Central Notes: Giannis, Cunningham, Thompson, Green
Giannis Antetokounmpo likes the additions the Bucks made at the trade deadline, but a strained left calf has prevented him from getting on the court with his new teammates, writes Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. The injury caused Antetokounmpo to miss the last six games before the All-Star break, and he’s listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest against the Clippers. He was able to practice today, but neither he or coach Doc Rivers is sure whether he’s going to play.
Even though he’s stuck on the sidelines, Antetokounmpo has been impressed by what he’s seen from Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims and Kevin Porter Jr., whom Milwaukee landed in two trades earlier this month.
“The team looks great right now,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re playing very, very fast. Everybody’s competing. Defensively I think we’re going to be way, way better. We’re big. And I’m excited.”
The downside of the deadline for Antetokounmpo was parting with long-time teammate Khris Middleton. They could back be on the court together again Friday when Milwaukee travels to Washington, and Antetokounmpo has a greeting in mind.
“I’m not shaking his hand, I’m not talking to him, I’m not even looking at him, and every time I see him, I’m going to guard him full court, pick him up full court and deny him,” Antetokounmpo quipped. “You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to make a 3 in his face and go, ‘Khash!’ I’m joking.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Cade Cunningham became the first Pistons player to be selected to the All-Star Game since Blake Griffin in 2019 and the first Detroit guard to make it since Allen Iverson in 2009, notes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Cunningham enjoyed making his All-Star debut, but added that he expects to return many times in his career. “It’s cool, man. This is what I planned on, though,” he said. “This is what I saw for myself. To be in this position now is a great feeling, but there’s definitely more steps to climb. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and all the things to come.”
- Pistons forward Ausar Thompson could be primed for a strong close to the season, Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News states in a mailbag column. Davis notes that Thompson had to overcome a long layoff caused by blood clots he experienced late in his rookie season. When he was cleared to play in November, he was limited to 20 minutes per game and was still dealing with fatigue. He has been used as the team’s secondary play-maker over the last eight games and is averaging 4.0 assists per night, along with 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 steals.
- Javonte Green, who is expected to join the Cavaliers after completing a buyout with New Orleans, was one of the wings the team considered adding before the trade deadline, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Team officials believed Green was likely to be a buyout candidate, so they directed their trade efforts elsewhere and wound up with De’Andre Hunter.
All-Star Notes: Wembanyama, Curry, Edwards, Giannis
The solution to fixing the competitive level in the NBA’s All-Star Game may be as simple as unleashing Victor Wembanyama, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Making his first appearance in the showcase Sunday night, the 7’3″ center displayed an intensity that got the attention of his fellow All-Stars.
“I thought he played like he plays in a game, seriously,” Damian Lillard said. “When I saw him, I was like, ‘He was not messing around.’ One time, he got fouled. The ref didn’t call it and he got mad. He knows one way, and you can tell that he’s going to play that way every time.”
Wembanyama vowed earlier this week to take the game seriously, something that has been an issue in recent All-Star contests regardless of the format. Playing on a team drafted by Charles Barkley, he saw just six minutes in the semifinal contest, posting six points, four rebounds, a block and a steal. He followed that with 11 points, three rebounds and a block in eight minutes in the championship round.
“My biggest takeaway is that it’s possible to give a hundred percent on that court, to play hard, to play your ass off,” Wembanyama said. “And, for me, it’s the only way to play basketball, and I think it’ll only make the game better.”
There’s more from the All-Star Game:
- Stephen Curry received 12 of the 14 MVP votes, making him the 15th player in NBA history to win the honor more than once, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Several players pointed out that the abbreviated format makes it harder for anyone to put up the gaudy numbers that are typically associated with All-Star MVPs. “In this type of format, nobody is going to have 50 points, or 30 points is even going to be hard to do unless you shoot it every time and make every shot,” Lillard said. “But you look at what jumps out. When was the crowd the loudest? What jumped off the floor? And that’s probably who your MVP is going to be. So, watching the game, it was like, ‘I’m pretty sure Steph is going to win it.’ … I don’t know how many points he had, it couldn’t have been that much, but I think it was the eye test.”
- Anthony Edwards sat out Sunday due to a groin injury, although the reason wasn’t announced until his team lost in the opening round. He didn’t want to risk aggravating the condition with so little at stake, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. “I’ve never been an All-Star Game type of guy, to like take it serious and go out there and try to guard somebody and get a stop,” Edwards said. “I’ve never been that type of guy. I just save it for the Timberwolves season, pretty much.”
- Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s suggestion to liven up the All-Star Game is to take it overseas, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “It would be fun,” Antetokounmpo said. “Having a game in the UK or a game in Paris. Or having a game in Greece, obviously is a small country, but why not. Having a game in China, an All-Star Game in China, and all the stars go there for a weekend and play the game.”
International Players Express Support For U.S. Vs. The World All-Star Format
As the NBA searches for ways to revive interest in its All-Star Game, one concept that gets frequent mention is a U.S. vs. the World format. Several international players expressed their support for that idea after Sunday’s mini-tournament, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
“I would love to. My opinion is that it’s more purposeful,” said Victor Wembanyama, who figures to be a regular at the All-Star Game for the next decade or so. “There’s more pride in it. More stakes.”
Nine-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo was even more enthusiastic about the idea in his post-game press conference.
“I would love that. Oh, I would love that,” he said. “I think that would be the most interesting and most exciting format. I would love that. For sure, I’d take pride in that. I always compete, but I think that will give me a little bit more extra juice to compete.”
As Reynolds points out, the NHL has been able to generate enormous passion by scrapping its traditional All-Star format and replacing it with the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament. Saturday’s showdown between the U.S. and Canada in Montreal stoked an intense national rivalry and featured three fights in the first nine seconds of the game.
According to Reynolds, some NBA officials are watching the NHL’s success and considering how it could be adapted to basketball. There aren’t enough All-Star players from specific nations to divide them into four teams, but a matchup of American and international stars could create a fresh look for the annual showcase.
“Sometimes things just get old and kind of need a facelift,” Draymond Green said. “I know they’ve done different things to try to get it going. I think what’ll be interesting to see is how this 4 Nations thing turns out in hockey. If that turns out great, might have to peek an eye.”
Reynolds notes that this year’s rosters already feature six international All-Stars, with Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo joined by Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Pascal Siakam and Alperen Sengun. Luka Doncic would likely be there if not for the injuries have plagued him this season, and Reynolds points to Karl-Anthony Towns, who plays for the Dominican Republic in international competitions, as another addition.
However, filling out the World roster could mean adding a few players who aren’t as deserving of All-Star status. It would also take away four spots from American players, who make up roughly 70% of the NBA, which is why there’s reluctance to try it out.
“Not to say we couldn’t figure out a way around this, but to the extent we want to have a fair process for picking All-Stars, if you’re picking half the players from a 30% pool and the other half from a 70% pool, it might not be fair to the players,” commissioner Adam Silver said recently. “So, that’s one thing we’re looking at.”
Three-Peat For Mac McClung In Dunk Contest
Mac McClung ensured his place alongside the other legends in NBA dunk contest history by winning the event for the third straight time Saturday night.
McClung got perfect scores on all four of his dunks and was a clear favorite of the Chase Center crowd. His final-round victory came over Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, who registered a 99.6 score with two impressive slams of his own. Andre Jackson Jr. and Matas Buzelis were eliminated in the first round.
McClung brought some excitement to the event on his first dunk when he leaped over a car and threw the ball down behind his head. He followed that by jumping over his dunk coach for a twisting slam, then dunked two balls at once — one held by a friend on a spinning hoverboard and another by a man on a ladder — and finished off the night by jumping over 6’11” Evan Mobley (who was standing on a small platform) and touching the ball against the rim before slamming it home (video collection via YouTube).
At a press conference following the event, McClung deflected a question on whether the three-peat means he should be considered the greatest dunker of all time (Twitter video link from Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic).
“I definitely don’t think that’s something for me to say,” McClung responded. “… I was just extremely honored to be part of this weekend. The biggest thing is I genuinely love this contest, and I’m very honored to be here and just very appreciative.”
McClung is on a two-way contract with the Magic and has only made one brief appearance in an NBA game this season. He plays for Osceola in the G League and has never been able to break through at the NBA level, getting into five total games with four teams since 2021.
McClung’s performance got the attention of other players around the league, including a couple of stars who hinted that they may consider participating in future dunk contests. Grizzlies guard Ja Morant tweeted, “Mac might make me decide to dunk,” and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo responded, “If you do it. I’ll do it with you,” later adding, “I just gotta to warm up for three weeks prior to the contest.”
Damian Lillard missed the chance for another three-peat on Saturday, being eliminated in the first round of the Three-Point Contest after winning the event the past two years. Tyler Herro claimed this year’s crown by a point over Buddy Hield, with Darius Garland finishing third.
“I was definitely nervous going into the first round. But I thought I shot it pretty well in the second round, and then Buddy had the chance to tie it at the end,” Herro told reporters, including Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Obviously a great competition, a bunch of great shooters. … Also, it felt cold in the arena the first time I went. For the second time, I felt more loose going right away.”
Mobley teamed with fellow Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell to capture the Skills Challenge in the night’s first event.
And-Ones: Shaq, TNT, MVP Race, All-Star Game, 2025 Draft
NBA studio analyst Shaquille O’Neal has reached an agreement on a new long-term deal with TNT Sports that will be worth in excess of $15MM per year, reports Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.
Although TNT Sports will no longer have the right to broadcast NBA games after the 2024/25 season, the show’s popular Inside the NBA studio show will remain on the air, with the company licensing it to ESPN beginning this fall. O’Neal’s agreement with TNT ensures that he’ll still be part of the show’s panel going forward.
O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith have each reportedly talked to new NBA media rights partners NBC and Amazon, who will begin broadcasting games next season. However, Barkley and O’Neal have deals in place to remain with TNT and the expectation is that Smith will sign a new multiyear contract with the network too, according to McCarthy. As for host Ernie Johnson, he’s considered a “TNT lifer,” McCarthy writes.
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nuggets center Nikola Jokic earned the top two spots on 99 of 100 ballots submitted by media members to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link) in his latest Most Valuable Player straw poll. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed a single second-place vote, with Jokic coming in third on that voter’s ballot. However, it’s clearly a two-player MVP race between Gilgeous-Alexander, who received 70 first-place votes and 910 total points, and Jokic, who got 30 and 788, respectively.
- The NBA and NBPA will speak to this year’s All-Stars this weekend to stress the importance of competing hard in Sunday’s All-Star event for the sake of both fans and the business, league sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). The All-Star game has been a low-intensity affair for years, but the league is hopeful that a new mini-tournament format featuring three shorter games will help address that issue.
- The 2025 NBA draft class continues to look stronger, according to Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN, who write in an Insider-only story that NBA executives are enthusiastic about the overall depth in the class, not just the potential difference-makers at the top of their boards. The international class also may be better than initially believed, with as many as nine possible first-round picks in that group, Givony and Woo say. The ESPN duo has updated its full mock draft, from Duke freshman Cooper Flagg at No. 1 to South East Melbourne forward Malique Lewis at No. 59.
Trae Young Named As All-Star Replacement
Hawks guard Trae Young has been named an All-Star, according to the NBA. The league announced (via Twitter) that Young will replace injured Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Young, 26, has had a down shooting year, with a career-worst 40.9% mark from the field, including 34.0% from beyond the three-point line. However, he’s leading the league with 11.4 assists per game and contributing 23.5 points per night.
While a recent eight-game losing streak cost the Hawks a few spots in the Eastern Conference standings, the team is still slightly exceeding expectations this season. Atlanta currently holds the No. 9 seed in the East with a 25-28 record.
Young has played a major role in those 25 victories — the club has a +0.2 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a team-worst -7.4 mark without him.
Word broke on Sunday that Antetokounmpo would remain sidelined through the All-Star break due to a mild calf strain, necessitating a replacement for this weekend in San Francisco. According to Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Young received the most votes from coaches among Eastern Conference players who didn’t make the initial list of reserves.
After he wasn’t initially named an All-Star, the Hawks guard reacted on Twitter by joking that getting “snubbed” was now known as getting “Traed.”
Antetokounmpo had been drafted onto Charles Barkley‘s roster for Sunday’s four-team event, so Young will take Giannis’ place on Team Chuck, helping to balance a roster heavy on big men. He’ll join Donovan Mitchell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the guards on the eight-man squad.
Giannis Antetokounmpo To Miss All-Star Game
A mild calf strain will keep Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo out of action for the next week and prevent him from participating in the All-Star Game, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since Feb. 2, but he’s expected to return shortly after the break, Charania adds.
However, NBA insider Chris Haynes hears that Antetokounmpo’s absence could be longer, with league sources telling him it may last “two to three weeks” (Twitter video link).
Milwaukee has lost two of the three games that Antetokounmpo has missed since suffering the injury and has dropped six of its last eight overall. The Bucks have slid into fifth in the East and are only two games ahead of seventh-place Miami in the battle for a guaranteed playoff spot.
Any calf injury is a concern for Antetokounmpo, who missed last year’s playoff series with Indiana due to a left soleus strain. While there’s no set timetable for him to return from the current injury, the Bucks are sure to be cautious to make sure he doesn’t aggravate it any further.
Antetokounmpo was headed to the All-Star Game for the ninth straight year, having been voted by fans as a frontcourt starter in the East. Commissioner Adam Silver will name his replacement.
NBA Announces 2025 All-Star Game Rosters
The 24 players selected for the 2025 All-Star Game were drafted on a Thursday pre-game TNT show by coaches Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, and later announced by the NBA (Twitter link).
The players were previously sorted into groups of starters and reserves, but that had no bearing on their team placement for the new mini-tournament in this year’s game.
Below are each team’s selections, sorted in order of pick:
Team Shaq
- LeBron James, Lakers
- Stephen Curry, Warriors
- Anthony Davis, Mavericks
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics
- Kevin Durant, Suns
- Damian Lillard, Bucks
- James Harden, Clippers
- Jaylen Brown, Celtics
O’Neal had the first overall pick in the televised draft, selecting James, who holds the record for most All-Star appearances in a career. For the most part, O’Neal opted for the “old guard” of the NBA, so to speak. His team has a whopping 87 All-Star appearances (including this year) among its eight players.
The roster also unites a handful of players. Durant spent this week in trade rumors, with reports indicating he didn’t want to be traded to Curry’s Warriors. The two players were teammates for three seasons. This also will mark the first time James and Davis will play together since the blockbuster move that brought Doncic to L.A. Additionally, Curry, James, Durant, Tatum and Davis all played together on the 2024 U.S. men’s Olympic Team.
Team Kenny
- Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks
- Jaren Jackson Jr., Grizzlies
- Jalen Williams, Thunder
- Darius Garland, Cavaliers
- Evan Mobley, Cavaliers
- Cade Cunningham, Pistons
- Tyler Herro, Heat
In contrast to O’Neal’s roster, Smith opted for some of the younger stars across the league. Smith’s team has a combined 13 All-Star nods to their name — Williams, Mobley, Cunningham and Herro are all first-timers. Smith united a pair of Cavaliers, with Mobley and Garland joining forces.
Team Chuck
- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets
- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs
- Pascal Siakam, Pacers
- Alperen Sengun, Rockets
- Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
Barkley went for a mix of experience in his group. He secured the top three expected players in the MVP race this season between Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Gilgeous-Alexander. He also landed Wembanyama with the 12th overall pick. Barkley’s group has a combined 35 All-Star honors, with Sengun and Wembanyama as first-time All-Stars and Antetkounmpo (nine) and Jokic (seven) leading the way.
A fourth team coached by Candace Parker will play in the tournament. She’ll be coaching whichever team wins this year’s Rising Stars Challenge — those rosters were announced earlier this week. Two teams will meet in a semifinal (game one) while the other two also play each other (game two). The winning team from each game moves on to the final round.
The four teams participating in the NBA All-Star Game will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million. Each player on the team that wins the final will receive $125,000, while members of the second-place team earn $50,000. Players on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.
Central Notes: Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Bucks, Bulls, Ivey
The agreed-upon trade sending Khris Middleton to the Wizards will break up one of the longest partnerships in recent NBA history, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Nehm notes that Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo both joined the Bucks in 2013 — Middleton in a trade with Detroit after an uneventful rookie season and Antetokounmpo as a little-known draft pick out of Greece. They wound up playing together for nearly 12 years, combining for 738 regular season and playoff games and bringing Milwaukee its first NBA title in half a century.
“For me, it’s a little bit bigger than business, it’s family,” Antetokounmpo said at Wednesday’s shootaround after news of the trade broke. “With a guy that I’ve won a championship with — it’s not only that I’ve won, I’ve lost a lot of times with him. I’ve been in a dark place a lot of times with him. I’ve been in the bus going to a lot of pressure situations with him. … That’s what I remember.”
Injuries to both players prevented them from duplicating the championship they captured in 2021. Middleton in particular has suffered repeated physical issues and has been limited to 23 games this season after undergoing surgery on both ankles.
Even though they’re no longer teammates, Antetokounmpo said his friendship with Middleton will last beyond their playing days.
“I know it’s business, but for me, Khris is my brother,” he added. “I’m going to have a relationship with him after basketball. It kind of hurts, but at the end of the day, I understand the business side of things, and I’m still going to show up to work and do my job until it’s my time to dip.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Middleton deal brings the Bucks about $300K below the second apron and will have future benefits as well, notes Frank Madden of BrewHoop (Twitter link). With Middleton’s $34MM player option no longer on the books for next season, Milwaukee projects to be $31MM under the first apron. Madden points out that gives the team access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, even if Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton exercise their player options.
- Coach Billy Donovan said the Bulls aren’t done pursuing deals after sending Zach LaVine to Sacramento on Monday, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Mayberry notes that Nikola Vucevic, Lonzo Ball, Coby White and Patrick Williams have all been mentioned in rumors, but nobody is certain who will be leaving ahead of tomorrow’s deadline. “I already know I’m not untouchable,” White said. “I like being in Chicago, but it’s out of my control. That’s up to the front office and how they view me. As long as I’m here, I’m here to compete, play hard, lead and do anything I can to help win.”
- Pistons guard Jaden Ivey recently posted a video of himself walking underwater to his Instagram account, relays Jared Ramsey of The Detroit Free Press. Aquatic therapy is part of Ivey’s treatment as he works to recover from a broken left fibula.
Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo Earn Player Of The Month Honors
Two superstars with five Most Valuable Player awards between them have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for January. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic earned the honor for the Western Conference, while Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo won it in the East (Twitter links).
Jokic came out on top of a group of nominees that included Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jalen Green, James Harden, Norman Powell, Jaren Jackson Jr., Domantas Sabonis, and Victor Wembanyama, as well as Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the award for both Oct./Nov. and Dec.
Jokic comfortably averaged a triple-double in January, with 27.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 11.4 assists in 34.8 minutes per game across 14 outings. He also had red-hot .585/.440/.857 shooting line and added 1.9 steals per night as Denver went 10-4 in games he played. The team was 1-2 without him.
Over in the East, Antetokounmpo was selected over fellow nominees Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyrese Maxey, Tyrese Haliburton, and Pascal Siakam.
The Bucks star led his team to a 9-6 record for the month, scoring 30.5 points per game on 60.0% shooting from the floor. He also registered averages of 13.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks per contest.
Antetokounmpo is the third different Eastern Conference Player of the Month so far this season, joining Tatum (Oct./Nov.) and Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns (Dec.).