Andre Jackson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Bucks Waive Tyler Smith

October 20th, 2025 at 3:53pm CST by Rory Maher

October 20: Smith has been waived and Jackson has made the regular season roster, tweets Shams Charania of ESPN.

October 19: Forward Tyler Smith is not in attendance at Milwaukee’s annual open practice on Sunday and is expected to be waived by the Bucks prior to Monday’s deadline for teams to get within the regular season roster limit, reports Eric Nehm of The Athletic (via Twitter).

NBA insider Jake Fischer confirms (via Twitter) the Bucks plan to release Smith and adds that the forward is expected to have “several” two-way options to pick from in the coming days.

As we wrote both yesterday and this morning, it appeared likely that either Smith or Andre Jackson Jr. would be cut loose after the Bucks decided to keep Amir Coffey. Neither one was great in the preseason, but Jackson was a little better and has shown more than Smith at the NBA level to this point in their respective careers.

Smith, who was selected 33rd overall in last year’s draft after spending 2023/24 with the now-defunct G League Ignite, is owed a guaranteed salary of $1,955,377 this season. Assuming he goes unclaimed on the waiver wire, the Bucks will carry that figure on their books for the remainder of 2025/26 — Milwaukee isn’t close to the luxury tax line, so waiving Smith won’t affect the team’s cap situation much.

As for Jackson, his $2,221,677 salary for ’25/26 will be fully guaranteed if he makes the regular season roster, which seems likely given that Smith is being released. His contract previously featured a partial guarantee of $800K.

A 6’11” power forward, Smith played a modest NBA role as a rookie last season, appearing in 23 games with averages of 2.9 points in 5.3 minutes per contest. He was a regular contributor in 25 NBAGL games with the Wisconsin Herd, though his statistics — 10.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG and 0.9 BPG on .415/.327/.824 shooting in 25.1 MPG — were fairly underwhelming.

Smith is technically under contract through ’27/28, but the final two years of his deal are non-guaranteed and won’t count against Milwaukee’s cap.

Scotto’s Latest: Braun, Daniels, Coffey, T. Smith, Napier

October 20th, 2025 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

There’s “cautious optimism” that the Nuggets will work out a rookie scale extension with Christian Braun before today’s deadline at 5:00 pm Central time, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Scotto hears that negotiations between the team and Braun’s agent, Bill Duffy of WME Sports, are focusing on a five-year agreement in the range of $115MM to $125MM.

After being an important member of the team’s bench unit during his first two years in Denver, Braun moved into the starting lineup last season following the departure of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. Braun posted career-high numbers across the board, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 79 games with .580/.397/.827 shooting splits.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported over the weekend that Braun and the Nuggets seemed unlikely to work out a deal before the deadline, but it appears progress may have been made over the past two days.

Scotto shares more information from around the league:

League sources tell Scotto that the Hawks and Dyson Daniels remain far apart in negotiation talks as the deadline nears. Daniels and his agent, Daniel Moldovan, are asking for an extension valued at $150MM over five years, while the team’s offer is in the neighborhood of five years at $115MM. Daniels was a valuable addition in his first season in Atlanta, earning First Team All-Defensive honors while leading the league in steals and being named Most Improved Player. However, Scotto points out that the Hawks made two significant free agent additions over the summer in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard who could cut into Daniels’ playing time. Both players are better shooters, and Scotto suggests they could be on the court late in games instead of Daniels if Atlanta needs more offense.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers was a strong proponent for Amir Coffey to earn a roster spot, league sources tell Scotto. Rivers coached Coffey during his rookie season with the Clippers and believes he’ll be a valuable addition in Milwaukee. The 6’7″ swingman, who was in camp on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal, connected at 40.9% from three-point range last season. Milwaukee still has a roster move to make with Tyler Smith and Andre Jackson Jr. in contention for the final spot. Scotto hears that the Bucks spent the weekend exploring the trade market for Smith, a second-round pick in 2024 who appeared in 33 games last season. He’ll likely be waived if the Bucks can’t find a taker before this afternoon’s deadline, Scotto confirms.
Former NBA player Shabazz Napier has joined the Wizards as a coaching apprentice, sources tell Scotto. Napier, 34, played for Bayern Munich in the EuroLeague last season.

Amir Coffey To Make Bucks’ Regular Season Roster

October 18th, 2025 at 3:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Amir Coffey has survived a roster crunch in Milwaukee, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who reports (via Twitter) that the veteran wing will make the Bucks‘ regular season roster.

A 6’7″ guard/forward, Coffey had spent his entire NBA career with the Clippers prior to becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer. In 72 games last season, the 28-year-old averaged 9.7 points on .471/.409/.891 shooting in 24.3 minutes per contest.

Coffey appeared in four preseason games with Milwaukee this fall, averaging 3.3 PPG in 11.4 MPG.

Coffey, who is entering his seventh season, signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 deal with the Bucks in August — that contract will be converted to a standard non-guaranteed deal.

The news means that the Bucks will likely be waiving either Andre Jackson Jr. or Tyler Smith ahead of the 2025/26 regular season. Both players are owed guaranteed money — Jackson has an $800K partial guarantee, while Smith is owed approximately $1.96MM — so the team technically doesn’t have to release either player for a couple days. Monday is the deadline for teams to set their regular season rosters.

The 36th overall pick of the 2023 draft, former UConn wing Jackson averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game across 67 appearances last season, including 43 starts. Smith, the No. 33 overall pick of last year’s draft, appeared in 23 NBA games as a rookie last season, averaging just 5.3 minutes per night.

For what it’s worth, Jackson appeared in all four of Milwaukee’s preseason games in 2025, while Smith appeared in two.

Bucks Waive Chris Livingston

October 16th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

4:59 pm: Livingston has been released by the Bucks, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

9:59 am: The Bucks are taking a first step toward addressing their roster crunch, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports (via Twitter) that the team is waiving forward Chris Livingston.

The final pick in the second round of the 2023 draft, Livingston has spent the past two seasons in Milwaukee but played a very limited role at the NBA level, logging just 196 minutes in 42 total regular season appearances. He averaged 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 4.7 minutes per game.

Livingston, who turned 22 on Wednesday, has showed some promise in the G League. In 18 outings for the Wisconsin Herd in 2024/25, he averaged 18.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals in 29.5 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .485/.301/.828.

The 6’6″ forward also played well for the Bucks’ Summer League team this July, earning a new one-year, minimum-salary contract in Milwaukee after having been waived two weeks earlier. While Livingston’s salary on his previous contract wasn’t guaranteed for 2025/26, his newest deal was fully guaranteed, so the Bucks will carry a dead cap hit of $2,296,274 after cutting him, assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Livingston had been one of 15 Bucks players with a standard guaranteed contract. Waiving him will put the team in position to retain either Andre Jackson Jr. or Amir Coffey as its 15th man.

Jackson has an $800K partial guarantee on his minimum-salary deal and would earn his full $2.22MM guarantee if he makes the opening night roster. Coffey is on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract.

Bucks Notes: Giannis, Turner, Green, Roster Competition

September 30th, 2025 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t able to attend media day on Monday and will miss the start of training camp as he deals with a case of COVID-19. However, Antetokounmpo participated in media day from Greece via Zoom, according to Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who notes that the two-time MVP reiterated his desire to win another championship and confirmed reporting that he weighed his options outside of Milwaukee during the offseason.

“Guys, every summer there’s truth. To every report. The same thing I’ve been saying my whole career – I want to be on a team that allows me, gives me a chance to win a championship and wants to compete at a high level,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think it’s a disservice to basketball, it’s a disservice just to the game to not want to compete at a high level, to not want your season to end in April.

“So, it’s pretty much the same. It’s not the first time. I had the same thoughts last year, I had the same thoughts two years ago, I had the same thoughts five years ago – yeah, 2020 – so it’s never gonna change. I want to be among the best, I want to compete with the best, and I want to win another championship and that’s it.”

Bucks co-owner and governor Wes Edens had told reporters, including Owczarski, earlier in the day on Monday that he had a “great conversation” with Antetokounmpo in June and that the nine-time All-Star “made it clear that he was very committed to Milwaukee.”

For his part, Giannis said he didn’t recall that discussion, but he stressed that he has faith in his teammates and is hopeful the Bucks can do better this season after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in three straight seasons.

“Hopefully, we can get on the same page and understand what’s at risk right now,” he said. “The last three years we’ve been eliminated in the first round, so there’s not much to talk about. We just gotta put our butts down, put our heads down and stay locked in the whole year long and try to win some games and hopefully get in the playoffs and then don’t get eliminated in the first round. That’s pretty much it. And then we go from there.”

Here’s more on Giannis and the Bucks:

Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis both expressed excitement about the Bucks’ offseason addition of Myles Turner to the frontcourt. Antetokounmpo referred to it as an “incredible” move that he’s “very excited” about (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic), while Portis said he likes that he, Giannis, and Turner are all around the same age. “We can grow together. We can get better together,” Portis said, per Ben Steele of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required). “Three big men that can do a lot of things with the basketball. A very versatile frontcourt. Those three bigs, you can’t really find three better bigs on another team.”
Edens told reporters on Monday that getting “younger and more athletic” was a priority this offseason (Twitter link via Nehm), while general manager Jon Horst said he thinks Antetokounmpo is capable of making the club’s supporting cast better — and vice versa. “This team is built to maximize Giannis, but Giannis can actually maximize this team,” Horst said, according to ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “This is a team that is really hungry to earn whatever we get, and they want to deserve to win. And that’s going to be our style of play, that’s going to be playing together, and that’s going to feature the best player in the world, and Giannis and a bunch of guys that fit him really, really well.”
Horst told reporters, including Steele and Owczarski, that the Bucks have had “a lot of conversations” with A.J. Green and his agent about a possible contract extension. Green is entering the final year of his current contract and would be an unrestricted free agent in 2026 if he doesn’t sign a new deal before then. “We’d love to have A.J. with us for a long time. We’re able to work on that, and we are working on that,” the Bucks’ GM said. “No one works harder than A.J. High, high character individual. Underrated as an offensive player. Underrated as a defensive player. Another player that I think will have another big jump for us this year.”
Milwaukee is carrying 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, but with Andre Jackson Jr. on a partially guaranteed deal and Amir Coffey in camp on a non-guaranteed contract, Horst doesn’t view the regular season roster as set. “Absolutely not,” he said, per Steele and Owczarski. “… I actually think we have 21 players that deserve a chance to be on an NBA roster, to be on our roster. … We were presented the opportunity as the offseason progressed to add some players that we thought were just too good to be true and really just great opportunities and we’re going to let the guys play it out. I think competition gives us a great opportunity to have a great start to our camp and a great start to our season and these guys are all fully aware of what they’re playing for and what the stakes are and they’re all capable. So truly, kind of best player, best man win mentality. We want to put the best 15, plus three two-ways, that we can on the roster.”

Giannis To Start Season With Bucks After Team Re-Signs Brother Thanasis

August 31st, 2025 at 1:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In a move to solidify Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s desire to stay with the Bucks, the franchise is re-signing his brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, on a guaranteed one-year, $2.9MM (minimum-salary) contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link).

The signing is official, according to a team press release relayed by The Athletic’s Eric Nehm (Twitter link).

According to Charania, after a summer of exploring options, Giannis Antetokounmpo — who is currently playing for Greece in the EuroBasket tournament — is staying in Milwaukee to start the season. This will quell speculation that the superstar might request a trade this offseason.

Naturally, if things don’t go well for the Bucks as the season progresses, that could always change. But having his brother back in the fold gives Giannis some added incentive to stay put.

Thanasis is also playing for Greece in the tournament. He was medically cleared to play again this spring after recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.

The 32-year-old underwent surgery in early May of 2024 after tearing his Achilles. He was a free agent this past season after signing mainly minimum contracts to play with his brother in Milwaukee.

Thanasis, who made two appearances with the Knicks in 2015/16, saw action in 196 Bucks games from 2019-24. He played 34 games during the 2023/24 season and has posted averages of 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds in 7.7 minutes per contest over the course of his NBA career.

The Bucks will now have 15 players on guaranteed contracts, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. This could put Andre Jackson Jr.‘s roster status in jeopardy — the former UConn guard has an $800K guarantee on his $2,221,677 contract. It becomes fully guaranteed if he makes the opening night roster.

Contract Details: A. Jackson, K. Jones, Small, Sanders, Bagley

July 11th, 2025 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks originally had a July 7 deadline to decide whether or not they wanted to guarantee Andre Jackson‘s full $2.22MM salary for the 2025/26 season, but reporting on Monday indicated that the team had awarded the guard a partial guarantee on that figure as part of an agreement to move back his full salary guarantee date.

According to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link), Jackson received an $800K partial guarantee as part of that agreement, locking in a little over a third of his ’25/26 salary. His new guarantee date will be one day before the start of the regular season in the fall.

In other words, if Jackson earns a spot on the Bucks’ opening night roster, his full salary for next season will be locked in, but the team has a few more months to make that decision.

Here are a few more contract details from around the NBA:

Kam Jones‘ four-year, $8.7MM contract with the Pacers is fully guaranteed in year one, with a 50% partial guarantee for year two, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). That means only about $2.35MM of Jones’ total salary will be guaranteed, including $1.27MM in year one. The 6’5″ guard was the 38th overall pick in last month’s draft.
The two-way contract that No. 48 overall pick Javon Small signed with the Grizzlies will cover two seasons, per Scotto (Twitter link). That will put Small on track for restricted free agency in 2027 if he’s not promoted (or waived) before then.
Kobe Sanders‘ two-way contract with the Clippers is also for two years, tweets Smith. Sanders was the No. 50 overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Marvin Bagley III‘s one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Wizards is guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned. Washington now has 16 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Richaun Holmes and Justin Champagnie on non-guaranteed deals, so some roster moves will be necessary in D.C. at some point — the team won’t have to resolve that situation until the day before the regular season, however.

Bucks Push Back Guarantee Date On Andre Jackson’s Contract

July 7th, 2025 at 9:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks and guard Andre Jackson Jr. have agreed to push back the guarantee date on Jackson’s contract for the 2025/26 season, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports.

Milwaukee previously had until Monday to make that decision. Jackson got a de facto bonus for agreeing to move back the date — a portion of his $2,221,677 salary is now guaranteed, per Nehm. The new guarantee date and the amount of Jackson’s partial guarantee have not yet been disclosed.

The Bucks benefit by gaining more flexibility as they attempt to fill out the rest of their roster.

It would be somewhat surprising if Milwaukee let Jackson go. The 2023 second-round selection out of UConn appeared in 67 games last season, including 43 starts. He didn’t shoot much — 2.9 attempts per game — and made 47.7 percent of his attempts while averaging 3.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.

Jackson is capable at backing up at both guard spots and small forward. He’s signed through the 2026/27 season with the final year of the deal including a club option.

Central Notes: Bucks, Bulls, Turner

June 8th, 2025 at 9:06pm CST by Eli Cohen

While there’s reportedly increased skepticism that the Bucks and star Giannis Antetokounmpo will part ways this summer, there are plenty of questions facing the team regardless of whether he stays or leaves. Spotrac’s Keith Smith breaks down the many hurdles Milwaukee has to face in his offseason preview, writing that the team is in the unfortunate position of needing to prepare for two potential paths: one where the two-time MVP stays and one where he goes.

The Bucks have few assets to trade should Antetokounmpo decide to remain in Milwaukee, and it would be imperative to maximize the pieces still on the roster, given that any team with Giannis would surely still be attempting to compete for championships. Longtime Antetokounmpo running mate Brook Lopez is an unrestricted free agent and could probably be retained for somewhere around $15-18MM per season over two years, Smith speculates. Bobby Portis has a $13.4MM player option, and it’s unclear if he would command more than that on the market.

Retaining their minimum signings in Gary Tr ent Jr., Taurean Prince, and Kevin Porte r Jr. will be important, as they can all contribute as floor spacers, which is crucial when building a roster around Antetokounmpo. It’s unlikely that Pat Connaughton and Kyle Kuzma will receive contract extensions, and it’s possible the team looks to move them for more consistent contributors, Smith writes.

If Antetokounmpo does ask out, though, Smith expects all of the Bucks’ free agents to be on new teams come next season, though it’s highly likely Connaughton picks up his player option no matter what else happens.

We have more news from the Central Division:

If the Bucks want to get more out of their marginal moves, they need to have better top-down organizational alignment, writes The Athletic’s Eric Nehm in his Bucks mailbag. Nehm identifies A.J. Green as one of the team’s few developmental successes, and points to head coach Doc Rivers‘ deliberate creation of a role for the shooting specialist as a key to that success. The Bucks need their head coach to take a similar approach to other players, notably Andre Ja ckson Jr., if they want to recreate that formula.
The Bulls‘ outlook has improved since the end of the season based solely on the Eastern Conference weakening this summer, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. With the top two picks in the 2025 draft expected to end up on Western Conference teams, the Celtics looking at a restructuring season following Jayson Tatum‘s ruptured Achilles, and questions surrounding what the Cavaliers and Knicks will do following postseason defeats, Chicago could stand pat and still be back in postseason contention. However, the Bulls have decisions to make on trading or extending players like Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu, and Coby White, who are all heading into the final year of their deals.
The Pacers and starting center Myles Turner have mutual interest in coming to terms on a new deal, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter video link). Indiana hasn’t been a taxpayer since 2006, but after making deep playoff runs in back-to-back years, the club is willing to pay what it takes to keep its roster intact, says Charania. Jake Fischer of the Stein Line, who has previously reported that the Pacers are expected to re-sign Turner, confirms the ongoing mutual interest between the two sides.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Will Reportedly Consider Leaving Bucks

May 12th, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has become open-minded about considering opportunities outside of Milwaukee for the first time in his career, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

Teams have routinely called to check on Antetokounmpo’s potential availability in recent years, and that process is expected to intensify as they gather in Chicago this week for the draft combine, Charania adds.

Antetokounmpo’s representatives, Giorgios Panou and Alex Saratsis, will meet with Bucks officials at some point to discuss the team’s future and determine whether Milwaukee is still the best fit for their client, according to Charania’s sources. The Bucks are reportedly resistant toward the idea of trading Antetokounmpo, who is still under contract through the 2026/27 season and holds a $62.8MM player option for the following year, and are unlikely to pursue a deal unless he requests it.

Speculation about a possible Antetokounmpo trade has been rampant since the Bucks were eliminated by the Pacers last month, marking the third straight year they have been ousted in the first round. Antetokounmpo has been open about his desire to add another championship to the one he captured in 2021, and there are doubts regarding whether he still has any hope of achieving that in Milwaukee.

The situation became more dire with the torn left Achilles that Damian Lillard suffered in Game 4 of the Indiana series. Lillard underwent surgery last week and faces a lengthy rehab process that could force him to miss all of next season. That would leave the Bucks without a second star to team with Antetokounmpo and little chance to acquire one as Lillard remains on the books for $54.1MM next season with a $58.5MM player option for 2026/27.

Charania notes that Antetokounmpo, a finalist for MVP honors, just completed one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 67 games while shooting 60.1% from the field. He raised those numbers in the playoffs, posting 33 points, 15.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists per night in the five-game loss.

Antetokounmpo has established himself as one of the greatest players in Bucks history since being selected with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft. He’s a two-time MVP and a nine-time All-Star, and he delivered the team’s first NBA title in 50 years.

According to Charania, Milwaukee’s .663 winning percentage since 2018/19 is the best in the league. However, the Bucks only have one playoff series victory since their 2021 championship season.

If Antetokounmpo goes on the market, teams that can offer young talent and a stockpile of draft assets are considered to be the most likely destinations. The Rockets, Spurs, Thunder and Nets have already been mentioned prominently in trade speculation, but Milwaukee’s front office would likely hear offers from all 29 rival teams.

Charania notes that the Bucks have an opportunity to remake their roster this summer, with Kyle Kuzma, A.J. Green, Andre Jackson, Chris Livingston and Tyler Smith joining Antetokounmpo and Lillard as the only players currently under contract. Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton and Kevin Porter Jr. hold player options for next season, and they could decide to join Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. as free agents.

However, the Bucks are already facing cap concerns as Antetokounmpo, Lillard and Kuzma will earn roughly $130MM of the $164MM they already have committed for 2025/26. General manager Jon Horst has limited draft assets to offer in any trade, with the franchise not controlling any of its first-round picks until 2031.

Charania notes that the Bucks were able to escape the second apron with the Kuzma trade in February, but they still have limited breathing room heading into the summer. They’re currently about $23MM below the luxury tax and $41MM away from a return to the second apron for next season.

Charania points out that even a modest offseason that includes re-signing Lopez, using the $14.1MM non-taxpayer midlevel exception and filling out the roster with minimum-salary signees would put Milwaukee into tax territory for the sixth straight year.