Giannis Antetokounmpo

Bucks Notes: Giannis, Lillard, Horst, Offseason

May 1st, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

Following the Bucks‘ third consecutive first-round playoff exit and a torn Achilles diagnosis for star point guard Damian Lillard, superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo finds himself under the spotlight. Speculation about whether he wants to stick with the Bucks or compete for a championship elsewhere figures to dominate the news cycle in Milwaukee until he makes a decision one way or the other.

John Hollinger of The Athletic is among the pundits to make the case that trading Antetokounmpo this offseason is the best path forward for the Bucks. While he acknowledges it’s not an easy decision, given what Giannis means to the franchise and the fact that the Bucks don’t control their own draft picks for the next several years, Hollinger believes the organization isn’t in position to maximize the remaining years of the two-time MVP’s prime.

Eric Koreen of The Athletic, conversely, contends that a player’s championship rings have become disproportionately weighed when evaluating a player’s legacy and argues that “time spent together” should be valued more highly than it is. Lillard’s own move from Portland to Milwaukee shows that a trade to a would-be contender offers no guarantees, Koreen points out, adding that Dirk Nowitzki‘s career spent in Dallas feels “right” in retrospect even though he only won a single title with the Mavericks.

For his part, Antetokounmpo wasn’t ready to discuss his future after the Bucks lost Game 5 in Indiana on Tuesday, ending their season.

“I’m not going to do this,” Giannis said when asked if he believes he can win another title in Milwaukee, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. “I’m not going to do that. I know how it’s going to translate. I don’t know, man. I wish I was still playing. I wish I was still competing and going back and working out.”

As we relayed on Wednesday, Antetokounmpo is expected to meet soon with Bucks management to discuss his and the team’s future.

Here’s more on the Bucks:

Antetokounmpo’s season ended in unusual fashion on Tuesday, as he found himself face-to-face with John Haliburton, the father of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, on the court seconds after Indiana closed out a 119-118 win. As Collier writes for ESPN.com, Antetokounmpo engaged in a heated confrontation with the elder Haliburton, who later apologized for coming onto the floor and shouting at the Bucks forward, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “His dad coming on the floor and showing me his son — a towel with his face on [it], [saying] ‘This is what we do. We do this,'” Antetokounmpo told reporters after the game. “I feel like that’s very, very disrespectful.” Giannis later said that he talked to John Haliburton after the incident and that “we’re in a good place.”
If Lillard had finished the season healthy, he and the Bucks would likely have had a conversation about his future in Milwaukee, according to Eric Nehm and Sam Amick of The Athletic, who say there’s a chance the two sides would’ve decided they might be better off parting ways. That scenario could’ve given Milwaukee a path to revamping its roster around Antetokounmpo while sending Lillard to a contender that may be a better fit, Nehm and Amick note, but it’s off the table now that the point guard will spend the year recovering from an Achilles tear.
Some rival executives were surprised that the Bucks extended general manager Jon Horst in April, but he was in consideration as a potential front office target for both the Suns and Pelicans before Milwaukee did that deal, league sources tell Nehm and Amick.
Within his preview of the Bucks’ offseason, ESPN’s Bobby Marks says adding depth and shooting should be a priority this offseason for the Bucks, who will also need to add more help in the frontcourt if they lose either Brook Lopez or Bobby Portis in free agency.

Bucks Notes: Giannis, Rivers, LaVine, Horst

April 30th, 2025 at 5:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Now that the Bucks‘ season is over, Giannis Antetokounmpo will meet with management to discuss plans for his future and the team’s, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN, citing sources who spoke with the network’s Shams Charania. It’s a meeting that takes place every year, but the upcoming version will be anything but routine. As Collier notes, if Antetokounmpo decides he needs to leave Milwaukee to be part of a title contender, it will have enormous ramifications for the franchise and the league.

It’s easy to see how he could reach that conclusion after Damian Lillard suffered a torn left Achilles in Game 4 of their playoff series. The recovery process usually takes a year or more, so Lillard is unlikely to play next season, but his $54.1MM salary will remain on the team’s books, along with a $58.5MM player option for 2026/27. That and a shortage of draft capital will limit the Bucks’ ability to improve the roster this summer.

Antetokounmpo, who won a title with Milwaukee in 2021, is determined to capture at least one more before he retires. Collier notes that he discussed that topic earlier this month on a podcast hosted by his brother, Thanasis.

“Me not having a second championship — I look back at my career and everybody can say, ‘Oh, incredible career, active Hall of Famer, first ballot, whatever, but me, my personal goal, if I am not able to help my team win a second ring, I’m letting down myself,” Giannis said.

After Tuesday’s Game 5 loss, in which the Bucks squandered late leads in regulation and overtime, Antetokounmpo took on much of the blame, saying he needs to play better. But he was easily the best player in the series, averaging 33.8 points, 14.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists on 62% shooting, as he was healthy for the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Collier points out that Antetokounmpo has shown loyalty to Milwaukee whenever he’s had a chance to leave, signing a super-max extension in 2020 and another deal in 2023 that runs through the 2027/28 season. However, the team enters this offseason in a much different position, and Antetokounmpo may determine that his best chance to win is to go elsewhere.

There’s more from Milwaukee:

Antetokounmpo expressed support for coach Doc Rivers after Tuesday’s loss, Collier adds. Rivers has compiled a 65-53 record since taking over in the middle of last season, but he has two first-round playoff ousters. Rivers said he believes in the talent the Bucks have on hand and wishes the season could have played out differently. “I would love this team full,” Rivers said. “I really do. I would love this team where Dame was healthy and all that, but that wasn’t in the cards this year. What was in the cards was we found a lot of players through the year because of all the adversity that we had. A.J. Green came out of nowhere, and he’s a sensational player. Gary Trent Jr. has proven that he’s not only just a solid NBA player, but better than that. Bobby (Portis) playing heavy minutes at the five. Jericho (Sims) — another guy that we picked up and he turned out to be a force. (Kevin Porter Jr.) is going to be solid for us. He’s proven that he’s an NBA player, and (Kyle Kuzma), who didn’t have a great series, will help us. We never got him into the position where he could have been more successful. We will do that and he will be a successful player for us moving forward.”
The Bucks don’t control any of their first-round picks until 2031, and sources told Collier that they were unwilling to discuss that selection at the trade deadline. Collier hears that the team inquired about several high-profile players, including Zach LaVine while he was still in Chicago, but the reluctance to include the draft pick in any deal limited the front office’s options.
The franchise was determined to keep general manager Jon Horst after preventing him from meeting with the Pistons last offseason to discuss a position in their front office, sources tell Collier. Horst received a multiyear extension last week.

Central Notes: Hunter, Giannis, Mathurin, Nesmith, Pistons

April 29th, 2025 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers‘ 55-point blowout victory in Miami on Monday sent them to the second round and established a new NBA record — Cleveland’s +122 margin in the four-game sweep made it the most lopsided playoff series in league history, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

There was plenty to like about the Cavaliers’ dominant first-round performance against the Heat. One major positive, Vardon writes, was the strong play of reserve forward De’Andre Hunter, who bounced back in impressive fashion after he “looked a little lost” in Game 1, when he went scoreless on 0-of-4 shooting in 16 minutes.

Hunter scored double-digit points in each of the next three games, including 20.0 PPG on 63.2% shooting (66.7% on three-pointers) in the two road victories in Miami. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said the Cavaliers didn’t make any specific adjustments after Game 1 and that Hunter’s strong play in his next three outings was about him “gaining more confidence and being more comfortable.”

The Cavs led the NBA in offensive rating during the regular season (121.0) and are doing so again in the playoffs (136.2). As Vardon observes, having Hunter scoring and shooting that effectively off the bench is one significant reason why Cleveland’s offense is so dangerous.

Here’s more from around the Central:

In the wake of Damian Lillard‘s Achilles tear, Michael Pina of The Ringer argues that it would be in the Bucks‘ best interests to trade superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo sooner rather than later. With no clear short-term path to contention and no control of their own draft picks for the next several years, the Bucks’ best path to long-term success would be to build around the massive haul they could get in return for their two-time MVP, Pina contends.
Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin, who missed Game 4 due to an abdominal contusion, had a hard time eating and sleeping after sustaining the injury in Game 3, head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters, including Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Mathurin has reportedly improved in recent days, but he’s not a lock to play in Game 5 on Tuesday — he’s listed as questionable.
[Update: Mathurin will be available for Game 5.]
Another Pacers wing, Aaron Nesmith, is considered probable to play on Tuesday due to a lower back bruise he suffered in Game 4 after a chase-down block on a Bobby Portis layup attempt (Twitter video link). Nesmith was lauded by his teammates for his willingness to put his body on the line, Dopirak writes for the Indianapolis Star. “That’s who Double-A is,” Tyrese Haliburton said. “What he brings doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet. Some people say, like, they’re willing to die for this. Double-A is willing to die for this. He gives it his all every night and I think every team in the NBA wants a guy like Aaron Nesmith. Every team who wins big and ultimately wins it all always has a guy like Aaron Nesmith.”
It’s not uncommon for young teams making their first playoff appearance to experience growing pains as they adjust to the heightened intensity of the NBA postseason. The Pistons are going through that process during their first-round series vs. New York, as Hunter Patterson of The Athletic details. “We are learning our way through every challenge that’s in front of us,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I think our guys have done a great job of learning from one moment to the next.”

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Perry, LaVine, Young, Jones, Dumars, Graham, Horst

April 27th, 2025 at 7:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Kings general manager Scott Perry won’t engage an offseason teardown even though De’Aaron Fox was dealt at the trade deadline this season, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line report in their latest newsletter.

While the roster is lacking a true starting point guard and requires more length and athleticism, as he told the media in a recent press conference, Perry isn’t looking to hit the reset button.

However, there is speculation that Zach LaVine could be on the move again. Perry questioned LaVine’s ability to elevate his teammates a couple of years ago in a podcast. LaVine has two years and approximately $96.5MM remaining on his contract and becomes eligible for an extension on July 7.

Here are several more tidbits from Stein and Fischer:

Trae Young‘s name has been bandied about in trade rumors in recent years but it appears unlikely Atlanta will look to deal its franchise player this summer. Former Hawks GM Landry Fields broke up the backcourt duo of Young and Dejounte Murray last offseason and one of the players acquired in return, defensive ace Dyson Daniels, meshed well with Young. Moreover, Hawks personnel members have spoken often about Young’s growth as a leader and being a more willing passer. Coach Quin Snyder’s praise regarding Young’s improved effort and defensive commitment also speaks to the likelihood of the Hawks continuing to build around him.
While there has been speculation regarding James Jones‘ status as the Suns GM, given that his contract expires in June, he’s been tasked with leading the search for a new head coach. Phoenix would ideally determine its new front office structure before hiring a head coach but Jones could be asked to remain in the front office in a different role.
New Pelicans executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars has already made several front office changes, including the addition of former Pistons GM Troy Weaver as senior VP. However, Dumars has decided to retain GM Bryson Graham. The latter has been credited with unearthing underrated talent in the draft, such as Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones.
The Bucks’ decision to give GM Jon Horst an extension had been in the works for weeks. Front office openings in Atlanta, Denver and Phoenix further pushed the negotiations to fruition. However, Horst’s new deal won’t quell the hope of rival executives that another early playoff exit could lead to a trade request from superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Eastern Notes: Bucks, Lillard, Pritchard, Holiday, Beasley

April 23rd, 2025 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

After seeing his starters get thoroughly outplayed in the first two games of their first-round series vs. Indiana, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers is considering the idea of tweaking the lineup for Game 3, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Whether it’s the personnel or the approach, something has to change on Friday, Rivers acknowledged.

“We’ve gotten off to two poor starts, and we’ve got to make an adjustment there, for sure,” the Bucks said following Tuesday’s Game 2 loss. “We’ll just see. We have time. We have 48 hours. I’m not gonna tell you what I’m doing right now because I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out, I’m very confident about this series. Very.”

The Bucks started Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Kyle Kuzma, and Taurean Prince alongside Ryan Rollins in Game 1, with Damian Lillard replacing Rollins in Game 2. Those two units were the most frequently used Milwaukee lineups after the All-Star break, but they haven’t been effective so far in the playoffs — the starters were outscored by 15 points in about 17 minutes in Game 1 and by nine points in 16 minutes in Game 2.

“We don’t want to put ourselves in a hole early in the game,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think we’ve done it in two games. We also did it in the third quarter. It’s hard to play from behind. We just gotta be smarter the way we play, be more urgent when we start the game; hopefully we can be the one to set the tone and not them.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

In his first game back after being sidelined for over a month due to a blood clot, Lillard played 37 minutes on Tuesday and said he “felt pretty good,” though he acknowledged he still needs to work a little more on his cardio, per Michael Marot of The Associated Press. “I got a little winded, but I think everyone got a little winded,” said Lillard, who had 14 points and seven assists in the Bucks‘ Game 2 loss. “I wasn’t really thinking about if I was tired, it was just like I’m out here and I’ve got to do what I got to do.”
Celtics guard and newly minted Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard made a compelling case for an increased role by scoring 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting in 25 minutes of action in Sunday’s Game 1 win, writes Brian Robb of MassLive.com. Pritchard is a strong candidate to get a minutes bump in Game 2 on Wednesday with Jayson Tatum considered doubtful to play.
Whether or not Tatum is available, the Celtics would like to see more of the Jrue Holiday they got in Game 1, according to Jay King of The Athletic. Holiday took another step back on offense this season, posting his lowest scoring average (11.1 PPG) since his rookie year in 2009/10, but he has found many other ways to contribute. On Sunday, he made a trio of three-pointers and racked up three steals, prompting teammate Al Horford to tell reporters that Holiday “changed the game” with the energy he brought in the third quarter. “That’s the Jrue I love, you know what I mean?” Jaylen Brown added. “That’s the Jrue I remember competing against.”
Pistons wing Malik Beasley has been sued by Daniel Hazan, his former agent, tweets Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The lawsuit alleges that Hazan’s agency paid Beasley a $650K advance on future marketing revenue and that the veteran swingman breached their agreement by signing with a new agency in February, Vorkunov explains, adding that Hazan is seeking $1MM.

Community Shootaround: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Future

April 23rd, 2025 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

Through the first two games of the Bucks‘ first-round series vs. Indiana, Most Valuable Player finalist Giannis Antetokounmpo has put up absolutely massive numbers, including averages of 35.0 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per night on 65.1% shooting.

But he has gotten little help from his teammates in either game. Milwaukee has been outscored by 29 points when Antetokounmpo is on the floor and dropped both contests in Indiana. The Bucks are now heading back home facing a 2-0 deficit in the series.

In both 2023 and 2024, the Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the postseason without Antetokounmpo, who was unable to suit up due to injuries. With their star forward healthy and available this spring, the Bucks had higher expectations and haven’t given up on achieving them — the series is hardly out of reach if Milwaukee can defend its home court in Games 3 and 4.

However, the Pacers have looked like the better team so far, overwhelming the Bucks with their fast-paced offensive attack and creating a difficult hole for Milwaukee to climb out of.

Point guard Damian Lillard has only just returned from a month-long absence due to a blood clot in his calf and doesn’t look like he’s in peak form, while trade-deadline acquisition Kyle Kuzma hasn’t been particularly effective through two games, scoring just 12 total points on 5-of-15 shooting and grabbing three rebounds in 52 minutes of action.

As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted on the latest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast (YouTube link), a third consecutive first-round exit would be a disaster for the Bucks, who posted their lowest regular season winning percentage (.585) since 2017/18, have been a taxpaying team for several years, and no longer have the assets to pursue major roster upgrades. It would also lead to serious scrutiny of Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee.

“Giannis has been just awesome this season,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “He has clearly understood that they’re challenged. And he has cut the BS out of his game and cut the fat out of his game and tried doing everything he can to carry this team, and they’re just not good enough. What is he supposed to do?

“This is the elephant in the room in the league right now. This team is losing tens of millions of dollars. They’re out all their draft picks. (Brook) Lopez and (Bobby) Portis are free agents.”

Windhorst’s ESPN colleague Tim MacMahon followed up by describing the Bucks’ future as “bleak” and suggesting that Antetokounmpo may have to decide soon whether he wants to be a player who spends his entire career with one franchise or if he wants to move to a situation where he’d have a better chance to compete for more titles while he’s still in his prime.

Even if the Bucks are eliminated by the Pacers in the coming days, that decision doesn’t necessarily need to be made this summer. Antetokounmpo remains under contract with the Bucks for at least two more years, with a player option on his contract for the 2027/28 season. And Windhorst stresses that there’s no indication the two-time MVP is looking for an exit ramp.

“From talking to people in and around Milwaukee, Giannis has given no indication throughout this entire season that he is not 100% focused on maximizing what the Bucks have,” Windhorst said. “This (speculation) is people in the league looking at the lay of the land, not anything that Giannis has said to anybody.”

Still, it’s not uncommon for situations like this one involving star players to reach a head well before the player reaches free agency. “This is what people in the league are talking about as they’re watching these series,” Windhorst added.

The Nets, armed with significant cap flexibility and a huge collection of extra first-round picks, have made no secret of the fact that they’re prepared to make a major push for Antetokounmpo if the Bucks are open to considering a trade — reports for the better part of a year have indicated he’s Brooklyn’s “Plan A.” But they’d have plenty of company if Giannis ever ends up on the trade block.

We want to know what you think. Can the Bucks come back and win this first-round series vs. the Pacers? If not, will this offseason represent a tipping point for Antetokounmpo’s future or will he remain committed to Milwaukee going forward?

Head to the comment section below to weigh in with your thoughts on the outlook for Giannis.

NBA Announces Finalists For 2024/25 Awards

April 20th, 2025 at 6:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic are the three finalists for the league’s Most Valuable Player award this season, the league announced on Sunday (Twitter link).

While all three players put up monster numbers, Gilgeous-Alexander is generally considered the favorite to win the award due in large part to the Thunder’s team success this season. Oklahoma City won a league-high 68 regular season games, compared to 50 for Jokic’s Nuggets and 48 for Antetokounmpo’s Bucks.

The finalists for each award represent the top three vote-getters. The winners will be announced at a later date.

Here’s a rundown of the finalists for the major NBA awards voted on by media members:

Coach of the Year

Kenny Atkinson (Cavaliers)
J.B. Bickerstaff (Pistons)
Ime Udoka (Rockets)

Rookie of the Year

Stephon Castle (Spurs)
Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks)
Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies)

Sixth Man of the Year

Malik Beasley (Pistons)
Ty Jerome (Cavaliers)
Payton Pritchard (Celtics)

Defensive Player of the Year

Dyson Daniels (Hawks)
Draymond Green (Warriors)
Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)

Most Improved Player

Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
Dyson Daniels (Hawks)
Ivica Zubac (Clippers)

Clutch Player of the Year

Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves)
Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)

Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden Named Players Of The Week

April 14th, 2025 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week for a second straight Monday, the NBA announced today (Twitter link).

Antetokounmpo sat out Milwaukee’s regular season finale on Sunday, but was stellar in three Bucks wins over Minnesota, New Orleans, and Detroit earlier in the week, averaging 27.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 10.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks in 34.0 minutes per game.

It’s the fourth time this season that Antetokounmpo has earned Player of the Week honors, which is the most of any player in 2024/25. No one else in the East won the award more than twice this season; Nuggets center Nikola Jokic claimed it three times in the West.

It was Clippers guard James Harden, not Jokic, who was named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week for April 7-13, marking the second week in a row that a Clippers star has earned the award. Kawhi Leonard won it last Monday.

Harden helped the Clippers secure a guaranteed playoff spot (No. 5 in the West) by leading the team to a 4-0 week to wrap up the regular season, with victories over San Antonio, Houston, Sacramento, and – most crucially – Golden State. In those four games, the former MVP averaged 29.5 points, 10.5 assists, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 41.5 minutes per night, with a .534/.484/.862 shooting line.

Back in his prime years, Harden typically earned multiple Player of the Week nods every year, but this is the first time he has been recognized with the weekly award since February 2021, per Basketball-Reference.

Scottie Barnes, Trae Young, Onyeka Okongwu, and Payton Pritchard were the other Player of the Week nominees in the Eastern Conference, while Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Aaron Gordon, Aaron Wiggins, and Harden’s teammate Ivica Zubac were nominated in the West (Twitter link).

Central Notes: Mitchell, Ball, Jones, Giddey, Giannis, Furphy

April 13th, 2025 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Donovan Mitchell is missing his fourth consecutive game on Sunday due to a sprained left ankle, but the Cavaliers remain confident their star guard will be ready to go when the team begins its first-round playoff series next weekend, writes Joe Reedy of The Associated Press.

Mitchell conducted a full workout at the Cavs’ training facility on Saturday and worked out on the court ahead of Sunday’s game vs. Indiana, Reedy notes.

“I think he’ll be full on with practice. We’re going to have to scrimmage at some point, probably inter-squad with refs, so he’ll participate in that,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “The most important thing is how we build him up with the ankle rehab and then conditioning.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Despite the fact that Lonzo Ball hasn’t played since February 28 due to a right wrist sprain, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said he’d be willing to use the point guard in this week’s play-in game(s) if he’s healthy enough to return. As K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network tweets, Ball would be on a “short leash” in that scenario, per Donovan.
As for the Bulls‘ other injured guards, Tre Jones (left foot sprain) remains in a walking boot and doesn’t appear close to returning, but there’s “high-level optimism” that Josh Giddey (right wrist tendinopathy) will be available to play on Wednesday vs. Miami, even though his wrist is still bothering him (Twitter links via Johnson).
After appearing in just three of 11 playoff games in 2023 and 2024, star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will enter this year’s postseason healthy and having played some of his best basketball as of late — he has averaged 31.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 11.8 assists per game in six April outings, all Bucks wins. “He’s doing everything,” head coach Doc Rivers said of Antetokounmpo on Friday, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “And that’s what’s so special about him.”
With the Pacers‘ playoff seed already clinched, rookie wing Johnny Furphy set new career highs on Friday in points (17) and minutes played (32) while also throwing down an impressive dunk in the second quarter of a loss to Orlando (Twitter video link). Furphy figures to only play garbage-time minutes in the playoffs, but head coach Rick Carlisle likes what he has seen from the first-year swingman, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “He’s just a pure competitor,” Carlisle said. “Everything about him is pure. He doesn’t have a selfish bone in his body. Does everything hard. Does everything with the right spirit.”

Leonard, Antetokounmpo Named Players Of The Week

April 7th, 2025 at 2:54pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, according to the NBA (Twitter link), while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has won the award in the East.

Leonard helped guide the Clips to a perfect 4-0 week for games played from March 31 to April 6, averaging 24.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals on .513/.381/.857 shooting.

The two-time Finals MVP missed the first 35 games of the season due to a knee injury, but he has rounded into form at a critical time, scoring 20-plus points in each of the past 12 games. Los Angeles is currently the No. 5 seed in a remarkably close Western Conference playoff race.

Antetokounmpo was spectacular in leading the Bucks to three victories last week (he missed one game, which Milwaukee also won), averaging 36.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 13.7 assists and 1.7 steals on .638/.500/.838 shooting.

The 30-year-old superstar’s efforts helped the Bucks secure their ninth straight playoff appearance. Milwaukee is currently 44-34, the East’s No. 5 seed.

This is Antetokounmpo’s third Player of the Week award in 2024/25, and 26th of his career. It’s the first time Leonard has earned the weekly honor this season, and 10th time in his career.

Despite averaging 45.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 10.7 assists and 2.0 steals on .620/.448/.800 shooting in three appearances last week, including an incredible 61-point triple-double, Nikola Jokic somehow wasn’t nominated for the West’s award, presumably because the Nuggets went 0-4 (he missed one game).

Instead, Leonard beat out Deni Avdija, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Austin Reaves, Alperen Sengun and teammate Ivica Zubac. The other nominees in the East were OG Anunoby, Donovan Mitchell, Magic forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, Bulls guards Josh Giddey and Coby White, and Pacers teammates Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner (Twitter link).

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