Central Notes: Crowder, Portis, Dragic, Westbrook, Wiseman

Newly acquired forward Jae Crowder participated in practice with the Bucks on Monday but he won’t suit up prior to the All-Star break, coach Mike Budenholzer told The Athletic’s Eric Nehm (Twitter links).

“He’s going to have a good few days with us before the All-Star break, then take a few days and come back and just evaluate him over the next five, seven, ten days…and hopefully get him integrated and playing after the break,” the Bucks coach said.

Crowder hasn’t played at all this year, as he sat out awaiting a trade. The Bucks acquired him in a three-team deal.

We have more from the Central Division:

• Bobby Portis was able to go through a portion of the Bucks’ practice, Nehm adds in another tweet. “We had a play group at the end of practice and he participated in that, so we’ll see how he feels (Tuesday),” Budenholzer said. “It’s another good step for Bobby.” Portis has been sidelined since Jan. 23 due to a knee injury.
• Goran Dragic doesn’t feel insulted that the Bulls may be in the buyout market for another point guard, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Dragic knows he can’t play heavy minutes at this stage of his career. “No, it doesn’t offend me, it doesn’t,’’ Dragic said. “At the end of the day you want to win. I’ve got limited minutes so it’s what can I do in those minutes? I know the plus/minus is good, and I know what I can do. Sometimes I feel more involved, sometimes no. But you know, I do think the starting unit needs a point guard, that’s for sure.”
• On that same topic, The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry weighs the pros and cons of adding Russell Westbrook, if the veteran point guard chooses to take a buyout from the Jazz. Mayberry writes that it would be a desperation move, but one the Bulls might need to make.
• Now that James Wiseman has officially been traded to the Pistons, can he blossom on a rebuilding team? The Athletic’s James Edwards III and Anthony Slater explore that topic. Slater, who covers Golden State, believes Wiseman will eventually be a productive NBA center offensively but it’s uncertain whether he’ll ever shore up the defensive flaws that kept him out of the Warriors’ rotation.