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[Milwaukee Bucks]

Thanasis Antetokounmpo announces return to professional basketball

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He’s back.

Ladies and gentlemen, Thanasis Antetokounmpo is back.

This news comes from the man himself. After missing the entire 202425 season with a torn Achilles, he announced during a live taping of his podcast “The Thanalysis Show” that he has officially been cleared to return to professional basketball. “I’m back, I’m back,” he repeated during the show’s introduction while sporting his classic grin.

The Achilles tear occurred during a workout last spring ahead of the 2024 playoffs. Thanasis said he underwent surgery immediately the next day, before beginning his long road to recovery. “It was hard… emotionally draining,” he said about the rehab process. He and his co-host described different therapy exercises he underwent, including picking marbles up with his foot and dropping them into a cup. Now, that process is behind him, and he can return to playing the game he loves.

After this news, it feels like destiny that Thanasis will don a Bucks jersey once again for the 202526 season. He’s spent five of his six NBA campaigns in Milwaukee, and it’s well documented how important he was in the locker room and on the bench during that time. With Giannis’ future with the team in question, resigning his beloved brother could be a smart play to get the MVP to stay. The Bucks are set to have at least five open roster spots this offseason, even more if Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and/or Kevin Porter Jr. decline their player options. It would be unsurprising to see one of those spots filled by Thanasis.

Thanasis has appeared in 198 total NBA games—196 with the Bucks and two with the Knicks. His career 2.4 points per game average is unimpressive, but in 14 games in which he’s played at least 20 minutes, he’s posted 10.4 points. His skillset is heavily reliant on his athleticism, and as an almost-33-year-old coming off a serious injury, Thanasty will probably lose a step out there. However, he should still be ahead of the curve in heart and hustle, and his value extends well beyond just what he does on the court.

Overall, it’s great to see Thanasis cleared to play again. His rehab story can also give us some insight into what to expect with Damian Lillard’s recovery from the same injury.

The podcast episode where Thanasis made this announcement can be watched on YouTube or streamed on Spotify and other podcast services.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/5/21/...nmpo-return-nba-achilles-tear-milwaukee-bucks

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Giannis makes seventh straight All-NBA 1st Team

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He moves into third place for the most All-NBA first team selections in the last 20 years

With Giannis Antetokounmpo finishing 3rd in the MVP race, it was a lock for him to be part of the All-NBA First Team. Yet, it wasn’t until today that it was officially announced that he joined Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets), Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers), and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics):

The 2024-25 Kia All-NBA First Team! Giannis Antetokounmpo Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Nikola Jokić Donovan Mitchell Jayson Tatum #NBAAwards

— NBA (@nba.com) 2025-05-23T23:43:25.053Z

The Milwaukee Bucks' all-time leading scorer was one of four unanimous selections, joining SGA, Jokić, and Tatum. It’s his seventh straight selection to the First Team since winning MVP in 2019, moving ahead of Kevin Durant (6) and James Harden (6) for most First Team selections in the last 20 years. He now sits in third place in that period and is one behind the late great Kobe Bryant (8) and six behind LeBron James (13). Here is how the total voting shook out for all three All-NBA teams:

In this selection, he also becomes the second player in NBA history to win an MVP, win Defensive Player of the Year, and have seven first-team All-NBA first team selections. The other? Michael Jordan. And there are a few more historical notes about Giannis’ selection to the All-NBA first team: he joins LeBron and Kobe as the only players who have seven straight selections in the 21st century, becoming the ninth player since the merger (1976) to have seven straight selections. Here are the other eight players on that list:

Giannis is the 9th player since the merger (1976) to be named First Team All-NBA seven years in a row. (h/t Nathan Marizon on X/Twitter) The rest of the list: -LeBron James -Kobe Bryant -Shaquille O’Neal -Tim Duncan -Karl Malone -Michael Jordan -Larry Bird -Magic Johnson

— Jackson Gross (@jgrossreporter.bsky.social) 2025-05-24T00:20:38.446Z

The Greek Freak had another historic season, putting up over 30 points per game on over 60% shooting from the field for the second season in a row (30.4 PPG and 60.1% shooting from the field). Despite his herculean efforts, the Bucks finished just fifth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 48-34 and lost in the first round for the third straight season. Just like with the announcement of SGA winning the MVP, Giannis continued his social media antics with this post on Instagram:

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/5/23/...milwaukee-bucks-sga-nikola-jokic-jayson-tatum

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Brook Lopez Free Agency Update: Back to the West?

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

With the craze over where Giannis will go, Brook Lopez’s free agency news has flown under the radar

With so much focus this off-season on the direction of the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo, people seem to forget that other players could be moving on. One of those players is the 37-year-old big man Brook Lopez, who is an unrestricted free agent after finishing a two-year, $48 million deal back in the 2023 off-season. There already seem to be rumors rumbling about where Lopez could end up once the legal tampering period begins on June 30. Back on May 15, during the NBA Draft Combine, ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported that one potential option for the Golden State Warriors at the center position would be Brook:

For any of those who missed it during the craze of all the Giannis news, back on May 15, Bobby Marks listed #Bucks center Brook Lopez as a target for the Golden State Warriors.

— Jackson Gross (@jgrossreporter.bsky.social) 2025-05-23T19:37:22.915Z

The fit makes sense: a rim-protecting big who can space the floor is the center the Warriors have never had outside of Draymond Green in his prime. While Lopez has lost a step, he would be a great stop-gap option so Green wouldn’t have to play center as much, and it would allow Trayce Jackson-Davis and Quinten Post to develop and learn from a center like Lopez. Heading into the off-season, the Warriors are listed to be under the 1st apron, so Brook could be in line to receive the full mid-level exception (MLE). I’m not sure the Warriors would be inclined to give him that type of money at this stage of his career, but if they wanted to they could.

Another team floated as a potential landing spot would be another type of reunion, with some speculating that the Los Angeles Lakers have already talked with him. However, the source of that rumor is to be taken with a grain of salt (Gery Woelfel). Lopez played for the purple and gold for just one season after being part of the D’Angelo Russell trade. The Lakers were just dominated on the glass in their first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Rudy Gobert putting up the best playoff game of his career in game five. The 12-year veteran put up 27 points and 24 rebounds in the T-Wolves' Game 5 win:

Signing someone like Lopez would allow the Lakers to play five out with two of the best passers in the league in LeBron James and Luka Doncic. On the other end, they would have a dependable defensive big who would at the very least be able to provide a rebounding presence for a Lakers team in desperate need of a big. They did try to find a way to get a big, attempting to trade for Charlotte Hornets big man Mark Williams, but the Lakers failed his physical and the trade was rescinded. They ended up having to rely on Jaxson Hayes, Alex Len, and Jared Vanderbilt at the five, and that did not go well.

We will have updates once free agency truly begins on June 30 and whether we see another piece of the Bucks' championship core depart.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/5/24/...ucks-golden-state-warriors-los-angeles-lakers

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Draft Workout Round-Up: Experience, experience, experience

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Milwaukee added three more seniors, including Mark Sears, to their list of workout participants

We’re back with another Milwaukee Bucks draft workout round-up! Since the first edition, the team has brought in an intriguing trio of seniors, following the trend set by their first batch. They’re clearly interested in experience, suggesting they still intend to compete next year despite all the Giannis trade rumors. As a reminder, the Bucks own the 47th pick in the upcoming draft. They won’t be bringing in a future star with that selection, but real value and talent can still be found in the second round.

Here’s a breakdown of each of Milwaukee’s three latest muses:

Mark Sears ​

Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Height: 6’0”

Position: Point guard

School: Alabama

Year: Graduate

Projected draft range: Second round or undrafted

Realistic Bucks target? Yes

Sears was a flat-out college superstar. In his senior and graduate seasons, he led Alabama on a Final Four run and an Elite Eight run while becoming a two-time consensus All-American. He wasn’t just one of the best guards in the country, he was one of the best players. Sears does everything you could want from an NBA-level backup point guard. He’s a pristine playmaker and pick-and-roll director who can be unwaveringly trusted to run an offense. He’s not a big time finisher, but he applies rim pressure, and he also shoots the ball at a very high level. Everything about him screams professional—so what’s the holdup?

At the combine, Sears measured in at about 5’11” barefoot with a 6’2” wingspan. He’s tiny, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for guys of that size to succeed in the league. It’s also worth noting that Sears is old, as he spent a full five years in school. Further, his efficiency on the court dropped significantly from his first All-American season to his second one. In 2023-24, he shot 50.8% from the field and 43.6% from three. In 2024-25, those numbers fell to 40.3% and 34.5%. During the 2024 draft cycle, Sears received some first round buzz. It was believed that he had a real pathway to becoming an All-Star, and he often drew comparisons to Jalen Brunson. A year later, though, his stock has fallen significantly.

Still, there is good reason to bet on Sears. The lefty is confident in his ability to overcome his size differences at the next level. “I have that dawg in me… I’m not gonna back down easy,” he told Van Fayaz at the combine when asked about how he can succeed as a small guard. He’s also very polished—teams won’t have to worry about his ability to make the jump to the NBA for any non-size-related reason. If the Bucks are looking for pro-ready talent, Sears could be their guy.

Max Shulga​

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Height: 6’4”

Position: Guard

School: VCU

Year: Graduate

Projected draft range: Second round or undrafted

Realistic Bucks target? Yes

Another polished, experienced guard, Max Shulga has the dribble-pass-shoot skillset that NBA teams covet when looking for role players. The Ukraine native played a lot of point guard at VCU and is very comfortable creating for himself and others off the bounce. He’s a very smart passer—he averaged 4.0 assists to just 1.7 turnovers this past season. He’s also one of the most complete shooters in the entire class. Off the dribble, off the catch, on the move… it doesn’t matter the type of shot, Shulga’s knocking it down. He connected on 39.2% of his career three-point attempts in college.

Shulga’s flaws mainly stem from his athleticism. He’s generally grounded, he struggles with physicality, and he isn’t super speedy. He struggles to defend on-ball and could get picked on by matchup-hunting offenses. He also may have a tough time getting to his spots against NBA athletes. Ultimately, Shulga is a case study of the high feel versus athletic tools debate. Either his smarts and craft will be enough to keep him in the league, or he will fall out because he can’t hang athletically.

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield​

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Height: 6’10”

Position: Big

School: NC State

Year: Senior

Projected draft range: Undrafted

Realistic Bucks target? Yes

Brandon Huntley-Hatfield has had a funny basketball journey. He was a consensus five-star high school recruit who committed to Tennessee. As a freshman, he averaged just 3.9 points and 2.9 rebounds. He then transferred to Louisville and spent two years there before going to NC State as a senior. Now, he’s currently in the transfer portal, but he doesn’t have any eligibility left— he’s just hoping the NCAA will pass legislation allowing guys to play for five years.

All that bouncing around can likely be attributed to the fact that he was never a true standout player in college. In his best season, his junior year at Louisville, he put up 12.9 PPG and 8.4 RPG, which are good, but not great, numbers. He’s a very traditional rim running big who can finish efficiently but doesn’t wow with his athleticism or finesse.

Huntley-Hatfield’s biggest blemish is that he’s not a pro-caliber interior defender. As a true center, he will struggle to stay on the court if he can’t wall off the paint competently. All in all, he will probably be a G League/Summer League guy to start his career. Some teams care about high school track records/rankings though, so maybe he’ll be able to land a two-way.

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None of these three prospects were selected in ESPN’s latest mock draft. No Ceilings, a popular independent scouting outlet, had Max Shulga going 48th in their most recent mock. Shulga is currently ranked 90th in ESPN’s top 100 big board. Sears is 84th and Huntley-Hatfield is unranked.

Stay on the lookout for more Brew Hoop Bucks draft analysis!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/5/25/...ark-sears-max-shulga-brandon-huntley-hatfield

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Site Announcement: Brew Hoop is hiring!

Once again, we embiggen the staff.

While the Milwaukee Bucks might not be in the market for any new faces in their front office or among their coaching staff, the SB Nation affiliate for said Milwaukee Bucks is in the market for new talent! That’s right: Brew Hoop is looking for new contributors to our staff ahead of the 2025–26 NBA season, and we’d love to hear from you.

I just wrapped up my second full season as managing editor; in that time, we’ve already brought some outstanding voices aboard, whose bylines you’re already familiar with and whose work you’ll see even more of moving ahead. But that’s bittersweet, as we’ve had to say goodbye to a few longtime writers who are moving on to bigger and better things! Nevertheless, we press on covering this team, despite all their warts and three consecutive first-round exits. I swear, even with how things have gone, we have fun doing it!

So, won’t you join us? If you have a deep interest in NBA basketball (particularly the Bucks), a passion for writing, and bringing quality analysis to our international readership, you’ll fit in well. Maybe you’ve written about the Bucks for your school paper, started a personal blog, or are an avid Twitter user who wants to try something long-form. Perhaps you want to break into sports journalism, are looking for another avenue to experience the league with like-minded fans, or are somewhere in between.

This part-time position is paid and includes additional money-making opportunities with our partners at Playback and FanDuel. Brew Hoop writers have the opportunity to cover NBA games in person as credentialed media at Fiserv Forum and select road games. Once approved, that means access to media spaces on game day, including press conferences with NBA coaches and players. Summer League, the NBA All-Star Game, the NBA Draft and Draft Combine are also events we’ve covered recently in person. Podcast and potentially radio appearances can be involved too, depending on your interest. Our alums have gone on to work for local and national media outlets like ESPN, The Athletic, and Forbes, as well as pro and college sports teams.

A background in journalism is not required, but we ask that you send a writing sample, resume, and an introduction to [email protected] with “Brew Hoop Staff Application” in the subject line. Knowing how you first got into the Bucks and/or the NBA would also be great. Women and members of underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/5/27/24437909/milwaukee-bucks-blog-brew-hoop-hiring

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Draft Workout Round-Up: Wants and needs

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Breaking down Milwaukee’s latest group of workout invitees, headlined by Hunter Sallis

We’re back with another Bucks draft workout round-up! Things are really starting to heat up in the draft world. Wednesday (May 28th) marked the decision deadline for players who declared while maintaining their NCAA eligibility. A large number of guys chose to drop out of the draft and stay in college, including Darrion Williams and John Blackwell, two previous Bucks workout participants. Now, with the draft pool thinning out, teams can start to zero in on their favorite prospects. Milwaukee brought in four more players since our last round-up, a couple of whom could be in consideration at the 47th pick for Milwaukee.

Here’s a breakdown of each new invitee:

Hunter Sallis​

Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Height: 6’5”

Position: Guard

School: Wake Forest

Year: Senior

Projected draft range: Second round

Realistic Bucks target? Yes

Sallis is one of the main draft targets gaining traction amongst Bucks faithful. He’s the type of backup guard this team could really use—one who gets downhill and makes some plays off the bounce. The 22-year-old is a dynamic finisher with the burst to attack the rim whenever he wants and the touch and bounce to convert once he gets there. His quickness and wiggle aid him on the defensive end, where he competes on the ball and disrupts decently well (1.2 SPG as a senior). He also has a nice mid-range pullup game.

The issue with Sallis is that he’s stuck between the two backcourt positions. He doesn’t shoot well enough to be a two guard, and he isn’t a good enough passer to run the point. Outside of his junior campaign, where he shot 40.5%, Sallis never hit above 28% from three in college. His senior year assist and turnover numbers (2.8 APG, 2.4 TPG) show how he’s more effective as a scorer than a playmaker at this point. The two-time All-ACC honoree will need to seriously improve in at least one of those two areas, or else finding a role for him in the NBA could be a headache.

TJ Bamba​

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Height: 6’5”

Position: Wing

School: Oregon

Year: Graduate

Projected draft range: Undrafted

Realistic Bucks target? Yes

One of Milwaukee’s biggest problems last year was their lack of consistent perimeter defense. If they’re looking to revive their past defensive identity, TJ Bamba could help. The New York native was one of the best on-ball defenders in the Big Ten this past season, earning all-defensive honors in the conference. When his Oregon Ducks took on the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison, he held potential Bucks draft target John Tonje to an uncharacteristically inefficient 9/20 from the field (2/10 from three). Bamba is NBA-ready physically and should be a capable wing stopper at the next level.

Bamba’s offense is trickier to evaluate than his defense. For his college career, he shot 35.4% from three and 75.8% from the line. As a junior, he hit 37.2% from deep on 4.8 attempts per game. However, as a graduate at Oregon, his three-point success rate fell to a pretty abysmal 25.3% on 2.8 attempts. Even if this past year was a fluke, he’s still far from a real threat from outside. If it wasn’t a fluke… yikes. Bamba doesn’t have anything notable to offer as a scorer inside the arc, so it’s imperative that he works on his shot. If he can pair a reliable jumper with his defense and connective passing, he’ll be a real NBA role player. It’s tough to call that outcome probable, though.

Coleman Hawkins​

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Height: 6’9”

Position: Power forward

School: Kansas State

Year: Graduate

Projected draft range: Second round or undrafted

Realistic Bucks target? Yes

Stretch fours are always a hot commodity in the modern NBA. Coleman Hawkins plays that role (editor’s note: he does not, however, play saxophone). While he was just a 31.5% three-point shooter for his college career, his touch and confidence suggest he should be a positive floor spacer at the next level. Defensively, Hawkins moves well and can switch onto a few positions reliably while also racking up stocks (1.8 SPG and 1.3 BPG as a graduate). The Sacramento native is also a nice post passer—he averaged 4.3 assists this past season with Kansas State.

Last year, Hawkins received lots of buzz as a potential second-round pick, but he ultimately returned to school to collect a big NIL bag. He hasn’t seen the same type of attention this time around, but he has the skillset and pedigree to rise into the second round once again, especially now that so many guys dropped out of the draft.

AJ Hoggard​

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Height: 6’3”

Position: Point guard

School: Vanderbilt

Year: Graduate

Projected draft range: Undrafted

Realistic Bucks target? Yes

AJ Hoggard is a floor general. The former Michigan State Spartan developed into a super steady decision maker and pick-and-roll passer during his five years in college. He pressures the rim at a high level, a hallmark of a good playmaker. Hoggard is also a steadfast on-ball defender with a frame built for guarding with physicality. He sounds like the ideal backup point guard for the Bucks, but he’s probably not. Why? He can’t score.

During his five-year college career, Hoggard averaged double-digits twice and 8.8 PPG overall, but his efficiency was frankly gross: 39.6% from the field and 29.2% from three. As a graduate at Vanderbilt, he shot 35.2% from the field. In a league where most guards are threats to fill up the scoring column, Hoggard just wouldn’t fit in. So while he certainly has pro qualities, he’s probably best off playing in the G League until he can find the bottom of the net with some consistency.

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None of these four players were selected in ESPN’s latest mock draft, although it was made prior to Wednesday’s decision deadline. Hunter Sallis was the 45th pick in Bleacher Report’s newest mock. Sallis is ranked 66th on ESPN’s top 100 big board. Bamba, Hawkins, and Hoggard are not ranked.

Stay on the lookout for more Bucks draft analysis!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/5/29/...er-sallis-tj-bamba-coleman-hawkins-aj-hoggard

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Free Agent Forecast: Brook Lopez

Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images

NBA Free Agency kicks off four weeks from today, and the Milwaukee Bucks have a litany of free agents this year. Four key members of the 2024–25 squad (Brook Lopez, Jericho Sims, Gary Trent Jr., and Taurean Prince) are unrestricted free agents, and as many as three more (Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and Kevin Porter Jr.) could join that class if they decline their player options by the end of June. Additionally, they have one restricted free agent (Ryan Rollins) and three players whose salaries for 2025–26 are not guaranteed (AJ Green, Andre Jackson Jr., Chris Livingston) until after July 7th. While we won’t look at all of these names, we’ll certainly preview the market for each actual free agent and the ones likely to opt out. Today, we begin with the man in the middle, from Stanford.

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Brook Lopez, 7’1” center, 37 years old

We all know Lopez very well by this point. What he’s done over the past seven years with the franchise, from a signing on the bi-annual exception who turned into a three-and-D monster after turning 30, through a very team-friendly four year deal that saw him rebound from back surgery to a Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, and the current iteration who remains one of the league’s better rim protectors. Yes, he’s lost a step and can’t switch onto guards like he did during the 2021 title run, and he is a bad fit against certain opponents as we saw against the Pacers, but if you think he’s no longer a solid NBA player, you’re off your rocker.

After missing 69 games in 2021–22 with that back injury, he’s missed a mere nine games in the three years since and has never missed a postseason game for the team. Even after turning 37 on April 1, he’s one of the league’s true iron men. This past season was the most minutes he’s played since 2010–11 (!!!) when he was 22 years old! And he certainly didn’t look worse for the wear on offense, coming 0.1% from setting a new career-best behind the arc with a true shooting percentage of 62.4%, a figure only exceeded by his 2022–23 campaign. He was still an excellent screensetter who showed lots of chemistry with Damian Lillard.

Despite that prolificness, he drew the ire of a significant portion of the fanbase this year and last for a perceived slip in defensive effectiveness. Part of that is due to a team-wide downgrade in terms of perimeter defense precipitated by the loss of Jrue Holiday and shift to Adrian Griffin’s ill-suited scheme last year. But even as the Bucks improved on that end of the floor this year, Lopez found himself targeted a lot on switches and in the trademark drop zone sets that worked so well from 2018–23. Teams with stretch bigs were a bugaboo in those years too, though, and increasingly mobile bigs aren’t forgiving to aging rim protectors.

Yet he still remains very good at what he does: though the Bucks were about league-average when it came to opponent shooting frequency and accuracy in the restricted area, their foes took 1.8% fewer shots there and shot 1.3% worse when Lopez was on the floor, per Cleaning The Glass. Those are 77th and 66th percentiles among centers leaguewide, respectively. From 2020–24, he never ranked below 95th in accuracy, and was only twice below the 81st percentile in frequency during his entire Milwaukee tenure. He’s not the deterrent he once was inside, but he’s still a solid one.

Role​

Moving forward? It’s no guarantee he has similar success on the defensive end as he did during the most recent regular season. That’s why he may serve a different function to his next employer, wherever that is. Outside of his seventh season in Brooklyn when he split time with Mason Plumlee (yes, really), he’s started in all but 12 of 1033 games and only came off the bench three times as a Buck. He fell out of the starting lineup for Game 5 in this year’s first-round series, a harbinger of what may be to come. Had the Bucks advanced to play Cleveland, it seems probable he’d have been much more important—or at least playable—against their Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley frontcourt. But we saw against other teams besides the Pacers this year that he’s not always a great fit in his current state.

I think part of the reason the Bucks stayed so loyal to Lopez, especially when he was last a free agent in 2023 and nearly bolted for a sizeable offer in Houston, was that Joel Embiid was healthier. Philly loomed much larger in those years as a potential playoff opponent, even though it never actually happened because of injuries on both sides, or just the way the bracket broke. After Embiid’s most recent knee surgery, though, who knows just how involved he and the Sixers will be in the Eastern Conference picture in the next couple years. Milwaukee’s more likely playoff opponents have bigs like Myles Turner, Karl Anthony-Towns, Paolo Banchero, possibly Kristaps Porzingis if Boston doesn’t trade him this summer, then the aforementioned Allen and Mobley.

The fact is, there are younger, smaller, more athletic centers who can deal with those bigs, all of whom aren’t as big as Embiid by height or by bulk.

Potential Suitors​

It may surprise his detractors, but there will definitely be a market for Lopez’s services this summer. Beyond the Bucks, the Lakers have long been known to be fans, rueful of letting him leave without even offering him anything after his one season there in 2017–18, then seeing him have a renaissance in Milwaukee for a mere $3.4m. ESPN’s Bobby Marks also reported last month that the Warriors were interested in him too. The Rockets may not be quite as into him two years later, but we probably can’t rule them out either; Steven Adams is a free agent, Jock Landale’s $8m contract is fully non-guaranteed, and the smaller Alperen Sengun could likely slide down to the four to play alongside Lopez in a supersized frontcourt.

Other speculative fits are the Pelicans (who has had rumored past interest), Magic, and Clippers. The Pelicans have All-Rookie Second Teamer Yves Missi in the middle, but Splash Mountain off their bench makes a lot of sense next to Zion Williamson. At least moreso than Kelly Olynyk, their current backup big. Lopez famously makes his offseason home at Disney World, but Orlando is pretty stocked in the frontcourt, so it probably won’t happen. LA’s other team doesn’t have much behind All-Defensive center Ivica Zubac, and Lopez would maintain the level of rim protection they get from Big Zu while adding shooting.

Potential Contract​

The center market is very thin in free agency. Without question, Myles Turner is the best name, but it seems certain he will remain in Indiana. Clint Capela is 31 now and definitely facing a pay cut after an injury-filled down year. Al Horford is the only other guy who might start for most teams, but he’s 39. Depending on how you feel about him, Lopez either falls between Horford and Capela as the third-best center on the market or second after Turner. Next probably comes the Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe, who is only 24 but a restricted free agent. If Bobby Portis (more on him soon) declines his player option, he would round out the arguable list of top five fives.

There are a variety of solid rotation bigs and backups like Jaxson Hayes, Luke Kornet, and Kevon Looney, each of whom probably will stick with their current teams. Then there are less proven guys like the Bucks’ own Jericho Sims (more on him soon too), former Buck Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Paul Reed before you get to vets who will get minimum salaries like DeAndre Jordan and Mason Plumlee. Jaylin Williams of the Thunder (the other one) will probably have his very cheap player option picked up and not hit the open market, otherwise he’d be one of the most interesting possibilities at just 23 years old.

Since he’s been a Buck for so long, the team has his Bird rights and can retain him at any price up to his maximum salary without worrying about the salary cap. Prior to his down postseason, it seemed possible that Lopez could command up to the non-taxpayer midlevel exception of $14.1m. Now, though, I doubt as many teams will be willing to go over the taxpayer midlevel of $5.7m. Going over that figure hard caps his new employer at the first apron, and teams might not want to do that for an aging center.

At his age, he’ll probably only get one guaranteed season, and perhaps a team option in year two. Contracts signed with the TPMLE can be worth up to two seasons, so if a team somehow wanted to give him any more than two years, it would have to use the full midlevel exception and face that hard cap. With LeBron James reportedly remaining in LA on his $52.6m player option next year, the Lakers will be pushing the first apron, so using any more than the TPMLE won’t happen, since they couldn’t fill out a roster beneath the resulting hard cap. Golden State is in the same boat. Either team would have to cut salary significantly to give a free agent any more than $5.7m.

Houston has much more breathing room below the first apron to offer a player more than the TPMLE, but I’d be surprised if that would be for Lopez. New Orleans has less space, but could have more if they move Olynyk and replace him with Lopez. Orlando’s roster is pretty full next year, especially at the five, and even if they moved someone like Goga Bitadze and saved some money, Lopez wouldn’t be getting more than the TPMLE. If James Harden opts into his $36.3m for next season, the Clippers will also have room to use the full MLE. Even if he opts out for a bit of a raise, they could still probably hard cap themselves, but again, probably not for Lopez.

Milwaukee has an advantage since they possess his Bird rights, meaning they could go slightly beyond any team offering him all of its TPMLE and offer him, say, $6m for one year plus a team option for the same amount. For Lopez’s current level of play, I would probably do that if I’m Jon Horst. It wouldn’t be too harmful even if it was a bit more, and it wouldn’t hard cap them either. The Bucks project to have $148.8m committed to just seven players next year, assuming Portis and Porter opt out, and the restrictive second apron is $207.8m. If nothing else, it becomes a pretty tradeable expiring contract after December 15th.

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What kind of contract would you re-sign Lopez to, or would you let him walk? What kind of salary could he expect next year if you believe the $5.7m TPMLE is too much? Let us know in the comments.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/2/24439654/nba-free-agency-milwaukee-bucks-brook-lopez

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Free Agent Forecast: Taurean Prince

Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

What will the veteran forward’s market look like this summer?

The upcoming NBA free agency period is going to be busy for the Bucks. At least five members of the 2024–25 roster will need new contracts, with three more possibly joining them if they decline their player options. The Brew Hoop team is previewing the market for each of those guys and outlining the decisions Milwaukee will need to make. Earlier this week, Van Fayaz covered Brook Lopez. Today, I’m talking about Taurean Prince.

Taurean Prince, 6’6” wing, 31 years old

Prince joined Milwaukee last summer via free agency on a one-year deal. As a seasoned veteran (Doc Rivers’ favorite type of player), he was sure to be a rotation piece, but he ended up being a fixture in the starting lineup. Prince opened 73 games and played 80 overall, an impressive display of ironmanship. He averaged 8.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.9 APG for the season, but it wasn’t his ability to produce statistically that earned him such a big role: it was his fit. As a sharp-shooting wing with good size, Prince is the exact type of player you want out there next to Giannis and Damian Lillard. He’s only shot below 37% from three twice in his career, and he netted a career-best 43.9% of his triples in 2024–25, which ranked third in the entire league. The Baylor product also gives you enough as a defender and a decision-maker to make him viable for significant regular season responsibility. His 1.0 steals per game this past season tied his career-high, and his 2.2 defensive win shares is the second-highest total of his career (via Basketball Reference).

Notice how I specified regular season responsibility there? That’s because when the playoffs rolled around, Prince’s value dropped. In Milwaukee’s first round loss to Indiana, he averaged 1.2 PPG on 22.2% from three in a playoff career-low 12.2 minutes per game. By the end of the series, he was pushed almost completely out of the rotation. His lack of above-average skills outside of shooting made it tough to keep him on the court when his shot wasn’t falling, and he isn’t aggressive or feared enough as a shooter to command minutes no matter what. Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green proved to be much better options for the Bucks when it came to winning time. Granted, overall history says Prince can be trusted in the postseason, but the landscape of the league has changed drastically in the last two or three years to the point where players like him are losing their shine.

Role

As just touched on, it’s not a sure thing that Prince can be a playoff rotation guy at this point in his career. He’s certainly not a playoff starter. However, unless his three-point shot magically disappears Kentavious Caldwell-Pope style, then he’s going to be someone a competitive team can use heavily in the regular season. If he comes back to Milwaukee, he’d ideally be slotted for 15–20 minutes per game off the pine. There is a world, though, where he starts a lot again next year if Gary Trent Jr. doesn’t return and Kyle Kuzma is relegated to a bench role. If the latter is the case, then a midseason upgrade, perhaps in the form of a trade or a leap from Andre Jackson Jr., would be needed. A lineup of AJ Green, Prince, Kuzma, Giannis, and Brook Lopez isn’t exactly a formidable one (Milwaukee didn’t use that five man combination even once last season, according to Cleaning the Glass).

Potential Suitors

No real rumors have spread yet detailing interest in Prince from the Bucks or from anyone else, so we’re left to speculate. As he’ll likely sign another minimum contract (more to come on that in a minute), any team could realistically bring the vet into the fold. Several teams that would be good fits include the Knicks, 76ers, Pistons, Magic, Nuggets, and Rockets. Houston and Orlando need any shooting they can get. Prince was born in Texas, making a union with H-Town feel even more possible. Denver and New York could use some more bench help as the NBA becomes more depth-oriented. Detroit may lose Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. this summer and Prince would replace some of the shooting they’d leave behind.

A younger team looking to take a step closer to competitiveness, like the Spurs or the Hornets, may also value Prince’s services.

Potential Contract

Prince was on a veteran minimum deal worth about $2.1m this past season, and after his playoff performance, he doesn’t seem set to get a raise. Milwaukee can offer him a raise of up to $3.6m (120% of his previous salary) this summer using his Non-Bird rights. A new minimum contract from the Bucks or any other team currently projects to be $3.3m. They or his new team would owe him $2.3m of his salary, and the league would pick up the remainder. If the Bucks wanted to give him more than the Non-Bird raise, they’d have to dip into their midlevel or biannual exception, and might need to outbid an offer from another team if they too use an exception. But overall, negotiating a deal with him should be pretty straightforward for the Bucks or for anyone else.

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Do you want to see Taurean Prince back in Milwaukee next season? If so, what type of role would you give him? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/4/24441982/nba-free-agency-milwaukee-bucks-taurean-prince

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Free Agent Forecast: Kevin Porter Jr.

With free agency previews published on Brook Lopez and Taurean Prince, it is time to look at Kevin Porter Jr. By and large, Porter performed well for Milwaukee in the regular season and filled a playmaking void that desperately needed filling, causing confusion among fans at why he was available for such a low price. Perhaps his playoffs showed why the Clippers were willing to cut bait. Regardless, let’s discuss how KPJ’s (potential) free agency could pan out and which other teams might be interested in the 25-year-old guard.

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Kevin Porter Jr, 6’4” guard, 25 years old

Porter came to the Bucks in the middle of last season via trade with the LA Clippers, who acquired MarJon Beauchamp in the transaction. Whatever you think of Kevin’s off-court foibles—and fans are completely justified in feeling however they want about them—this trade was highway robbery from an on-court point of view. Porter came in and contributed immediately to Milwaukee, which may say more about the Bucks’ team construction than Kevin’s basketball abilities; nonetheless, he played an essential role and won them games off his own back. At the same time, the opportunity cost of Milwaukee losing Beauchamp was very low, with LA waiving the third-year wing shortly after acquiring him.

Crucially, Porter’s importance to the team became outsized due to Khris Middleton’s departure in a separate transaction with the Washington Wizards, which brought back Kyle Kuzma. Suddenly, the team found itself with a total of three primary playmakers: Giannis, Dame, and Kevin. Initially, Doc settled into a rotation in which he paired most of Lillard and Antetokounmpo’s minutes while handing the reins of the second unit over to KPJ as the primary initiator. To the surprise of many, it worked as well as could be realistically expected. A mish-mash lineup of Porter, a rolling big, and three shooters to begin the second and fourth quarters often kept the team afloat until the big guns came back in. The former USC guard finished the regular season with averages (on the Bucks) of 11.7 points, 3.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.7 turnovers on .494/.408/.871 shooting splits.

Having said all of this, there was a reason Kevin was available for the measly price they paid (sorry, MarJon). Off-court stuff aside, Porter is by no means a perfect basketball player. Is he a fine 82-game player who generally gives you decent minutes off the bench? Yes. But heavens to Betsy, his performance in the first round against the Pacers was bad, man. Kevin’s stats across the five-game series—which are nothing special while also not appearing horrendous on paper—don’t tell the story of how bad he was. For example, Porter had nine turnovers across the five games, but every flailing attack at the rim (which would all but guarantee a layup down the other end) might as well have been classed as a turnover.

Role​

With Dame injured and limited ability to make significant changes to the roster, the chances of Kevin being the starting point guard on opening night, were he to re-sign, would be… (gulp) greater than 50%? You know that thing I said before about the Bucks only having three primary creators last season? Yeah, that could become two. So Porter’s role could certainly be expanding next season. Because that proposition scares the heck out of me, I will choose to look on the bright side first.

Kevin’s assist/turnover ratio of over 2:1 in the regular season was pretty impressive in just 19 minutes per game. For all his flaws, the guy does have a knack for creation. He and Giannis developed a nice pick-and-roll chemistry in the extended period Dame was out, connecting on quite a few alley-oops. Additionally, Porter has the rare ability to read rotations before they happen and set up corner shooters. His athleticism also provided something the Bucks lacked (and had lacked for years); somebody who can create real rim pressure fits nicely into a team mainly consisting of ground-bound shooters. Finally, Kevin is naturally able to provide more on defence than Dame can, which is a nice consolation.

Regarding the negatives with Porter, there is the central question of his fit with Giannis. Doc was hesitant to pair those two early because of Kevin’s spot-up shooting concerns. However, it did get to a point where Rivers was effectively forced to extend Porter’s minutes due to how well he was playing. And Kevin did end up at 40% from three in the regular season; granted, that was on relatively low volume. How does all this look in a scaled-up role? Well, there will be times when things look great, and undoubtedly there will be moments that make fans want to throw a brick through their TV. A complete training camp with Doc going through precisely what is needed out of Porter could help to iron out some of those creases.

Potential Suitors​

Kevin is an interesting case on this front because he can certainly help established teams, but he’s also young enough to fit into the long-term plans of developing teams. The leading spot I go to is the Nets, who have max cap space and are unlikely to lure a big fish because of their low probability of contending in the near future. Therefore, they can use their space to 1) absorb bad contracts in exchange for draft capital, and 2) outbid teams like the Bucks for young players who fit on their timeline for when they do want to compete. For example, I could see Brooklyn dropping an offer sheet on Philadelphia’s Quentin Grimes, a restricted free agent. Porter, although not restricted, could fall into that next tier down of guys who fit this bill as far as player profile goes.

The other team where you could apply some of what I discussed above is the Pistons, who potentially could have up to $25m in space with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dennis Schröder coming off the books. Maybe Detroit uses some of that space on Kevin. Granted, they have Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey, Ron Holland, and Marcus Sasser already signed in the guard department, and that’s not even considering them bringing back Beasley, Schröder, and Hardaway. Therefore, I feel less worried about the Pistons poaching Porter than the Nets.

Regarding teams that likely won’t have cap space but will have the mid-level and perhaps bi-annual exceptions (like the Bucks), I could see a team like the Grizzlies looking into Porter. The Grizzlies are somewhat low on backup creators. Scotty Pippen Jr. is the only player on their team who really fits this mould. Guys like John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. are helpful, but play more complementary roles. Additionally, Luke Kennard is a free agent. Memphis might bank on their culture being able to keep a guy like KPJ on the straight and narrow while reaping the rewards of his on-court talent.

Potential Contract​

Obviously, we touched on the cap space route for teams like the Nets and Pistons, who can eclipse other offers if they want. In terms of options Porter has at his disposal, he could simply pick up his player option next season, which is just over his veteran minimum salary. If he declines it, the Bucks can only offer a 120% raise on his near-minimum salary because they have Non-Bird rights. Otherwise, they would need to use part/all of their bi-annual (up to two years, projected starting salary of up to $5.1m) or midlevel (up to 4 years and a $14.1m starting salary) exception. The Grizzlies can also offer those same MLE and BAE contracts.

For the reasons outlined in the segments above, it’s difficult to predict how Kevin’s (potential) free agency could play out. There aren’t many teams with cap space, and how many organisations (who don’t need KPJ the way Milwaukee might) would be willing to use their exceptions on a player who has proven to be volatile both on and off the court? Therefore, if the Bucks don’t use an exception on him (which they very well might), I could see him picking up his player option or taking the small raise from Milwaukee on a one-year deal, establishing himself for another year while getting to be a starting point guard, and exploring the market next offseason. It is also worth noting that he valued playing on a winning team last season, something he said he had never done before arriving in Milwaukee. Maybe he views the money as less critical at this stage in his career.

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Please give us your thoughts on Kevin in the comments. Was his regular season good enough to outweigh his playoff struggles in your mind? Are you willing to invest long-term in him?

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/5/2...n-nets-detroit-pistons-minnesota-timberwolves

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Reacts Survey Results: Fans generally prefer moving on from Brook Lopez

Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

But a bigger majority wants to retain Jericho Sims

Earlier this week, I took a look at Brook Lopez’s upcoming free agent market, and we asked whether or not you thought the Bucks should retain him on a smaller deal the next day. The results are in, and while a sizeable chunk of respondents want to keep him around on a discount from his previous $23m salary, the majority wants to move on:

I can understand wanting to revamp the frontcourt a bit and installing a new starter at the five, especially given how ineffective Lopez was in this year’s Pacers series. But he had a very good regular season, and as I said Monday, I think keeping him around in that $6–9m range might work out well. I don’t advocate for just making him the starter again necessarily, and I certainly think he should be more like a 20 MPG guy instead of 30+, but he’s still good in smaller doses and more importantly, that’s a tradeable contract.

Elsewhere among the Milwaukee center corps, Jericho Sims is also an unrestricted free agent, and most voters want him to stick around:

We’ll be taking a closer look at Sims’ market in the weeks ahead, but as mentioned, the Bucks have Bird rights on him and are thus in pole position to keep him. While he would certainly like a raise on his minimum-level contract, I’m not entirely sure he’d get one on the open market, being such a limited player offensively, at least as a scorer. Maybe he could get part of the taxpayer midlevel exception from many teams, but he’d also be buried on the depth chart in some of those places. Especially if Lopez isn’t returning, Sims seems primed for a bigger role next year, and Doc Rivers also seems keen on playing him, so maybe he’ll take whatever offer the Bucks feel comfortable extending.

Check out FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/6/2...rvey-brook-lopez-jericho-sims-nba-free-agency

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Reacts Survey: Center choices

Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Milwaukee’s two true fives are unrestricted free agents

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Milwaukee Bucks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

After previewing the market for Brook Lopez yesterday, it’s time to gauge your interest in bringing him back, more generally speaking. You can read more about the kind of contract I expect he’ll get here, whether it be from the Bucks or another franchise. But what about just the concept of Lopez returning? He’s sure to get a big pay cut from last year’s $23m, and while he likely won’t get the minimum, what if he did? Since Milwaukee has his Bird rights, the money they’d spend on a new contract for him can’t go to new additions in free agency. Take money out of the equation: do you want him back?

Speaking of free agent bigs, Jericho Sims is also an unrestricted free agent, and is the only other free agent whom the Bucks also have Bird rights. We’ll have a preview of his market in the coming weeks, but before then, what do you think about re-signing him? Bird rights allow teams to pay their free agents anything up to their max, even though Sims was on a minimum deal last year. Neither he nor Lopez would require the use of a cap exception, so Milwaukee could make the biggest offer, provided one of the few teams with cap space doesn’t want them.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/3/2...rvey-brook-lopez-jericho-sims-nba-free-agency

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Pat Connaughton expected to exercise player option for next season

Marc Stein reports on the Milwaukee veteran’s contract decision

In rather unsurprising news, Marc Stein of The Stein Line has reported that Milwaukee Bucks veteran Pat Connaughton will likely exercise his $9.4m player option for next season. Connaughton has until June 24 to exercise or decline the option.

This news comes as no shocker, given the lack of interest the 10-year pro would likely have on the open market if he were to enter free agency. Since his career year in the 2021–22 season, Pat’s ability to positively impact the game has steadily diminished, with his minutes all but drying up completely last season.

The Brew Hoop community predicted that Connaughton would experience a significant falloff in production before last season began in our annual Ranking The Roster series, where he plummeted to 10th after finishing sixth the previous year. That prediction proved to be correct. Pat finished last season appearing in 41 games with averages of 5.3 PPG, 1.7 APG, and 2.7 RPG in the fewest minutes played per contest since his second year in the league.

I should note that although Connaughton will be exercising his player option, it is not a given that he will play in a Bucks uniform next season. He could be traded, of course, but GM Jon Horst can use the NBA’s stretch provision to waive Pat and save money in the near term by lengthening the timespan in which the contract must be paid. For a deeper explanation of the stretch provision, I quote SLAM’s Austin Kent, who explained it quite succinctly:

“When an NBA player is waived, the guaranteed money owed to them remains on their team’s books for the duration of the contracted term. The stretch provision allows teams to waive a player and then spread that player’s cap hit over additional seasons at a lesser annual value.”

More info can be found here, courtesy of Hoops Rumors’ Luke Adams. Essentially, Connaughton could have the $9.4m remaining on his deal spread over the next three seasons, including the one ahead, as long as he’s waived-and-stretched by August 31. If waived after, the stretch provision doesn’t apply, and he’d remain on the books at that $9.4m price tag until next summer.

At this stage, let’s assume that PC returns because the stretch provision has seldom been used. However, for an expensive team like the Bucks, it’s certainly not out of the question. In other Bucks-related news from Stein, former head coach Adrian Griffin (if only for a few months) recently interviewed for an assistant coaching job with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/8/2...player-option-milwaukee-bucks-nba-free-agency

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Teams now skeptical about a Giannis trade request, plus Bucks may have an ace up their sleeve

That ace isn’t who you might want it to be, Bucks fans!

Nearly a month after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in very wishy-washy terms that Giannis Antetokounmpo was “open-minded” about staying with the Bucks or leaving Milwaukee for another franchise, there’s been very little to report. We’ve updated you on rumors from credible sources as they’ve come, but it’s usually clear what is probably baseless speculation and what is actual reporting. There’s been little of the latter, and no real indications or even confirmation that the team and Giannis have even discussed the state of affairs, as they do each offseason.

More notable info from Marc Stein came a couple weeks back that (brace yourself) Doc Rivers might be key to keeping Giannis in Milwaukee.:

The Bucks are also hoping that the presence of Doc Rivers as coach can provide some sort of boost. Antetokounmpo and Rivers are believed to have strong working relationship, which Rivers — annoyed as he clearly was to be greeted by paparazzi outside of a Beverly Hills restaurant a few days ago — apparently tried to convey by telling TMZ: “I talk to him all the time.”

It’s worth considering, as I think some fans have done, that despite how you might feel about Rivers’ coaching, the most important guy on the team might want him to remain head coach. I think it’s also safe to say that if Giannis didn’t favor Doc, he’d have been fired by now. He has one year left on his contract, and while chances seemed much higher of a coaching change a month ago, that ship almost certainly has sailed for now.

So what to make of this paucity of Giannis rumors? Well, Bucks fans might be thinking that no news is good news, and if so, they may be correct in doing so. The longer this goes on, the more teams are becoming less confident that Giannis will want to leave, which shouldn’t actually surprise anyone. NBA insider Jake Fischer, who you can generally read on The Stein Line these days, spoke to this when he appeared on a Bleacher Report live stream on Thursday:

“Honestly, right now I’d say the prevailing sentiment from rival teams that I’m speaking to—around the combine two weeks ago, two and a half weeks ago—there was no shortage of optimism, of hope, of excitement from other teams that they were going to be able to potentially make an offer to get Giannis Antetokounmpo into their franchise, into their building. Of late, I’d say that that confidence has been replaced with skepticism. To a man, from talking to agents, team executives, whoever, there is not a lot of belief right now at this juncture. It’s only June 5th—anything could happen—and I’ve been told all along that if there is a decision, a formal decision made to shut or open the door on trade conversations for Giannis this summer, that it would likely happen closer to the end of June and when the offseason really, really begins. But I’d say for now, for now, talking to people around the league, the assessment and the expectation is that they’re going to believe it when they see it—that someone who has valued being the franchise face, that the central lynchpin of the Bucks franchise, is going to want to play somewhere else. But the overwhelming context is pushing into the opposite column, right? There’s gonna be no Damian Lillard, there’s going to be a lot of work ahead for Milwaukee’s front office to figure out a championship caliber roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo when you have Damian Lillard on a $54 million salary recovering from a torn Achilles”

I have also felt in recent weeks that if there’s any resolution on this whole saga made public, it won’t happen until the end of June. It’s in the best interests of both the Bucks and Giannis’ camp to keep things under wraps as long as possible, no matter what the superstar decides. If he wants out, a public trade request (which seems like something Giannis would never do) could adversely affect his market: it could drive down the team’s asking price, or remove suitors from discussions, resulting in an even less ideal return.

If he wants to stay, concealing his and the team’s intentions could work in the Bucks’ favor if they try to make other moves in the trade or free agency arenas. A win-now trade around the draft or start of free agency on June 30th might be the biggest indicator we get of the Bucks’ confidence in Giannis remaining, for example. But free agents likely will want to know whether or not he’s going to be on the team next year when they’re weighing an offer from Milwaukee as opposed to elsewhere.

Regardless, the likelihood of Giannis asking out appears to continue decreasing if these reports are to be believed. And from being at the combine myself last month (though I certainly wasn’t having as many convos as Fischer, who was posted up in the hotel lobby), I don’t think teams were all that optimistic about a Giannis trade then either. And take this for what it’s worth, but here’s a little tidbit from the man himself, courtesy of BucksRealm on Twitter:

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/9/2...nmpo-nba-trade-rumors-doc-rivers-jake-fischer

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Giannis seemingly clarifies his intentions on a Bucks return

Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The most definitive statement yet!

While you may have known that Giannis is currently in Brazil because of something else, and after reports of how teams might be moving on from the largely baseless trade speculation that’s dogged him for over a month, the man himself has something to say. As he’s been wont to do over the years, this didn’t come from anything in American media or on his social media, but in a true classic format for Giannis: an interview with a foreign outlet. However, unlike when he spoke about his NBA future in his native tongue with a Greek interviewer, this apparently came in English. Courtesy of EuroHoops:

There are two great teams that got there,” the Most Valuable Player of the Finals 2021 told the Brazilian outlet “Coast to Coast”, referring to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers reaching the 2025 Finals... “Indiana, with my friend Pascal Siakam, is reaping the rewards, and OKC simply has the MVP. I’m rooting for good basketball. The Finals are different, I hope to be back soon with the Bucks,” he added, all but rejecting considering other options to contend for a second championship.

You can follow the link above to the original quotes from the Brazilian source. To be fair, these are in Portuguese, but unless he’s somehow become trilingual recently, they are almost certainly translated from English. I’m no linguist, but if you plug his statement into Google Translate, it looks pretty faithful to me. Also interesting is that this came without a direct question about his future; he was asked if he was watching the Finals, and unsolicited, he said that he hopes to be back there soon with the Bucks.

Giannis is a private guy, and it should be noted that the national media firestorm was set off first by speculation after the Bucks’ third consecutive first-round exit. Only a week or two later came the wishy-washy report from Shams Charania that he was “open to considering the possibility of leaving” or some such noncommittal word salad that doesn’t actually say too much. And what followed was the usual breathless trademongering from the typical national voices, some of whom don’t seem to operate in good faith towards small market franchises.

Now, though, Giannis gave an unprompted answer about how he feels about remaining with Milwaukee, which is truly the only thing he’s said about the matter publicly since their season ended. Predictably, and unlike when the aforementioned Shams thing dropped, you won’t see anything about this on ESPN.com or anywhere on The Ringer. No surprise. And although it’s reasonable to still have some skepticism—giving a PR-friendly answer, 4D chess, et cetera et cetera—this is definitely more definitive than anything that’s come from the national media that doesn’t actually cover the team.

A lot of fans and analysts who do follow the Bucks closely have been operating under the assumption he’ll be back for 2025–26. That increasingly appears well-founded and the way we’ll continue doing business. I suggest non-Bucks partisans do the same.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/10/24446704/giannis-antetokounmpo-milwaukee-bucks-nba-rumors

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Milwaukee Bucks Free Agent Previews

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/10/...ortis-kevin-porter-gary-trent-jr-jericho-sims

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Kevin Porter Jr. to decline his player option

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Porter averaged 11.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 3.7 APG in his time with the Bucks last season

We now know how two of the three players on the Milwaukee Bucks who have player options will use them, with Kevin Porter Jr. reportedly opting to decline his ahead of free agency. This comes just days later after we found out that veteran swingman Pat Connaughton will reportedly opt in to his final year for $9.4m. The reports of Porter’s decision came in from two reporters, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype and Jake Fischer, who writes for The Stein Line Substack:

Per Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype and Jake Fischer of the Stein Line, Milwaukee Bucks point guard Kevin Porter Jr. will decline his player option. Sources also told Scotto that they hope to keep him next season. He averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 boards, and 3.7 assists in 19.9 minutes with Milwaukee

— Jackson Gross (@jgrossreporter.bsky.social) 2025-06-11T18:33:46.350Z

Porter made his way to the Bucks as one of the last trades at this year's deadline for former first-round pick MarJon Beauchamp. It seemed to be a trade to see if anything stuck after Porter was only playing around 19 minutes per game with the Los Angeles Clippers. While he would go on to see roughly the same amount of court time in his 30 games with the Bucks, he became the Bucks' lead backup point guard behind Damian Lillard and saw increased minutes once Lillard went down with blood clots, playing an average of 24.7 minutes per game to end the regular season. Porter seemed to return to his old self, from before his locker room blow-up with Taurean Prince in Cleveland years ago and his domestic abuse arrest that got him cut by the Houston Rockets. In those final 13 games without Lillard, the Bucks went 9-4, and Porter averaged healthy numbers of 14.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 4.7 APG. His shooting percentages even rose, after only shooting 24.5% from three with the Clippers, it jumped to a gaudy 40.8% on 2.8 attempts per game.

While he ended the season well, his first run in the playoffs was a different story. While the counting stats look fine, 11.2 PPG, 5.4 APG, 3.6 RPG, on 46.7% from the three-point line, his overall field goal percentage was a less than ideal 39.6%. At times, he stopped any momentum the Bucks had going for them, and in their only win in the series, Porter scored just one point. He had two games with three turnovers, including the deciding Game 5, where he shot 4/10 from the field and also picked up four fouls.

The Bucks do not have Porter’s Bird rights, due to his contract being signed last offseason, and he will be an unrestricted free agent. The Bucks can offer him another veteran minimum deal or a new deal with Non-Bird rights that would be around $3m. If they want to do anything over that amount, they will have to dip into either their non-taxpayer midlevel exception or the taxpayer midlevel exception of $5.6 million. If they want to keep both him and Gary Trent Jr., they will likely need to use into the full MLE of $14.1m, triggering the Bucks to be hard-capped at the first apron, currently projected at $195.9 million.

As always, we will keep you updated on where KPJ ends up signing, once the legal tampering period begins on June 30.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/11/...player-option-milwaukee-bucks-nba-free-agency

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Reacts Survey: Should Milwaukee re-sign both its free agent guards?

Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

Giving either more than $5.1m would hard cap the team at the first apron.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Milwaukee Bucks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Last week, we asked you about how you’d approach free agency for the Bucks’ two (current) free agent centers: Brook Lopez and Jericho Sims. We’ll go on to the guards expected to hit the open market—assuming Kevin Porter Jr. declines his player option—but things are a little different here. Whereas Milwaukee can use the Bird rights they possess on Lopez and Sims, allowing them to sign them to any contract regardless of their lack of cap space, they don’t have that luxury with Porter and Gary Trent Jr.

Here’s what that entails, again assuming that KPJ opts out: since both will have been under their current contracts for just one season, the Bucks only have their Non-Bird rights. That limits the team to offering them a 120% raise on their 2024–25 salary. Since GTJ was on a vet minimum and KPJ made just a little bit (relatively speaking) more, that wouldn’t amount to much of a raise, around $3m for each of them. You can read about how Jack thinks Porter’s next contract will look here, and Jackson will tell us his thoughts on Trent early next week. But suffice it to say that they can probably do a whole lot better than another minimum (or close to it) this summer.

So, how can the Bucks retain them? With the news that Pat Connaughton will pick up his player option as expected, Milwaukee can’t create functional cap room to re-sign either Porter or Trent. That leaves them with the midlevel and biannual exceptions, which allow teams to sign (or acquire by trade, in the case of the MLE) players without using cap space. The former is projected to be worth up to $14.1m in starting salary over a four-year term ($60.1m total), while the latter is projected at $5.1m for two years max ($10.5m total).

But here’s the catch, and let’s forget about duration for a second: if the Bucks use more than $5.7m of their midlevel exception (also known as the taxpayer midlevel) or they use the biannual exception, they become hard-capped at the $195m first apron for 2025–26. We’re just completing a year where Milwaukee faced significant apron concerns, but next year won’t have the same issues. Their current commitments (including Connaughton’s and Bobby Portis’ $13.4m player option) have them at $162.2m for nine players, giving them about $33.7m in space below the first apron and five roster spots to fill. Take Portis out, and that jumps to $47.1m and six spots.

Since the TPMLE and BAE are pretty close in value, let’s just use the bigger one for the purposes of this survey. Would you go over that amount in 2025–26 salary for either of these guys, thus hard-capping the Bucks at the first apron next year?

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/11/...gary-trent-jr-kevin-porter-jr-nba-free-agency

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Bucks Free Agent Forecast: Ryan Rollins

Milwaukee’s latest two-way success is a restricted free agent

With most free agents covered by the Brew Hoop team, we’ll now discuss Ryan Rollins, a fan favourite in the Cream City. After being signed to a two-way contract at the tail end of the 2023–24 season, Rollins exploded onto the scene the next summer in Vegas and was thrust into the backup point guard role a few games into the following regular season. The former Toledo Rocket is a restricted free agent this summer and looks set for a decent salary bump; let’s hope GM Jon Horst can retain him.

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Ryan Rollins, 6’3” guard, 22 years old

In an era in which Milwaukee has had little success adding depth pieces to a talented but aging core, the org’s identification of Rollins stands out as a success story. After signing that two-way deal, Ryan had an outstanding summer league, leading to him taking Delon Wright’s spot as the backup point guard early into last season and eventually getting elevated to a standard deal. Rollins saw his minutes wax and wane throughout the year (especially once Kevin Porter Jr. came to town), but generally made a positive contribution when his number was called. He finished the regular season averages with career highs across the board of 6.2 PPG, 1.9 APG, 1.9 RPG, and 0.9 TPG in nearly 15 MPG. He was also a reliable marksman from deep, shooting above 40%.

Ryan played extended minutes down the final stretch of the regular season due to Dame dealing with DVT in his calf. However, when Lillard stunningly returned in Game 2 against the Pacers, Rollins’ minutes dried up until the star guard tore his Achilles. Frankly, many fans felt that Doc should’ve leaned on Ryan much more than he did in that series, even when Dame was healthy. Rollins’ secondary creation might have been more helpful than anything Taurean Prince gave them. Alas, we cannot change the past, but we can learn from it. I would contend that investing in multifaceted players who can dribble, pass, and shoot is what smart GMs are doing. Ryan fits that mould well, and the Bucks should act accordingly.

Role​

Should Rollins return to the Bucks, he’ll likely resume the backup point guard role he played for large stretches of this season. That said, it’s not a given that he comes off the bench, and KPJ (should he return) starts. When Dame was out at various points last season, Ryan started most of those games; overall, he started 19 regular-season contests. And you could see what Doc was thinking with that decision: Rollins was a better fit in the starting five because a lineup with Giannis and Dame didn’t need creation as much as it did a steady hand who can nail spot-up threes and defend.

Now, philosophy will likely change with Dame out; they might need KPJ’s creation and scoring punch alongside Giannis to begin games. Consequently, the scoring role off the bench could fall into Ryan’s hands. It may not; they might end up signing someone who can play that role more optimally than he. But if Rollins does end up with that responsibility, I hope Doc trusts him to explore a little more than he did last year. There is untapped potential here; fingers crossed, we see that potential realised.

Potential Suitors​

Regarding other potential suitors, shoot, Ryan would be a good fit anywhere. As I alluded to above, this is a guy who can hold his own on defence and play on or off the ball competently. He might not be elite at anything, but by being competent in many areas, you make yourself malleable to basically the entire league. Again, for all the oft-criticised decisions this Bucks front office has made, acquiring and developing Rollins was truly a master stroke.

As far as naming teams, I could see Charlotte as an option. The Hornets don’t have many promising young pieces in general, but their backup guard room is particularly weak. The only real guys they have as “developing talents” are Tre Mann, Nick Smith Jr., KJ Simpson, and whoever they pick fourth in the draft; that’s really it. Ryan would likely supplant at least two of those three players the second he walks in the door. Charlotte probably won’t have cap space but will have access to their MLE and BAE exceptions, which would be enough to make an enticing offer.

Ironically, I also see Rollins as a good fit for one of his former teams, the Washington Wizards. Like Charlotte, Washington won’t have cap space but will have access to those same exceptions; they could attempt to pry yet another promising young guard from Horst’s hands. With Malcolm Brogdon a free agent and Marcus Smart on an expiring contract, the Wizards’ guard core includes Jordan Poole, Corey Kispert, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, and AJ Johnson. I am dubious that Poole and Kispert will be there much longer and think Rollins might be able to bring some balance as a defence-first guard at a decent price to boot.

Potential Contract​

Obviously, the crucial point to mention is that Rollins is a restricted free agent. Thus, the Bucks can match any offer from other teams, provided they issue him a qualifying offer (which he probably would turn down since it’s only $2.5m). If they don’t issue it, they could use his Early Bird rights to offer him anything up to approximately $13.5m. Because of that, Ryan likely returns to Milwaukee; the teams I discussed above would have to use some or all of their full MLE to reach that number.

Now, what would a realistic number for Rollins be? Maybe in the $6–8m range per season? Regarding contract length, would he turn down a three-year, $18m deal fully guaranteed? That seems relatively fair on both sides. If the average annual value were higher, the Bucks may need to add a team option in the final year. Regardless, Horst must do what is necessary to bring Ryan back. As Marques Johnson would say, holy Toledo!

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What contract number would you be comfortable going to for Rollins? How do you see his role next season with no Dame in the fold? Make your thoughts known in the comment section.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/12/...-rollins-washington-wizards-charlotte-hornets

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Free agency rumblings on Lopez, Trent, and Porter

Matt Moore brings us his Bucks scoops

Folks, we have more Milwaukee Bucks free agency slop to discuss. Matt Moore recently reported intel he had gathered on three Bucks free agents—Brook Lopez, Kevin Porter Jr., and Gary Trent Jr.—via his Substack, Hardwood Paroxysm.

Let’s begin with Brook Lopez. Moore stated that most people he’d spoken to assumed Lopez would not be returning to Milwaukee. And although the veteran’s star has fallen in the eyes of many Bucks fans, Matt ventured that front offices around the league could feel quite differently:

“Lopez might be one of the bigger names on the market. He’s certainly at the end of his career, but like Al Horford, he’s a complete pro and a winner who’s easy to fit into a team culture and find a role for, and still makes a difference defensively night to night.”

Moving on, several Bucks personnel people singled out Gary Trent Jr. as a player they wanted to re-sign, per the report. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s beat writer, Jim Owczarski, wrote on Reddit recently in an AMA he believed Trent could get between $8–10m this summer.

Moore also outlined that the Bucks are likely to retain Kevin Porter Jr. From an on-court POV, this is good news. Milwaukee will need playmakers like Porter with Damian Lillard out, as the Brew Hoop team has echoed before.

The final morsel of Matt’s true Bucks-related news bolstered Marc Stein’s previous reporting that Doc Rivers played a key role in Giannis seemingly wanting to stick around in Milwaukee. “God help Giannis,” Moore hilariously concluded.

The other Giannis-adjacent nugget that may not pass as news but was at least interesting was Moore’s take on what the heck actually might have happened between Antetokounmpo and the front office this offseason:

“What’s interesting is that several people I spoke to are under the impression there were two meetings. One with Giannis and the front office, with no report of the outcome from it and another with ownership and the front office that was focused on finances, specifically trying to reduce or eliminate their tax bill this summer.”

The word “eliminate” is what raises eyebrows. “Reduce” shouldn’t because for the front office to maximize their ability to add talent this offseason, they would have to cap themselves at the first apron, thus reducing their tax bill.

Any of the following would cause the Bucks to be hard-capped at the $195m first apron: using more than $5.7m of their mid-level exception, using their bi-annual exception, aggregating salaries in a trade, or taking back more money than they send out in a trade. This past season, the Bucks finished $11m over the tax line and owed around $29.4m in penalties. For 2025–26, the first apron is projected to be $8m above the tax threshold, so even spending up to the first apron would reduce their tax bill.

For those interested, Matt Moore joined the Locked On Bucks podcast on Tuesday to talk about the three free agents mentioned above, Giannis’ future with the team, how the collective bargaining agreement will impact Milwaukee’s strategy, and much more.

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/11/...kevin-porter-jr-giannis-matt-moore-marc-stein

 

[Milwaukee Bucks]

Giannis is staying in Milwaukee, for now

Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images

Reassuring and ominous statements about Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks

After weeks of speculation reports and searching for hidden messages in social media posts, this week we finally have real, tangible news regarding the Giannis trade saga: he’s staying in Milwaukee, for now. Brian Windhorst, a trusted senior writer for ESPN, gave a firm denial statement yesterday on the show Get Up after his cohosts were discussing a potential “secret plan” in the Knicks organization to trade for the Greek Freak.

“There’s not gonna be a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade in the short-term future,” he said. “The league has come to terms with the realization that the Bucks are gonna keep him and Giannis is not gonna ask for a trade.”

Let out a sigh of relief, Bucks fans. You deserve it.

This news may not come as a major surprise to those who didn’t overreact to every rumor they’ve seen over the last month or two. Plus, Windhorst and Giannis himself already planted the seed for this news earlier in the week. Still, it’s nice to have some definitive reassurance.

However, it must be noted that Windhorst qualified his initial statement with the following quotes:

“I can’t speak to what might happen in August.”

“Giannis Antetokounmpo is not getting traded before the Knicks are hiring a coach.”

What Windhorst may be implying here is that Giannis’ decision to stay with Milwaukee could depend on how the offseason plays out. If the Bucks strike out in free agency and on the trade market while other teams get better, perhaps the MVP may then decide he wants out. In the last two years alone, we’ve seen stars Damian Lillard, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Julius Randle all traded in September, so a massive deal going down in the dead of the offseason would not be unprecedented at all. The chances of something similar happening with Giannis can only be speculated upon, but it appears to be possible based on the way Windhorst specified the lifespan of his no-trade guarantee.

Even if the words “I can’t speak to what might happen in August” may loom in the subconscious of Bucks faithful throughout the coming months, it seems like everyone can operate under the assumption Giannis will be in Milwaukee next year. With that being the case, this will be a massively important offseason for the team. Damian Lillard is set to miss most of next season, five or more other Bucks are entering free agency, and yet, a competitive team still needs to be formed around Antetokounmpo. Jon Horst and company will need to put in overtime in the next two months. Only time will tell how things will play out, but at least one thing is (almost) all but certain: Giannis Antetokounmpo will remain a Buck.

The full discussion with Windhorst on Get Up can be watched here:

Source: https://www.brewhoop.com/2025/6/13/...unmpo-staying-milwaukee-bucks-brian-windhorst