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Bucks’ Jon Horst Discusses Trent, Wright, Pistons’ Interest, More

July 26th, 2024 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to declaring that the Bucks have no interest in trading starting center Brook Lopez, general manager Jon Horst touched on several more topics in a wide-ranging interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, expressing no regrets about last fall’s trade for Damian Lillard and conveying optimism about Milwaukee’s chances of being a title contender in 2024/25.

Asked by Nehm if the Bucks belong in the conversation with the defending champion Celtics and other Eastern Conference contenders like the Sixers and Knicks, Horst said there’s no question Milwaukee is in that tier.

“Yeah. I mean, honestly, it’s just whether or not those other teams belong in the conversation with us,” Horst said. “We’re the winningest team in the league and the conference the last seven or eight years. We still have our place there. We still have the best player in the world. We’ve got two top-75 players (of all-time) as our lead duo. We gotta be healthy. We gotta be lucky. We gotta be good. We’re definitely good enough. The guys are going to put in the right work. Hopefully we’re healthy enough and lucky enough and we’ll see.”

Horst also discussed the Bucks’ cap and tax situation, suggesting that the front office has no concerns about operating over the second tax apron and noting that it wouldn’t be hard to get out of apron territory if ownership wanted to do so. For now though, the goal is championship contention, which means spending well into the tax.

“When you have a team that is as talented as ours — I don’t say this boastfully, I just say this more matter-of-factually — we don’t have a bad contract on our roster,” Horst said. “All of our players are good players, good people on good-to-great contracts. So we can get anywhere at any time we want in the CBA, anywhere from a room team to a second-apron team. I think it’s never an issue for us to go where we want in terms of the CBA limits or aprons or thresholds. But the goal is not that. The goal has been, and will continue to be, to try to figure out how to win, to be the best team and organization in professional sports.”

Here are a few more highlights from Horst’s Q&A, which is worth checking out in full if you’re a subscriber to The Athletic:

On being able to sign Gary Trent Jr. to a minimum-salary contract:

Gary is a legit starting two-guard option that we’re very fortunate to be able to add to our group in a position of need. … He’s an almost 40-percent three-point shooter for his career. … He has a defensive component to his game that I think we can help flourish and grow more in our system. We’ve been able to do that with players, not only grow players offensively, but grow them defensively. And I just think he’s a great fit.

“He didn’t have the market that he probably wanted, but he also wasn’t a minimum player. Gary could have signed for more money elsewhere. He chose us for the opportunity that he thinks that we can give him, but also, he wants to win. So, it says a lot about him that we were able to secure him here in free agency.”

On why the Bucks prioritized Delon Wright in free agency:

“Delon is a really successful, versatile player. We targeted him because he can start at or back up two positions, maybe even three. He’s a big guard. He’s a defensive-minded guard. He’s playoff proven. He’s able to kind of generate turnovers, which is another thing that Gary does also. Both those guys are guys that generate turnovers on the ball and off the ball in the backcourt, something that we struggled with last year and we think helps in the playoffs. He’s capable of playing on the ball in pick-and-roll. He’s capable of playing off the ball as a catch-and-shoot threat from three. He can finish around the rim.

“So, for us, the versatility of Delon being able to play at either backcourt positions as a starter, as a backup, just with his experiences, was an absolute no-brainer. He was a high, high target for us and we were very fortunate that we were able to get him early.”

On the Pistons’ reported interest in talking to Horst about their president of basketball operations job:

“I never spoke to the Pistons. The Bucks didn’t allow me to, but they also expressed why they made that decision and how much they value me and want me here in Milwaukee, so it was pretty quick on my end. When the Pistons came to the Bucks about their interest in me, I had a brief conversation with our ownership group, they told me how they felt and how they were going to approach it and very quickly, our conversation shifted to the team this offseason.

“(Bucks co-owner) Wes (Edens) and I actually ended up talking for 45 minutes about how we were going to have a killer offseason and the types of guys we need to get and how we don’t want to be in this position again, and how much it sucks watching someone else play. We just talked about our team and that honestly was about the depth of the entire Detroit thing between me and the ownership group.”

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Central Notes: Smith, LaVine, Mitchell, Rivers, Bucks’ Staff, Wright

July 2nd, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

On the surface, the Bulls’ three-year agreement with free agent Jalen Smith may not seem like a big deal. But The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry believes the former Pacers big man could be due for a breakout season.

Smith fits into the Bulls’ aim of getting younger and more athletic. He’s adept at rim-running and offensive rebounding and he’ll improve their interior defense, Mayberry writes, adding that Smith could even become the starter if Nikola Vucevic is dealt.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • An NBA insider tells The Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley that the relationship between Zach LaVine and the Bulls’ top brass is completely shattered and “filled with mistrust.” The Bulls are trying hard to move LaVine and his big contract. If they fail in those efforts before training camp, the front office and ownership would consider that the worst-case scenario.
  • With the Cavaliers getting Donovan Mitchell to agree to an extension, the gamble they made in agreeing to that blockbuster 2022 deal with Utah has paid off for the team and the city, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic opines. Mitchell’s presence in the Cleveland lineup will keep it in contention for the foreseeable future, he adds.
  • The Bucks have salary-cap issues and will have to rely more on their younger players to fill in the gaps. Coach Doc Rivers isn’t fazed by that prospect, he told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We wanted young talent. We did,” Rivers said. “We think that skill development in our league is becoming more and more important. The more of the young talent you can get to bring up with the veteran talent, the better. And that’s what we’re going to do all summer. Free agency is here right now, and now we’re looking for other guys, more veterans, to add to the mix. I like the mix of guys I think we’re going to end up with and it’s exactly the ratio that we want right now.”
  • The Bucks have finalized their coaching staff, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. The Bucks have hired Darvin Ham, Greg Buckner, Jason Love and Spencer Rivers as additions to the staff this summer. Dave Joerger, Rex Kalamian, Pete Dominguez, Joe Prunty and Vin Baker will remain on Rivers’ staff.
  • The Bucks are adding veteran guard Delon Wright on a one-year deal and Nehm takes a closer look at what he could bring to the rotation.
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Bucks Sign Delon Wright To One-Year Deal

July 1st, 2024 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 7: Wright has officially signed with the Bucks, according to the NBA’s transaction log.

JULY 1: The Bucks and free agent guard Delon Wright have agreed to a one-year contract, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Wojnarowski pegs the value of the deal at $3.3MM. As a second-apron team, Milwaukee has no access to the mid-level or bi-annual exception and can only offer veteran-minimum contracts to outside free agents. Since Wright has nine years of NBA experience, his contract figures to actually be right around $3MM, as our breakdown of this year’s minimum salaries shows.

Wright, 32, has played for eight teams across his nine NBA seasons, including the Wizards and Heat in 2023/24. He averaged 4.5 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game across 47 total appearances for the two clubs last season, then took on an increased role in the postseason for Miami, averaging 8.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 26.8 MPG while making 6-of-10 three-pointers.

While Wright is a solid ball-handler and will make the occasional outside shot (.354 career 3PT% on 1.9 attempts per game), his value stems more from his play on the other side of the ball. His size and length are above average for a guard, and he’s comfortable switching and defending multiple positions.

While there’s no confirmation yet that Patrick Beverley won’t be back with the Bucks, Wright could end up playing a similar role to the one Beverley did, providing the team with a defensive-minded backup for Damian Lillard at the point.

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Heat Notes: Bryant, O. Robinson, Wright, Mills, Butler, Highsmith

June 1st, 2024 at 6:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

A pair of decisions — only one of which is in their control — will determine what the Heat’s big man rotation looks like next season, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Backup center Thomas Bryant, who appeared in just 38 games after signing as a free agent last summer, has a $2.8MM player option that must be picked up by June 29. The 26-year-old center may decide to test free agency again after falling out of Erik Spoelstra‘s rotation and missing 41 games due to coach’s decision.

“I haven’t given too much thought about it right now,” Bryant said during exit interviews last month. “Really it’s just trying to deal with the end of the season. But for me, I love this Heat organization. I love the Heat culture, I love what these guys represent and what they bring to the table and how everybody here has to work.”

The Heat have a July 15 deadline to guarantee Orlando Robinson‘s $2.1MM salary for 2024/25, and that decision could be influenced by what Bryant opts to do. Chiang notes that the 23-year-old Robinson’s best moments during his two years with the organization have come outside the NBA as he was named to the All-Summer League First Team last year and scored 41 points in a G League game.

Robinson, who was limited to 36 games this season, cited defensive improvement as his priority for the summer.

“I feel like just honing in on that side of the floor,” he said. “The Miami offense, I feel like I can impact it without really having to focus on it. I’ve tried to study it to a point where I understand how we move the ball, play off of each other. … But defensively, I feel like the more I can do with my body will allow me to impact the defensive end.”

There’s more from Miami:

  • The Heat also have to decide whether to re-sign unrestricted free agents Delon Wright and Patty Mills, who joined the team in the middle of the season following buyouts with other organizations, Chiang adds in a separate story. Both veteran guards saw playing time because of a rash of injuries, but there may not be a long-term role for either of them.
  • With at least three teams reportedly expressing interest in trading for Jimmy Butler, the Heat will have to determine if there’s a way to get better next season without one of their stars, per Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Winderman believes it’s beneficial to the organization to have some time pass after team president Pat Riley’s pointed comments about the need for Butler to appear in more games.
  • There’s a market around the league for unrestricted free agent Haywood Highsmith, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (video link). The 27-year-old forward has expressed a desire to stay in Miami, but the Heat’s offer could be limited because of luxury tax concerns.
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Southeast Notes: Hawks, Young, Murray, Wright, Mills, Ingram

May 13th, 2024 at 9:14pm CST by Dana Gauruder

So now that the Hawks won the lottery, who might they select — if they keep the pick? Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution examines five prospects who could go No. 1, including Alexandre Sarr, Donovan Clingan, Nikola Topic, Zaccharie Risacher, and Reed Sheppard.

Getting the top pick provides more unexpected options for the direction of the Hawks’ franchise, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer writes. They could pursue a rebuild with the first pick by trading both Trae Young and Dejounte Murray to separate teams for two major hauls, or they could keep one of them and revamp the roster around the other, O’Connor notes. They could also look to trade down or move out of the draft altogether in an even bigger deal.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • Young will have talks with the Hawks‘ front office prior to the draft regarding the direction of the team, Shams Charania of The Athletic said on FanDuel’s Run It Back program (video link). Charania notes the pairing of Young and Murray hasn’t worked and the Hawks will have to seriously consider moving at least one of them.
  • Delon Wright is headed to unrestricted free agency and the veteran guard would like to re-sign with the Heat, he told Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Hopefully, wherever I go to will be good for me,” Wright said. “But I definitely would like to come back. I feel like I just got a snippet of what could be. Like I said, with a full summer, full training camp, I think it’ll help me have a better season, a better understanding of what (Erik Spoelstra) wants out of me.” Another veteran guard and unrestricted free agent, Patty Mills, expressed similar feelings. “Very quickly I inherited everything that this organization is about and felt every part of that,” Mills said. “So as far as the adjustment and making a run, I enjoyed every part of it.”
  • Add the Magic to the list of potential trade suitors for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, according to Marc Stein in a Substack post. It’s been reported that New Orleans won’t pursue a max extension with Ingram, fueling speculation that he could be traded this offseason. The Sixers, Hawks and Cavaliers have been previously named as teams likely to be interested in the high-scoring forward.
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Heat Notes: D. Robinson, Highsmith, Wright, Jaquez, Swider, Butler

May 3rd, 2024 at 9:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Duncan Robinson, one of several Heat players affected by health issues this season, said on Friday that – based on the medical feedback he has received – he has no reason to believe that his back issue will “linger or last,” per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Robinson missed nine of the team’s final 14 regular season games due to the injury and played a limited role in the postseason.

The Heat were among the teams most affected by injuries for a second straight season in 2023/24, setting a new franchise record by using 35 different starting lineups. Speaking to reporters on Friday, head coach Erik Spoelstra said the team will do its homework this offseason to see if anything can be done to reduce its players’ injury risk going forward.

“We’re going to look at everything,” Spoelstra said, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “Because it’s not all apples to apples. I think what we do in terms of getting guys ready and in shape helps with soft tissue stuff. It’s the other stuff that we have to take a dive into. Two seasons ago, we were good. The last two seasons are a little bit skewed based on guys that missed the entire season that weren’t fully in our rotation. But that doesn’t also absolve it. We want to look at all the different angles on this.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • During their end-of-season media sessions on Friday, unrestricted free agents Haywood Highsmith and Delon Wright both expressed a desire to re-sign with Miami, according to Jackson and Chiang. “Definitely want to stay in Miami. My family lives here, my daughter lives here. That’s a priority to be around my daughter a lot,” Highsmith said, adding that he appreciates the Heat for being “all about winning” and feeling like a family. Highsmith has been with the team since 2021, whereas Wright just arrived in February, but the veteran guard has enjoyed his experience in Miami. “I definitely would like to come back,” Wright said. “I felt like I got a snippet of what it could be. With a full training camp, I will have a better understanding of what Spo wants out of me.”
  • Jaime Jaquez said on Friday that he doesn’t plan to play for Mexico in this summer’s Olympic qualifying tournament, per Jackson and Chiang. The Mexican national team will be in Puerto Rico vying for one of the four remaining spots in the men’s basketball tournament at the Paris Olympics.
  • Cole Swider‘s two-way contract is expiring, but the Heat have let him know they want to keep him around and he intends to be part of Miami’s Summer League team, he told reporters on Friday. “The Heat, a lot of these undrafted guys, did a great job developing them,” Swider said, according to the Herald. “I hope to be one of their success stories. I know they know what they’re doing. “I’ve improved defensively, learning the concepts of the Heat, how we play. I’ve proved I can play in the NBA.”
  • Dave Hyde of The South Florida Sun Sentinel advises the Heat against extending Jimmy Butler this offseason, suggesting that the cost would be too great for a player entering his late-30s when the extension would begin. Butler’s contract situation will be worth watching — in separate stories for The Athletic today, both David Aldridge and John Hollinger alluded to whispers that the 34-year-old’s long-term future may not be in Miami.
  • Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel takes a player-by-player look at the Heat’s roster, assessing what’s next for everyone who finished this season under contract with the club.
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Heat Notes: Wright, Offseason Decisions, Butler, Draft

May 1st, 2024 at 11:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat’s season ended in an appropriate way Wednesday night — with another new starting lineup. Injuries have forced coach Erik Spoelstra to juggle his rotations since training camp, and he unveiled his 37th starting unit in Game 5 at Boston, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Rookie Jaime Jaquez was unavailable because of a hip injury he suffered in Game 4 and Spoelstra didn’t want to start Duncan Robinson, who has been limited by a back condition since late in the regular season, so veteran guard Delon Wright made the first playoff start of his career. Wright provided eight points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in 33 minutes, but he had to leave the game briefly to get stitches in his lower lip and chin after being hit by an elbow.

In addition to Jaquez, Miami was without Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Josh Richardson, who all missed the entire series due to injuries. However, Spoelstra refused to use that as an excuse, Chiang tweets.

“We’re not going to put this on the fact that we had some injuries,” Spoelstra said. “Let’s not take anything away from Boston. They’ve been the best team in basketball all season long.”

There’s more on the Heat:

  • The early playoff exit leaves the franchise with a long offseason and a lot of financial decisions ahead, Chiang adds. Part of the future will be determined by player options held by Caleb Martin ($7.1MM), Kevin Love ($4MM), Richardson ($3.1MM) and Thomas Bryant ($2.8MM). Orlando Robinson has a non-guaranteed $2.1MM contract for next season, while Wright, Haywood Highsmith and Patty Mills are all headed for unrestricted free agency.
  • Miami faces a difficult decision on Jimmy Butler, who will become extension-eligible this summer, Bobby Marks of ESPN notes in his offseason preview for the Heat. Butler will make $48.8MM next season and holds a $52.4MM player option for 2025/26. Beginning July 7, he can sign a one-year extension worth $58.6MM, which would retain his ’25/26 salary, or a two-year, $112.9MM extension that would void the player option. Marks points out that Butler will turn 35 during the offseason and hasn’t topped 65 games in any of the last four years.
  • Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald examines the Heat’s options in this year’s draft. Players who could still be on the board when Miami picks at No. 15 include Purdue center Zach Edey, Duke power forward/center Kyle Filipowski, Providence guard Devin Carter, Colorado forward Tristan Da Silva, Duke point guard Jared McCain, Baylor center Yves Missi, Kansas small forward Kevin McCullar Jr., Baylor swingman Ja’Kobe Walter, USC point guard Isaiah Collier and Illinois shooting guard Terrence Shannon Jr.
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Heat Notes: Butler, Rozier, Love, Martin, Wright

April 29th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat are trying not to focus on being shorthanded as they look for a way to upset the top-seeded Celtics, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. An already difficult task is being made even harder by the absence of starters Jimmy Butler, who sprained his MCL during a play-in game, and Terry Rozier, who has been sidelined with neck issues. In addition, Duncan Robinson has been limited by a lingering back injury he suffered late in the season.

“We have our guys, we have enough to get the job done,” coach Erik Spoelstra insisted after a 20-point loss in Game 3. “We understand the challenge and that’s what our competitors love about this series. We know we have to play hard and we also have to play well.”

Butler and Rozier have already been ruled out for tonight’s Game 4. Spoelstra told reporters on Sunday that Rozier is considered “day to day,” but no timetable has been set for his return. Butler was projected to miss “several weeks” after getting hurt on April 17, but he sounded optimistic in an interview with TNT’s Chris Haynes during Saturday’s game.

“I don’t know about a timeline, but we’ve been working,” Butler said. “I want to hoop. I want to get out here. I want some of this.”

There’s more from Miami:

  • Spoelstra appears to be pivoting away from Kevin Love, who is facing a bad matchup against Boston, Chiang adds. The veteran big man, who was limited to one four-minute stretch in Game 3, is minus-24 in his 23 minutes of action in the series. “I was looking for a spark once we were down 20,” Spoelstra said in explaining the decision to bench Love. “This is not an indictment on anybody. Things move fast in a playoff series.”
  • Caleb Martin plans to “just be assertive and not be passive” tonight after he followed a 21-point Game 2 with five points on four shots in Game 3, Chiang states in a separate story. Martin, who starred against Boston in last year’s conference finals, said he needs to look to score more often. “I think there were sometimes I passed up shots,” he said. “I felt like I was trying to get the ball moving a little bit more, being a little bit less aggressive in letting it go. So that’s on me. I can’t be as passive. I got to let the ball go.”
  • Delon Wright, who missed Game 3 for the birth of a baby girl, has returned to the team and will be on the active roster tonight, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
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Eastern Notes: Lillard, Giannis, Wright, Raptors, Hornets

April 27th, 2024 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

After Shams Charania reported earlier today that Damian Lillard‘s availability for Game 4 of the Bucks‘ series with Indiana is uncertain, head coach Doc Rivers confirmed that the star guard is dealing with an Achilles strain, telling reporters that Lillard underwent an MRI.

Rivers didn’t know the results of that MRI when he spoke to the media, but he indicated that he isn’t necessarily counting on having Lillard available on Sunday, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“Not looking great, but we don’t know yet,” Rivers said.

As for the Bucks’ other injured star, Rivers said that Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf strain) will be working out “hard” on Sunday morning and that the team would “make a decision” on him after that (Twitter link via Jamal Collier of ESPN).

Asked if Antetokounmpo could be available for Game 4 following his Sunday morning workout, Rivers replied, “I doubt it, but we’ll see.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

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Heat Notes: Butler, Jovic, Jaquez, Wright, Adebayo

April 22nd, 2024 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

As they look to bounce back after a Game 1 loss in Boston, the Heat can’t count on Jimmy Butler to return at some point later in the first round to give them a boost. While the team hasn’t provided any sort of official timetable on Butler’s recovery from an MCL sprain, Shams Charania of The Athletic said on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link) that the star swingman is going to remain on the shelf for a while.

“It’s crazy to me that Jimmy Butler played three quarters with what I’m hearing now was a severe MCL sprain,” Charania said. “He is not going to be back in this series. This is a rehab that’s go at least one month — could be two months of rehab.

“… Thankfully for him it wasn’t the ACL, it wasn’t a meniscus. But even if the Heat were to advance (beyond) this first round, somehow, his postseason availability is still very much up in the air.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • Although Miami suffered a resounding loss in Game 1 on Sunday, there were at least a couple silver linings, as Anthony Chiang writes in a pair of stories for The Miami Herald. The team’s last two first-round picks – Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez – made the first playoff starts of their respective careers and ultimately held their own despite some shaky moments in the first quarter. Additionally, buyout market addition Delon Wright came up big off the bench, scoring 17 points and making all five of his three-point attempts. Wright figures to play a regular role in the series with Terry Rozier (neck) sidelined.
  • The odds are against the Heat repeating last spring’s success and making another deep playoff run, but even in the event of a first-round exit, the team should be well positioned for the offseason, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Appearing on NBA Countdown (YouTube link), Wojnarowski said he expects a lot of action on the trade market this summer and pointed out that Miami is almost among the preferred destinations for disgruntled stars. That didn’t do the Heat much good in the Damian Lillard talks last summer, but the team should have more leverage with trade targets who have fewer years left on their contracts, Woj adds.
  • William Guillory of The Athletic takes a look at how Bam Adebayo became Udonis Haslem‘s successor as a pillar of “Heat Culture” and how the big man plans to uphold that ethos for years to come.
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