Giannis Antetokounmpo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Bacon, Adebayo, Robinson

March 2nd, 2020 at 6:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Hornets might be in the market for an experienced point guard, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports. Devonte’ Graham, who is dealing with left ankle soreness, is doubtful to play Tuesday against the Spurs. Terry Rozier can slide over as the starter but fill-in point guard Malik Monk is suspended indefinitely under the league’s anti-drug policy and the team didn’t renew Joe Chealey’s 10-day contract. Charlotte has two open roster spots and will need to fill one soon, Bonnell adds.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Dwayne Bacon‘s status with the Hornets is a fluid situation, Bonnell tweets. Bacon has been toiling with the G League’s Greensboro Swarm and it’s uncertain whether he’ll return to the NBA level, according to Borrego. Bacon has played in 39 games with Charlotte this season, including 11 starts, but hasn’t seen action since the All-Star break.
Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo share the same agent but Adebayo insists that won’t mean anything if the Bucks superstar hits the free agent market in 2021, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel relays. Both players are represented by Alex Saratsis. “At the end of the day, I can’t force a man to make that decision,” the Heat center said of potentially recruiting the reigning MVP. “That’s going to be his decision, his family’s decision. I can’t persuade him to do that.”
The Heat’s offense has been most efficient this season with Duncan Robinson on the court, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald points out. Robinson owns the team’s best plus/minus rating. Additionally, the team’s offensive rating is 114.3 when he’s on the floor, compared to 105.9 when he’s on the bench. That bodes well for his future with the club, although his $1,663,861 salary for next season doesn’t guarantee until after training camp.

Rockets Notes: Harden, Tucker, Van Gundy, Bench

February 28th, 2020 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

James Harden believes he’s taken for granted around the basketball world, as he told Rachel Nichols of ESPN (Twitter link). “I feel like I’m the best player,” said the former Most Valuable Player, who once again leads the league in scoring. “Throughout the course of the year, I don’t see double teams for anybody else. Usually, you’ll see a double team after a 50-point night or a 60-point night. I have an 18-point night, the next game I’m seeing a double-team.”

Harden also took a dig at Giannis Antetokounmpo, who joked while choosing his All-Star squad that he didn’t want Harden because he preferred someone who passed the ball. “I wish I could just go to the rim at 7-feet and just dunk,” Harden said. “That takes no skill at all.”

We have more on the Rockets:

P.J. Tucker has accepted his new role as the team’s middle man in its Microball lineup, Sam Amick of The Athletic reports. Tucker says it’s just part of the job description of a team player. “It’s not a choice,” he said. “It’s like when people ask me why I play so hard. Like, it’s not a choice to play hard. I don’t have a choice. That’s what you’ve got to do. Period.”
Broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy doled out praise to coach Mike D’Antoni and GM Daryl Morey for their willingness to take criticism by embracing unconventional lineups, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle relays. “I admire their basketball courage,” Van Gundy said. “They have true conviction. They don’t waffle. They believe in what they believe. And they are unafraid of the consequences or the criticism. That’s when you can coach freely and manage freely.”
The recent additions of Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll have made the team’s bench much more formidable, Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. Forward Danuel House is noticing the difference. “It makes your team a very dangerous team,” House said. “Especially with your starting five. If your starting five is capable of putting up points and your bench is capable of putting up points, the team can stay consistent. There are no highs or lows, so that’s really good for our team.”

And-Ones: Giannis, Motiejunas, Nogueira, Bosh

February 20th, 2020 at 11:18am CST by Luke Adams

Following a wild 2019 offseason, the NBA has been in a period of relative stability for the last several months. However, there are a number of tipping points on tap for the 2020 postseason and offseason that could re-inject some chaos into the basketball landscape, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com.

According to Bontemps, people around the league will be keeping an especially close eye on teams like the Rockets and Sixers, who will be looking to make deep playoff runs after falling short of their goals in recent years. If those two teams are eliminated early in the postseason, it’s possible major changes could be made, with Mike D’Antoni and Brett Brown potentially on the way out and roster shakeups around the corner.

League insiders will also be curious to see whether the Warriors look to use their 2020 lottery pick as the centerpiece in a trade for another impact player, Bontemps writes. Most notably, all eyes will be on Milwaukee as Giannis Antetokounmpo decides whether to sign a super-max extension with the Bucks. For what it’s worth, Bontemps says every executive he spoke to expects Antetokounmpo to remain in Milwaukee.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA forward Donatas Motiejunas said he has drawn interest from some NBA and EuroLeague teams, per Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas (Twitter link). However, Motiejunas remains under contract with the Shanghai Sharks during the Chinese Basketball Association’s coronovirus-related hiatus and isn’t looking to get out of that deal.
Lucas Nogueira, a former first-round pick who spent four seasons in the NBA with the Raptors, has signed with Muharraq Club in Bahrain, according to the team (Instagram link; hat tip to Sportando). The 16th overall pick in the 2013 draft, Nogueira appeared in 141 games for Toronto between 2014-18.
Chris Bosh took to Instagram to express his disappointment after not being included in 2020’s list of finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Addresses Future With Bucks

February 17th, 2020 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo have done a great job this season keeping the subject of Giannis’ next contract on the back-burner. However, as the captain of one of the All-Star teams this weekend in Chicago, the reigning MVP couldn’t entirely avoid the spotlight or dodge questions about his future.

Asked by Mackenzie Salmon of SportsPulse (video link) whether he’d want to continue building his legacy with the Bucks if the team were to win a championship, Antetokounmpo was initially noncommittal before suggesting he’d like to keep winning in Milwaukee.

“I can’t think that far ahead. I’m just trying to focus on the moment and get better,” Giannis said. “But why not? I’m a guy that wants to be with a team for a while. As long as we’re winning. And we’re winning so far, so I don’t think anything’s going to change.”

Antetokounmpo won’t be eligible for free agency until the summer of 2021. However, the Bucks will have the opportunity during the 2020 offseason to offer him a super-max extension worth an estimated $254MM over five years, and they intend to do so. If Giannis doesn’t accept that offer, the club will start to get a little nervous.

So far though, there’s no reason to believe Antetokounmpo isn’t happy with the Bucks, who have an NBA-best 46-8 record this season. His agent, Alex Saratsis, told Pete Zervakis of TMJ4 News that his client “believes in loyalty,” adding that he thinks Giannis feels a “kinship” to the city of Milwaukee, which has been his home since he came over from Greece. Asked if he could see Antetokounmpo staying with one team for his entire career, Saratsis confirmed it’s a realistic possibility.

“Yeah, I think so. Obviously everybody talks about his impending free agency, and I think everything is open,” Saratsis said. “I think he’s someone who could easily say, ‘I’d like to be in Milwaukee my entire career.’ I think he’s also someone who, depending on how the team does, could say, ‘I need a change.’ But for him, staying is absolutely a viable option.”

Although neither Antetokounmpo nor Saratsis suggests that Giannis has completely made up his mind yet, the fact that team success was a common thread in both their comments has to be an encouraging sign for the Bucks, who are on a 70-win pace. A deep playoff run – ideally one that ends with a championship – will be the next step in convincing the star forward that a long-term deal in Milwaukee is the right move.

Central Notes: Beilein, Sexton, Mykhailiuk, Antetokounmpos

February 2nd, 2020 at 11:44am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers seem distracted by the trade deadline as they rack up embarrassing losses, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The latest came last night as the Warriors broke a 10-game road losing streak with a 19-point blowout in Cleveland.

“Every loss is hitting me really hard and hitting us … I know it’s hitting me hard, I can’t answer for other people,” coach John Beilein said. “It’s just trying to find solutions and trying to find a better way to get our guys to play harder and smarter, which will lead to wins. But there’s some things that just happen because we’re young and some things happen because of persistence in our effort and some things happen because we’re just missing some pieces in the roster here and there.”

The team may have a different attitude and a different look once the deadline passes Thursday afternoon. Tristan Thompson, Brandon Knight, John Henson and Matthew Dellavedova are all veterans on expiring contracts who may be sent elsewhere. Kevin Love, the team’s highest-paid player, has displayed frustration throughout the season and is also a candidate to be moved.

One question Beilein couldn’t answer last night is whether he still has the support of the players as the Cavaliers have fallen to the bottom of the Eastern Conference at 13-37.

“I think that our guys have to measure themselves,” he said. “Are they bought in to playing winning basketball? I don’t think it has anything to do with a particular coach or coaches, whatever, they’ve just got to go and play hard.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton was “shocked” to be passed over for the Rising Stars Challenge, Fedor adds in a separate story. “I knew I deserved to be there,” said Sexton, who also wasn’t invited to the game last year. “I knew the hard work every day, coming here and playing the game. I knew I deserved to be out there, but I took the good with it. Hey, just continue to build. Can’t be too mad because it is what it is.”
The Pistons are benefiting from an under-the-radar trade last February that brought in Svi Mykhailiuk from the Lakers in exchange for Reggie Bullock, notes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. “He’s on track to be one of our core pieces as far as his shooting ability, his ability to make plays off the dribble,” coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s right with Luke (Kennard) as far as being able to put the ball on the floor, run pick and rolls. And the kid’s a sponge – you can get on him, you can coach him, you can teach him.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo were thrilled to be in the starting lineup together on Friday, relays Eric Woodyard of ESPN. It marked the first start of Thanasis’ NBA career, and Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer made the decision because it was Greek Night in Milwaukee.

Central Notes: Bledsoe, Giannis, McKinnie, Cavs, Bulls

January 23rd, 2020 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

After a report earlier this week suggested the Bucks would be willing to trade starting point guard Eric Bledsoe, Jon Horst told Howard Beck of Bleacher Report in no uncertain terms that’s not the case.

“We have no talked to any teams about trading [Bledsoe], since the day that we traded for him,” the Bucks GM said. “And I think it’s evident, pretty strongly, in the fact that we extended Eric, what he means to us.

“The fact that we currently have the best record in the NBA, had the best record last year in the NBA, he’s an All-NBA First Team defender and a guy that we feel strongly should be an All-Star for the Milwaukee Bucks this year. We have not had those conversations, and we are not going to trade Eric Bledsoe.”

It’s hard to imagine the Bucks doing anything too drastic to shake up their roster at the trade deadline next month, considering the team is on a 71-win pace. Bledsoe did struggle in the postseason last spring, so he’ll be under the microscope in this year’s playoffs. If he underperforms again, perhaps Horst’s stance changes, but the veteran point guard looks safe for now.

Here’s more from around the Central:

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (video link) believes the concept of the Designated Veteran Extension – introduced in the NBA’s 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement – will have been a failure if the Bucks can’t use it to lock up Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’ll become eligible for the first time during the 2020 offseason.
Before deciding to sign a second 10-day contract with the Cavaliers, Alfonzo McKinnie had other offers, sources tell Evan Dammarell of Forbes.com. However, McKinnie has forged a bond with Cleveland’s coaching staff and recognizes that he should get a chance to play regular minutes with the Cavs, Dammarell writes.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com explores whether the Cavaliers‘ rebuild is still on the right track as the team’s losses pile up.
In a mailbag for NBC Sports Chicago, K.C. Johnson says he believes Thaddeus Young and Denzel Valentine are the most likely candidates to be dealt by the Bulls at the deadline. Johnson also thinks there’s a decent chance RFA-to-be Kris Dunn will return to Chicago next season.

Central Notes: Carter Jr., Giannis, McKinnie, Bulls

January 19th, 2020 at 6:55pm CST by JD Shaw

Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. believes he could return from his severe ankle injury ahead of schedule, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes.

Carter injured his ankle on January 6 and was initially given a four-to-six week timetable after undergoing an MRI. The 20-year-old was posting season averages of 11.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 30 minutes before going down to injury.

“Definitely closer to the four[-week side],’’ Carter said on his potential return, as relayed by Cowley. “My progress has been really good lately, so definitely closer to the four than the six.’’

The Bulls have a 3-4 record since losing Carter, who emphasized that he’s been working on his upper-body strength and watching film during rehab. He’ll likely return just before All-Star Weekend, which is set to commence between on February 14.

“It’s still pretty frustrating, but at the same time, I think everything happens for a reason,’’ Carter said. “That’s something I strongly believe in, so it’s frustrating because I’m a competitor, but on the back end it’s like, ‘OK, this happened for a reason or it could have been worse.’ Just take it in and try to get it better every day.’’

There’s more out of the Central Division tonight:

Sam Amick of The Athletic examines how the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo have quieted speculation regarding his 2021 unrestricted free agency, where he’s expected to garner interest from multiple teams. Milwaukee has the league’s best record at 38-6, winning its last six games. Their success has been fueled by Antetokounmpo and his MVP-caliber season (30 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 5.5 APG on 55% FG).
Alfonzo McKinnie is fighting to prove he belongs with the Cavaliers on a 10-day contract, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes. Cleveland is likely to sign McKinnie to a second 10-day deal after his current contract expires on Sunday, according to Fedor, with the 27-year-old originally signing on January 9. “I’m just excited for the opportunity,” McKinnie said. “Best league in the world so however you get in, you just have to go with that and try to stick. This is my first time ever signing a 10-day. It really ain’t no different mindset-wise. Just trying to put forth everything that you can do on the court to show the organization that you belong, that you want to be around. For me, every year that I’ve been in the league trying to solidify a spot that’s pretty much how I approach it. Just coming out and doing what I can do and leaving it all on the floor and then leaving it into the front office’s hands. Hopefully it’s good enough.”
The Bulls could look to ramp up trade discussions involving Thaddeus Young and Denzel Valentine as the February 6 deadline approaches, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago writes. Schaefer examined different trade scenarios with both players, evaluating Chicago’s potential options.

Poll: Will Giannis Repeat As NBA MVP?

January 14th, 2020 at 4:15pm CST by Luke Adams

After winning his first Most Valuable Player award in 2018/19, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has arguably been even better so far this season.

Despite playing just 30.9 minutes per game, his lowest mark since he was a rookie in 2013/14, Antetokounmpo is establishing new career highs in PPG (29.8) and RPG (12.8) to go along with 5.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.1 BPG.

Giannis has also managed to convert 55.0% of his field goal attempts even though he’s launching 5.1 threes per game, nearly double his previous career high. He’s hitting 32.5% of those outside attempts, which isn’t an above-average rate, but is an encouraging step forward for a player who had made 27.7% of his career three-point attempts entering the season.

Oh, and his Bucks posted a 35-6 record in the first half, putting them on pace for a 70-win season.

It all adds up to make Antetokounmpo the MVP frontrunner halfway through the 2019/20 campaign. NBA.com’s Sekou Smith has Giannis atop his MVP ladder, while Basketball-Reference’s model also views him as the favorite.

Still, we’ve still got 40+ games to play this season, and it’s not as if Antetokounmpo has left his competition in the dust.

James Harden is having another historic scoring season, with 37.7 PPG through 37 games. If the Rockets guard maintains that pace, it would be the fourth-highest scoring average in NBA history and the best single-season mark by anyone not named Wilt Chamberlain.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis each have strong MVP cases for the 33-7 Lakers. James’ impressive on/off-court splits, as well as his 25.5 PPG and league-leading 10.7 APG, might make him the better pick of the two.

Second-year Mavericks star Luka Doncic is also in the conversation, with a near-triple-double average through 35 games (29.1 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 9.0 APG) as his team exceeds preseason expectations and looks to secure a playoff spot.

While Antetokounmpo is putting up insane per-36 stats, it’s possible some voters will dock him for playing fewer minutes than other MVP candidates. He has appeared in 38 games to Harden’s 37 this season, but has logged 200 fewer minutes than the Rockets’ star. If that gap continues to widen by season’s end, with Giannis potentially getting some rest after Milwaukee secure the No. 1 seed, it could be a factor worth considering in the MVP race.

Still, for now, Giannis looks like the odds-on favorite to be named the NBA’s 2019/20 MVP. What do you think? Will he finish strong and win the award for a second consecutive year?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo repeat as the NBA's MVP?

Yes 64.63% (665 votes)

No 35.37% (364 votes)

Total Votes: 1,029

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

And-Ones: 2020 Draft, Giannis, Curry, Silver

January 10th, 2020 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

The 2019 NBA draft, like many in recent years, had an obvious hierarchy at the top, with No. 1 prospect Zion Williamson followed by clear top-tier options like Ja Morant and RJ Barrett. However, things don’t project to be quite so simple in 2020, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link), who suggests that the this year’s draft might be the weirdest one in years.

As Givony explains, James Wiseman‘s departure from the University of Memphis, Anthony Edwards‘ inconsistency at Georgia, and a handful of unknowns surrounding LaMelo Ball have ensured there’s no clear-cut favorite to be the No. 1 pick in June. Wiseman’s absence, along with injuries to Ball, Cole Anthony, and R.J. Hampton, have also resulted in a dearth of opportunities for evaluators to scout many of this year’s top prospects.

With so much uncertainty about the top of the 2020 class, a chaotic draft night is possible, according to Givony, who thinks teams might have big boards that look very different.

Despite Givony’s assertions, there seems to be at least a rough consensus among experts on the top of the draft order for now. In their latest mock drafts, Givony and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic each have Edwards, Wiseman, and Ball going 1-2-3, in that order. The two mock drafts do diverge significantly from there, however.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

After his postgame conversation with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo on Wednesday went viral, Warriors Stephen Curry claimed to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (video link) that he wasn’t talking to Giannis about teaming up in Golden State in the future — he was giving him his gamer tag for the online game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. “Don’t shoot the messenger,” Haynes said, perhaps recognizing that some fans will find Curry’s explanation dubious.
Former NBA first-round pick Jared Cunningham, who had been playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League, has opted to return to China and sign with the Shanghai Sharks, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Cunningham, who has appeared in 84 regular season NBA games, played in the Chinese Basketball Association for Jiangsu in 2016/17.
Ethan Strauss of The Athletic identifies five issues facing commissioner Adam Silver in the coming years, including the NBA’s next TV rights deal and the league’s delicate relationship with China.
The National Basketball Players Association is creating an accelerator program to help current and former players invest in and create startup companies. Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg has the story and the details.

Fournier Could Be On The Move

December 23rd, 2019 at 5:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic swingman Evan Fournier is the player most likely to be moved before the trade deadline, according to an ESPN Insider report from Bobby Marks.

While there’s no indication Fournier is being shopped, a straw poll of NBA executives believe that the Magic will need to start exploring their trade options on the veteran, who is likely to leave $17.2MM on the table and opt out this summer. Orlando is currently battling for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Fournier is enjoying a career year, averaging 19.6 PPG and shooting 42.3% from long range.

Here are more nuggets from the ESPN report:

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday is the trade candidate that teams would risk their assets to acquire, according to the same straw poll. Holiday is under contract through the 2021/22 season, though he also has an opt-out in the final season. He’s eligible to sign an extension this summer.
The summer of 2021 might not yield the free agency bonanza than many people anticipate. Giannis Antetokounmpo would be the biggest attraction if he doesn’t sign an extension with Milwaukee but LeBron James, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are already at their preferred destination and probably won’t want to go elsewhere. Holiday, Spencer Dinwiddie, Gordon Hayward, Kelly Oubre and Rudy Gobert would headline that free agent class unless Antetokounmpo or the L.A. trio tests the market.
Several players with big contracts could be bought out and hit the free agent market after they clear waivers, unless a trade partner comes along and wants to retain them. That group includes Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner, Marvin Williams, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Andre Iguodala, Jeff Teague, Marcus Morris and Derrick Favors, who are all making at least $15MM this season.