack Of Effort
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert called out his teammates’ lack of effort following a 119-115 home loss to the floundering Pelicans on Friday.
“At some point, if the players don’t have accountability, someone has to have accountability for the players,” Gobert said, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “I’m on straight effort. I’m just talking straight effort. I’m not even getting to the basketball side of things, like there’s always mistakes are a part of the game, but the effort to me for a team that wants to play for a championship, it’s unacceptable.”
The four-time Defensive Player of the Year didn’t mention any player in particular. However, Krawczynski noted that while the team’s other stars — Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle — scored a combined 59 points, they didn’t appear locked in on the other end of the floor.
Gobert implored the coaches to bench players if they’re not giving their all.
“It should start with ourselves, but it seems like we don’t have that, so I think at some point (it has to come) from the coaches,” Gobert said. “It’s not an easy position for a coach to take guys out of the game. It’s not something that you want to do, but I think if the players don’t show any effort, at some point, no matter how talented we are as a team, if you don’t have that, you just can’t be a winning team.”
Minnesota has lost eight of its last 15 games, ranking 18th in the league defensively during that span. Gobert didn’t give himself a free pass after Pelicans forward Zion Williamson powered for 29 points, mostly near the rim.
“It starts with me. If I’m not showing effort, bench me,” Gobert said. “Take me out of the game. Everybody else will follow. Our best players, leaders, if we don’t show any effort, it doesn’t matter if you score 50, we’re not going to win.”
At 32-21, the Timberwolves sit in sixth place of the Western Conference standings, barely above the play-in line.
“We want to be a championship team. We want to lift that trophy in June,” Gobert said. “This is a lesson that we need to get right now. It starts at the top.”
Post-Deadline Notes: 2027 Draft, Tanking, Pacers, More
Two teams near the bottom of the NBA’s standings, the Wizards and Jazz, raised eyebrows this week by making blockbuster deals for veterans stars Anthony Davis and Jaren Jackson Jr., respectively.
According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Washington’s and Utah’s willingness to push their rebuilds forward by sacrificing 2026 cap room and attempting to contend next season reflects not just the lack of top-level free agents expected to be available this summer but a league-wide lack of enthusiasm about the 2027 draft class.
While the 2026 draft is viewed as especially strong, the same can’t be said for ’27 or ’28 — sources tell Bontemps that neither year rates nearly as high as the ’26 class. In other words, after this year, there will be less incentive for teams like the Wizards and the Jazz to remain deep in lottery territory, pursuing high draft picks.
Still, the key caveat there is “after this year.” As Sam Vecenie of The Athletic writes, the NBA’s race to the bottom might get ugly in the next couple months, with the Wizards and Jazz still extremely motivated to hang onto their top-eight protected 2026 first-rounders while other sub-.500 clubs like the Kings, Pacers, Nets, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Bucks, and Bulls also have incentive to lose as much as possible.
The NBA is reportedly considering rule changes to discourage tanking and already has the ability to penalize teams for resting certain healthy players and/or mischaracterizing injuries. But teams will likely be willing to push the boundaries of the current rules and risk facing fines if it helps them secure a top 2026 pick, Vecenie writes.
“The value of confirming a top-five pick or improving your chances at a top-two pick in this draft class is very large,” one executive told The Athletic. “Is it worth $5 million if you keep getting fined by the PPP (player participation policy) and the price tag rises? Is it worth $10 million if you’re successful? We haven’t done modeling on that, but it wouldn’t surprise me if a team has and comes to the conclusion that getting access to one of the top players in this draft is worth a certain amount in fines.”
Here are a few more notes related to this year’s trade deadline and what’s to follow:
- In another story for ESPN.com, Bontemps spoke to scouts and executives about their impressions of the trade deadline, which included lottery teams emerging as buyers and many of the top contenders standing pat or making minimal roster adjustments. “These aprons are tough to build around,” one Western Conference scout told ESPN. “It means teams are going to have to negotiate harder moving forward.”
- Bontemps adds that people around the league are debating whether the Pacers will tank the rest of the way in the hopes of keeping their top-four protected 2026 first-round pick or go all-out in an effort to move up the standings in the hopes of pushing the pick to its other protected range (10-30). “If it was me, I would tank and get the best possible odds at the high pick,” an Eastern Conference executive said. “But if they choose to get to 10, I think they could.” The Clippers pushed for that 10-30 protection, according to Tony East of Circle City Spin, since they’d rather take their chances on an unprotected 2031 first-rounder if it doesn’t land between No. 5 and No. 9.
- The trades that didn’t get done at this season’s deadline could set the stage for a “wild” summer, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during a TV appearance on Thursday. “There’s a lot of unfinished business that didn’t get done,” Windhorst said, per RealGM, pointing to the Heat, Timberwolves, Knicks, and Cavaliers as some candidates to shake up their rosters if their postseason runs don’t go as planned. “… You will see a revisiting of the Giannis (Antetokounmpo) situation in the summer. “We know that the Clippers are now in the middle of a controlled tear-down. I don’t want to use the word ‘rebuild.’ What about Kawhi Leonard? And then you look at Domantas Sabonis — he was being floated and they couldn’t do a deal for him. None of that mentions Ja Morant.”
- This year’s “weird” trade deadline was characterized by “too-late” trades, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. As Hollinger explains, players like Davis, Trae Young, Jonathan Kuminga, and a handful of Bulls would’ve been warranted stronger packages if they had been moved earlier, but those teams instead settled for modest returns.
Mike Conley Plans To Rejoin Timberwolves
Veteran point guard Mike Conley intends to re-sign with the Timberwolves after he clears waivers, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Conley was traded twice this week. Minnesota originally sent him to Chicago in a salary-dump deal on Tuesday, then the Bulls flipped him to Charlotte along with Coby White. The Hornets subsequently cut him.
NBA rules prohibit a player who is traded and then waived to immediately re-sign with the team that traded him away. However, that restriction doesn’t apply to the Timberwolves because Conley was traded twice. Once he clears waivers and becomes a free agent, he’d be ineligible to re-sign with the Bulls, the last team that traded him away, but nothing would be standing in the way of a reunion with Minnesota.
Conley, who is in his 19th NBA season, became the Wolves’ starting point guard when they acquired him at the 2023 trade deadline and maintained that role through last season. However, he ceded his starting role to Donte DiVincenzo this fall and has averaged a career-low 18.5 minutes per night in 44 outings (nine starts) so far this season. His 4.4 points and 2.9 assists per game are also career lows, as is his 32.2% field goal percentage.
Despite Conley’s declining production, there were rumblings ahead of the trade deadline that the team wasn’t eager to move the 38-year-old due to his locker room leadership. With that in mind, getting the opportunity to move off of the guard’s $10.8MM expiring contract and then bring him back on a prorated minimum-salary deal represents the best of both worlds for the Wolves.
Minnesota has two open spots on its 15-man roster following its deadline moves, so no corresponding move will be necessary to create room for Conley.
According to Charania, the two sides are working on the timing of the deal. Conley will clear waivers on Saturday afternoon, but the Wolves may not re-sign him immediately since doing so would increase their projected luxury tax penalty and move them closer to the first tax apron.
Grizzlies Plan To Trade Ja Morant In Offseason
Two-time All-Star Ja Morant was among the most notable trade candidates who wasn’t on the move this week, but the Grizzlies‘ decision to hang onto him after trading away Jaren Jackson Jr. shouldn’t be viewed as a change in the team’s direction, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
League sources tell Vardon that the Grizzlies will revisit Morant trade talks during the 2026 offseason and intend to move him at that time.
Vardon’s report comes as no surprise. Memphis acquired a total of seven first-round picks and a first-round swap in trades involving Desmond Bane (last summer) and Jackson (on Tuesday), and has clearly pivoted to rebuilding around its younger core, led by Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells.
Still, it will be interesting to see how Memphis handles Morant in the next couple months. The 26-year-old is currently sidelined due to a sprained elbow, but that injury likely isn’t significant enough to end his season.
The Grizzlies – who have slipped out of the play-in picture at 20-29 – may be inclined to tank down the stretch in the hopes of maximizing their draft lottery position, which could mean holding out Morant for longer than they normally would. But they’ll have to weigh the merit of that approach against the possible benefits of reinserting the point guard into their lineup and giving him the opportunity to rebuild his trade value — at least to some extent.
Chris Mannix of SI.com wrote earlier this week that “availability, attitude and diminished production” are among the concerns potential suitors had about Morant, and it’s safe to assume his maximum-salary contract – which will pay him $87MM for the two seasons after this one – is another red flag. He wouldn’t be able to assuage all of those concerns with a strong finish to the season, but it might help improve offers from potential trade partners this summer.
Those offers were reportedly too underwhelming for the Grizzlies to seriously consider making a deal prior to Thursday’s deadline, despite the fact that they signaled they’d be willing to take on long-term salary if it came attached to stronger draft compensation.
The Heat, Kings, Bucks, and Timberwolves were linked to Morant this week. That list of possible suitors could grow – or at least change – this summer, depending on which direction certain teams take and which clubs become more motivated to shake up their rosters as a result of early postseason exits.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Rumors: Bucks, Heat, Wolves, Lakers
Although they entertained trade offers for the superstar forward, the Bucks ultimately decided to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo past Thursday’s deadline, pushing a decision on his future into the offseason.
The two-time MVP made an interesting social media post on Thursday afternoon (Twitter link). He wrote, “Legends don’t chase. They attract ” alongside a video clip from “The Wolf of Wall Street” in which Leonardo DiCaprio’s character repeatedly says, “I’m not leaving,” among other obscenities.
Sources close to Antetokounmpo reiterated to Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime (Twitter video link) that the 31-year-old “never requested a trade.”
“Obviously (Antetokounmpo) has been applying pressure over the last couple of years in hopes that the Bucks would turn this roster into a championship (contender),” Haynes said. “He wants to contend for a title for years and years in his prime.
“But right now he’s happy. I was told that he’s committed and focused on getting back healthy from that calf injury. He’s progressing really well, to the point where he might even play in the All-Star game on February 15.”
Here are some more Giannis-related rumors:
- A source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that the Heat were informed “very late” Wednesday night that Milwaukee would likely be retaining Antetokounmpo beyond the deadline (Twitter links). According to Jackson, Milwaukee considered the Heat’s offer and Miami was willing to “do what it took” to acquire the nine-time All-NBA member, but the Bucks preferred to wait and see what types of packages they could get in the summer. While the Warriors reportedly got the impression earlier this week the Bucks didn’t plan to trade Giannis, that was not was not how the Heat viewed the situation until late Wednesday, Jackson adds.
- One team that was in pursuit of Giannis told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that Milwaukee never gave a threshold it wanted met in a deal, leaving the unnamed club skeptical that the Bucks ever intended to trade Giannis this week (Twitter video link).
- Antetokounmpo recently made it known he was interested in teaming up with Anthony Edwards on the Timberwolves, team and league sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. According to Krawczynski, the Wolves canvassed the league to see what they could get for multiple key rotation players, but talks with the Bucks never reached an advanced stage. Krawczysnki hears that while new owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez were intrigued by the possibility of a Giannis trade, they also weren’t convinced that dealing away Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Joan Beringer would have been a “prudent” decision, given Antetokounmpo’s age and injury history.
- The Lakers intend to make a “hard push” for Antetokounmpo in the summer, sources tell Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. The Lakers will have three first-round picks to trade in the offseason, as opposed to the one they had access to prior to the deadline. Turner hears New York and Miami are Giannis’ preferred landing spots, but the 13-year veteran hasn’t ruled out the Lakers as a possibility.
Bulls Trade Ayo Dosunmu To Timberwolves
The Bulls have officially traded guard Ayo Dosunmu to the Timberwolves, the Wolves and Bulls have confirmed in a pair of press releases.
Third-year forward Julian Phillips heads to Minnesota in the deal along with Dosunmu, with the Bulls acquiring 2024 first-round pick Rob Dillingham, third-year forward Leonard Miller, and four second-round picks.
Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) first reported that the two teams were finalizing a deal involving Dosunmu, while ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter links) confirmed that an agreement was in place and provided the full details.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the four second-rounders are as follows:
- Either the Nuggets’ or Warriors’ 2026 pick (whichever is least favorable).
- The Cavaliers’ 2027 pick.
- Either the Timberwolves’ or Warriors’ 2031 pick (whichever is most favorable).
- Either the Suns’ or Rockets’ 2032 pick (whichever is most favorable).
The Timberwolves have been on the lookout for a way to upgrade their backcourt for much of the season. Veteran Mike Conley, the starting point guard for most of last season, saw his production fall off significantly, while youngsters like Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. didn’t take the sort of steps forward the team hoped they would. That resulted in Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo taking on more ball-handling responsibilities.
Although Dosunmu isn’t a true point guard, he’ll give Minnesota another player capable of handling the ball, initiating the offense, and making outside shots. The Chicago native is in the midst of a career year, with averages of 15.0 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game and an excellent shooting line of .514/.451/.857 through 45 outings (10 starts).
It’s a disappointing end to Dillingham’s tenure with the Wolves — the club gave up an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap in order to draft him eighth overall in 2024, but he didn’t develop into a reliable rotation player, averaging just 4.0 PPG and 1.9 APG on .398/.346/.657 shooting in 84 regular season appearances (10.0 MPG).
While Dillingham may benefit from a change of scenery, Dosunmu could become a fixture in Minnesota’s backcourt if the team can find a way to lock him up beyond this season. The 26-year-old is on an expiring $7.5MM contract and is eligible until June 30 for an extension worth up to about $52.4MM over three years. If he and the Wolves don’t reach an agreement by then, he’ll reach unrestricted free agency, with Minnesota holding his Bird rights.
It’s worth noting that this move shouldn’t take the Wolves out of the running for Giannis Antetokounmpo, their top trade target, but there’s widespread skepticism that the Bucks star will be moved before the deadline.
As for the Bulls, besides taking a shot on Dillingham, they continue to add to their collection of future draft assets. They’ve now completed or agreed to six separate trades this week and have acquired nine second-rounders in those deals, increasing their total count to 14, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Although Dosunmu and Coby White are headed to new NBA homes, Chicago still has a backcourt logjam. Josh Giddey and Tre Jones remain on the roster, with newcomers Jaden Ivey, Collin Sexton, Anfernee Simons, and now Dillingham joining the mix. Still, an unbalanced roster may not be an issue for the Bulls in the short term, given that they appear to be focused on building for the future rather than maximizing their playoff chances this season.
According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link), the Bulls expressed interest in rookie big man Joan Beringer during their conversations with the Wolves, but Minnesota is high on the 19-year-old Frenchman and was unwilling to include him in its offer for Dosunmu.
Chicago will cut into its projected 2026 cap room a little as a result of this deal. While Miller has a $2.4MM team option for 2026/27, Dillingham’s $6.9MM salary is fully guaranteed. The Bulls will have until October 31 to decide whether or not to exercise Dillingham’s $8.8MM team option for the ’27/28 season.
Mike Conley Waived By Hornets
The Hornets have waived Mike Conley after acquiring him on Wednesday in a trade with Chicago, the team announced (via Twitter).
The veteran point guard will be eligible to sign with any team except for the Bulls if no one claims him and his $10.8MM salary on waivers. There have been reports that he may be interested in returning to the Timberwolves, which would be permitted since he was traded twice before being released, but there’s no confirmation that will be his next move.
Minnesota is adding a guard in today’s trade with Chicago for Ayo Dosunmu, but still has two roster openings if there’s mutual interest with Conley.
Conley, 38, moved into a reserve role for the Wolves this season for the first time since being acquired from Utah at the 2023 trade deadline. He appeared in 44 games, averaging 4.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 18.5 minutes per night with .322/.321/.891 shooting numbers.
Conley was sent to the Bulls on Tuesday in a three-team trade that also involved Detroit. He was shipped to Charlotte a day later in the Coby White deal.
Bucks Tell Teams They’re Keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Bucks have informed interested teams that they’re hanging onto forward Giannis Antetokounmpo through Thursday’s trade deadline and will begin focusing on separate trade opportunities, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
The decision removes the top attraction from this year’s pre-deadline trade market and sets up an eventful offseason when rival teams will be able to make more tempting offers.
The Warriors, Timberwolves, Heat and Knicks were believed to be the most active suitors for Antetokounmpo, but the Bucks were signaling to teams over the past few days that they weren’t ready to part with their franchise player, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link).
As a result, those teams began focusing on other moves, with Golden State acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, Minnesota dealing for Ayo Dosunmu and New York swapping Guerschon Yabusele for Dalen Terry.
ESPN’s Jason Collier reported earlier today that Milwaukee wasn’t feeling pressure to find a deal before the deadline, and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line got the same impression, with one rival executive telling him the Bucks “were never serious” about moving Antetokounmpo prior to this summer (Twitter link).
While holding onto Antetokounmpo could increase his eventual trade value, it also gives him more control over the process. He’s only under contract for one more season at $58.5MM and holds a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28. Being able to opt out next summer means he’ll have some leverage to quash a potential deal if he’s not being sent to a place that he wants to go.
Antetokounmpo will become eligible for a four-year, $275MM extension on October 1 if he remains in Milwaukee, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). If he’s traded before then, he’ll have to wait six months from the day the deal is finalized until he can sign that maximum extension (he could get a slightly shorter, less lucrative deal within the six-month window).
Antetokounmpo is currently sidelined due to a calf strain, and with the Bucks lingering in 12th place in the East at 20-29, it may be in their best interest to have him sit out the rest of the season to maximize the value of their first-round pick and avoid the risk of injury heading into the summer. However, league sources tell Eric Nehm of The Athletic that Antetokounmpo wants to return to action once he’s fully recovered in hopes of helping the team secure a play-in spot.
Antetokounmpo has been sending out mixed signals about his desire to stay in Milwaukee since trade rumors began to heat up. He said Tuesday that he loves the city and would prefer to retire as a Buck, but he also suggested that he’s not fully convinced that the team can quickly be rebuilt into a title contender, adding that he has to look at his options.
Multiple reports have stated that the Bucks are seeking young talent and draft assets in an Antetokounmpo deal. Several teams that currently have limited draft picks available will be able to increase their offers beginning this June.