And-Ones: Antetokounmpo, Bynum, 10-Day Deals

Giannis Antetokounmpo was named an All-Star starter on Thursday for the second consecutive season, but he also got some bad news this week. As Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details, the Bucks plan to hold their star forward out of the team’s next two games in order to manage soreness in his right knee.

Antetokounmpo has been extremely durable during his NBA career, playing at least 77 games in each of his first four seasons with the Bucks, but he’s had a history of knee pain. A league source tells Velazquez that the injury – not considered to be tendinitis – is viewed as something that will always bother Antetokounmpo to some extent, which leaves it up to him and the team to manage it as best they can.

In this case, the Bucks have a stretch in their schedule that allows them to get Antetokounmpo eight full days of rest without having him miss more than two games. The decision to take advantage of that portion of the schedule to rest the All-Star was made “for the greater good of the season,” a source tells Velazquez.

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

• With the NBA’s players and officials at odds more frequently than ever this season, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman explores what role the NBA should have in repairing that relationship. A meeting between the players’ union and referees’ union is expected to take place during All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.
• Veteran guard Will Bynum, who last played in the NBA with the Wizards in 2014/15, has signed with Turkish team Yesilgiresun, the team announced in a press release (English link via Sportando). A longtime Piston, Bynum appeared in 360 total regular season NBA games for Golden State, Detroit, and Washington.
• Frank Urbina of HoopsHype identifies six teams that he believes should be active at the trade deadline, including three sellers (Bulls, Lakers, Grizzlies) and three buyers (Cavaliers, Pacers, Bucks).
• Which G League players should be candidates to receive 10-day contracts from NBA clubs? David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders names five, starting with former Sixers and Hornets forward Christian Wood.