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Bucks Waive Omari Moore, Two Others

October 18th, 2023 at 12:16pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks have trimmed their preseason roster from 21 players to 18, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived guards Omari Moore and Jazian Gortman, as well as forward Drew Timme.

Although teams are permitted to carrying 18 players into the regular season (15 on standard contracts and three on two-way deals), Milwaukee’s roster isn’t ready for opening night. Gortman and Timme were on training camp contracts, but Moore was a two-way player, so the Bucks are now carrying 15 players on guaranteed deals, one (Marques Bolden) on a camp contract, and a pair on two-way pacts.

The decision to waive Moore comes as a bit of a surprise, even though he hadn’t made much of an impact on the court in Summer League or the preseason. The undrafted rookie out of San Jose State signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Bucks in early July — that level of team control is rare, since most two-way deals only cover a single season.

Gortman and Timme also joined the Bucks as undrafted free agents this summer after playing for Overtime Elite and Gonzaga, respectively. Both players were on Exhibit 10 contracts and now appear on track to become affiliate players for the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee’s G League team. If Gortman and Timme spend at least 60 days with the Herd, they’ll each earn a bonus worth $75K.

It remains to be seen whether the Bucks will set their regular season roster by simply converting Bolden to a two-way contract or whether they have more moves on tap in the coming days.

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Bucks Notes: Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Middleton, Griffin

October 16th, 2023 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard gave the league a preview of what their new partnership will look like as they played their first game as teammates on Sunday night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. They already look comfortable together on the court, McMenamin notes, taking turns handling the ball in the pick-and-roll. They also recognize how playing together can benefit each of their games.

“I’ve never been this open,” Antetokounmpo said after a win over the Lakers. “And first of all, I’ve never seen anybody being double-teamed from the first possession of the game.”

“Having another guy out there that’s just dominant,” Lillard added. “He can dominate a game and win you a game. … First couple plays, they blitz me, they trap me and the guy that I’m releasing the ball to is Giannis. So I’m just like, ‘Uh, we can do this all night.’ You know what I mean?”

Antetokounmpo scored 16 points in 15 minutes while shooting 7-of-10 from the field before resting in the second half. Lillard had 14 points, four steals and three assists and got a chance to run the team in the third quarter without the former MVP on the court.

“Today was a great first step in the right direction,” coach Adrian Griffin said. “You can see those guys love playing together already. And not just Dame and Giannis, but everyone was just pulling for each other.”

There’s more on the Bucks:

  • Prior to Sunday’s game, Antetokounmpo discussed a variety of topics with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, including the potential to form an all-time great combination with Lillard, the disappointment of losing in the first round of the playoffs and the difficulty of parting with Jrue Holiday as both a teammate and friend. He also addressed his future in Milwaukee, saying he hopes to spend his entire career in the city and denying that offseason comments about putting winning first were an ultimatum to the organization. “The words that I say, I feel like sometimes they’ve been taken out of proportion because I’ve said these words for four or five, six years now. And I don’t know why it’s different this time,” Antetokounmpo said. “… But when your extension comes around, it’s like, ‘Oh, he might leave.’ No, no, no. It’s not the case. I want the best possible team. I want to wake up every single day when I come to work and know that I have a chance to win. And I want the organization to be on the same page and not to be comfortable because we won one (title).”
  • The Bucks are being cautious with Khris Middleton after offseason knee surgery, but general manager Jon Horst stated Sunday that he may play in the preseason and will definitely be ready for opening night, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel.
  • Griffin joins ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on The Woj Pod to discuss the pairing of Antetokounmpo and Lillard, expectations for the upcoming season and the long road toward getting a head coaching job after about a dozen interviews.
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Middleton Happy To Cede Touches To Lillard

October 15th, 2023 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams
  • Although forward Khris Middleton has been the Bucks‘ second offensive option behind Giannis Antetokounmpo for years, he’s happy to take a step back to allow recently acquired guard Damian Lillard to play the role he’s accustomed to, he tells Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “I mean, you’ve seen how good that guy is,” Middleton said of Lillard. “It would be selfish to try to compete with him for shots and touches when a guy like that wants to come and help us win. Everybody knows that I’m about winning, so I have no problems with putting my pride to the side, sacrificing a couple things for the team to succeed. I think that’s what it’s all about.”
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Bucks Notes: Lillard, Antetokounmpo, Practice, Crowder

October 14th, 2023 at 9:46am CST by Tristan Tucker

Fans will get an opportunity to see Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard share the court as teammates for the first time on Sunday in the preseason, head coach Adrian Griffin said on a recent episode of NBA Today (YouTube link). Milwaukee brought in the 11-year Trail Blazer in a September blockbuster trade, and now he’ll suit up as a Buck for the first time against the Lakers.

The start of the Antetokounmpo-Lillard era in Milwaukee is significant not only for the duo’s star power, but because it also realizes the efforts of the Bucks to remain firmly in the title hunt going forward. Offseason comments from Antetokounmpo caused a vortex of rumors regarding his future with the Bucks. Appearing on the same episode of NBA Today, however, general manager Jon Horst dismissed the notion the organization made the blockbuster move because of them.

“Really not at all,” Horst said when asked if Antetokounmpo’s comments fueled their pursuit of Lillard. “I think we’ve done everything we can over the past few years to put the best product we can on the floor with Giannis, for Giannis, for our organization. There’s no doubt we are invested in him and this entire team and we felt like getting Damian Lillard was the best thing for the franchise now and going forward.”

The next move for Milwaukee is to secure Antetokounmpo, who has a player option for the 2025/26 season, to a long-term deal. The Bucks, who swung for the fences when they traded for Jrue Holiday in 2020 before winning that year’s championship, are hoping this trade pays off in a similar fashion.

“I think it’s important to understand that Giannis and what he says publicly and privately are very much aligned with what we believe as an organization,” Horst said. “It’s not just something recent. We’ve done everything we can every step of the way to put the best team on the floor each and every day, to constantly push the limits and try to compete at the highest level. … We think this trade is the most recent example of that.”

We have more from the Bucks:

  • The environment around Bucks practices has been more physical and fired up than in previous years, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Griffin is pushing to have a more aggressive tone and environment in practice, according to Owczarski. “The way we approach training camp and the way we approach practice so far has been incredible because we are literally changing our identity,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re being a little bit more scrappy. We will help one another. Obviously, we’ve been one of the best defensive teams in the league the last five years, so it’s not that you gotta come here and you change a lot of things, but I feel like, you just got to sharpen the tool, you gotta add more edge to the team.“
  • Last season, Bucks forward Jae Crowder began the year by sitting out as a member of the Suns, spending the first four months of the season away from the team before he was traded to Milwaukee at the deadline. This year, Crowder isn’t taking playing time lightly, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. Now, he’s trying to help set the aggressive tone of Milwaukee’s training camp with his mindset. “I’m taking this training camp very seriously this year,” Crowder said. “Obviously, knowing that I missed last year. Just trying to blow it out in the terms of both ends, conditioning and learning-wise. Just trying to learn as much as possible before the real games start. So I’m taking this training camp more seriously than I would in the past few years.“
  • Lillard opened up about his first week as a Buck in an interview with Nehm. The seven-time All-Star is seeing plenty he likes with the organization so far. “The discipline that I’ve seen, it’s not just this guy or that guy; it’s like everybody is on top of their stuff,” Lillard said. “And I think collectively that just equals success. I don’t see how it doesn’t. Nobody is like, ‘Look at me.’ Or, ‘Oh, I gotta do this.’ Or, ‘I gotta do that.’ It’s just like everybody is on point with what they have to be doing and it’s like adults, professionalism and people that care about it and take it serious.“
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Central Notes: Giannis, Lillard, Beasley, Ivey, Bates

October 11th, 2023 at 5:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s newest superstar duo will be in action for the first time this weekend, according to Malika Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).

Appearing on NBA Today on ESPN on Wednesday, Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin confirmed that the plan is for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, who sat out the team’s first two preseason games, to be active on Sunday in Los Angeles when the Bucks visit the Lakers.

Here are a few more notes from around the Central:

  • Malik Beasley, long known as a three-point specialist, is making his case for a spot in the Bucks‘ starting lineup by working on improving his defense, according to stories from Eric Nehm of The Athletic and Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Beasley is on a minimum-salary contract, but is confident that a strong season with a title-contending team will help secure his long-term future in the NBA, writes Owczarski. “The market right now is not that good and I read into all that and I’m betting on myself like I did for my first contract,” Beasley said. “If things go as planned, and God forbid an injury or anything like that, I’ll just let the work do itself.”
  • New Pistons head coach Monty Williams values having a mix of veterans and youngsters in his lineups, which is a key reason why guard Jaden Ivey may find himself coming off the bench when his second NBA season begins, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “Putting in too many young guys on the floor, I think, is a disservice to them,” Williams said on Tuesday. “You have to have some really good vets who know how to play. They settle us down a little bit, their voice is good on the floor, they know how to space, they know how to make the right plays.”
  • The Cavaliers are still working out their plan for rookie Emoni Bates, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he trusts the coaches with the Cleveland Charge (the Cavs’ G League affiliate) to develop Bates, but would like the 19-year-old to spend a good amount of time with the NBA team too. “I think there is value in him being around the caliber of people and talent we have in that locker room,” Bickerstaff said.
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And-Ones: Fredette, Dischinger, 2024 Draft, More

October 10th, 2023 at 2:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Jimmer Fredette, the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft, launched 8.5 three-pointers per game as a college senior at BYU in 2010/11 and made 39.6% of them. However, while he hit 37.2% of his threes at the NBA level, he never emerged as a consistent rotation player and was out of the league by 2016, with the exception of a brief cameo during the 2018/19 season.

Speaking to Sam Yip of HoopsHype, Fredette observed that his game is more suited to the NBA now than it was when he went pro in 2011. The veteran sharpshooter, who eventually emerged as a star in China for the Shanghai Sharks, admits that he sometimes thinks about what his career would’ve looked like if he were coming out of college now.

“Of course you think about it, right? Like, I mean there’s no way that you don’t think about it,” Fredette said. “Obviously, it does fit my game better now than it did before. It’s more positionless basketball. When I came out it was like, ‘Is he a one or is he a two? What’s the deal? Who’s he gonna guard?’ Now it’s like, ‘If you can play, you can play and if you can shoot, you’re an asset.’

“… So I was definitely probably a little bit ahead of my time as far as that’s concerned. But it is what it is and right now I’m in a good spot and using my talents and been able to do it all over the place.”

As Yip notes, Fredette – who is now 34 years old – is currently focused on 3-on-3 basketball and hopes to win a gold medal with Team USA at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

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

  • The Trail Blazers have put out a statement mourning the passing of former NBA wing Terry Dischinger, a three-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year who played in the league from 1962-73 in Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, and Portland. The former Purdue star was 82 years old.
  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has published a new 2024 mock draft, moving French big man Alexandre Sarr up to No. 2 and referring to him as “the hottest name early in the 2024 draft cycle,” based on his performances against the G League Ignite last month. While ESPN’s most recent mock draft had USC’s Isaiah Collier at No. 2 and Duke’s Tyrese Proctor at No. 14, Wasserman has Collier and Proctor at No. 6 and No. 5, respectively.
  • Which new and old NBA on-court rules will be points of emphasis for referees this season? Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune takes a closer look, noting that the league has introduced new in-game penalties for flopping and wants its officials to actually call defensive three-second violations in fourth quarters and clutch situations.
  • Rob Mahoney of The Ringer identifies five teams that he believes will define the 2023/24 NBA season, starting with the defending champion Nuggets. Mahoney also discusses the Bucks, Heat, Thunder, and Grizzlies.
  • HoopsHype has shared an excerpt from Alex Squadron’s book ‘Life in the G,’ which follows players in the G League as they push for a promotion to the NBA.
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NBA GMs Like Celtics’ Offseason Moves, Title Chances

October 10th, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics and Bucks made the best overall moves this offseason, according to the NBA’s general managers. In his annual survey of the league’s top basketball decision-makers, John Schuhmann of NBA.com writes that 23% picked Boston as having the best summer, while another 23% picked Milwaukee. The Trail Blazers (17%) and Lakers (13%) were among the other clubs who received multiple votes.

Of course, the Celtics’ and Bucks’ pre-camp trades for Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard, respectively, were huge factors in the positive perception of their offseasons. Of Schuhmann’s GM respondents, 47% said the Lillard acquisition was the most impactful move of the offseason, while Boston’s addition of Holiday placed second at 13% (the Celtics’ trade for Kristaps Porzingis tied for fourth, at 7%).

Both Boston and Milwaukee are viewed by the league’s general managers as good bets to compete for the title in 2024. The Celtics were selected by 33% of Schuhmann’s respondents as the team that will win the championship the season, while the Bucks got 23% of the vote share. No other Eastern club received a vote, with the Nuggets (33%), Suns (7%), and Clippers (3%) representing the only other teams that were chosen as potential champs.

Here are a few more interesting results from Schuhmann’s GM survey, which is worth checking out in full:

  • As much as the NBA’s general managers like Boston’s roster, it was the Grizzlies‘ acquisition of Marcus Smart from Boston that was voted as the most underrated player addition of the summer (17%), narrowly edging out the Mavericks‘ sign-and-trade for Grant Williams (14%).
  • The NBA’s GMs are high on the Thunder. Oklahoma City was the runaway winner as the team with the league’s most promising young core (73%) and also earned the most votes for which club will be most improved in 2023/24 (30%).
  • Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama got plenty of love from the league’s GMs. He was the top choice for Rookie of the Year (50%) and was the overwhelming pick for which rookie will be the best player in five years (90%). He also placed second among the players Schuhmann’s respondents would most want to start a franchise with today, with his 23% vote share trailing only Nikola Jokic‘s 33%.
  • NBA GMs expect Ime Udoka of the Rockets to be the head coach that has the biggest impact on his new team (57%), followed by Monty Williams of the Pistons (17%).
  • Jordi Fernandez of the Kings, viewed as a future NBA head coach, comfortably won the vote on the league’s best assistant (31%).
  • The NBA’s GMs consider Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (23%), Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (20%), and Magic forward Franz Wagner (13%) the top candidates for a breakout year.
  • Which rookie was the biggest steal in the 2023 draft? Rockets wing Cam Whitmore (43%) was the top choice, with Jazz guard Keyonte George, Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson, and Heat forward Jaime Jaquez each receiving 10% of the vote.
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Bucks Notes: Giannis, Lillard, Lopez, Middleton

October 8th, 2023 at 1:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is already impressed with his new All-NBA teammate, point guard Damian Lillard, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic details.

“I feel like this is the first time in my career that I really don’t — I don’t want to say I don’t care because I care a lot — I don’t mind with my usage being [25%],” said Antetokounmpo, who had a career-high 38.8% usage rate last season. “I want him to be the primary point guard. He’s the point guard of this team.

“… So you got to give guys like him freedom, because he’s an artist, man,” Antetokounmpo continued. “He’s got to create art. And hopefully, when you’re next to him, you can also create your own art and then you create the art together.”

Neither Lillard nor Antetokounmpo is playing in Milwaukee’s ongoing preseason opener against the Bulls.

There’s more out of Milwaukee:

  • With All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday now on the rival Celtics and longtime head coach Mike Budenholzer no longer with the club, Bucks center Brook Lopez is set to pilot the team on that side of the ball, writes Nehm in a separate piece. Lopez, who finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, is adjusting to new first-time head coach Adrian Griffin. “I think the biggest thing is just pressuring the ball,” Griffin said. “We want to pressure the ball, one through five, and that’s a little different for Brook, who has kind of been the quarterback in the paint, but that’s going to be situational where we’re going to ask him to pressure the ball, but there are times where he’s going to be back.”
  • Everyone on the Bucks, including Khris Middleton, suited up for a 5-on-5 practice Saturday, Griffin informed gathered journalists, per Nehm (Twitter link). That said, Middleton joined Antetokounmpo and Lillard on the Bucks’ bench Saturday, and did not partake in the team’s preseason opener.
  • In case you missed it, you can vote on whether or not the Bucks will best their projected 54.5-win over/under for the 2023/24 season.
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2023/24 NBA Over/Unders: Central Division

October 8th, 2023 at 9:57am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2023/24 NBA regular season around the corner, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including Bovada and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2022/23, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’23/24?

We’ll keep our series going today with the Central Division…

Milwaukee Bucks

Cleveland Cavaliers

Indiana Pacers

Chicago Bulls

Detroit Pistons

Previous voting results:

Northwest

  • Denver Nuggets (53.5 wins): Over (52.0%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (44.5 wins): Over (53.1%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (44.5 wins): Under (53.6%)
  • Utah Jazz (35.5 wins): Over (55.5%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (28.5 wins): Under (50.9%)
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Central Notes: Lillard, Griffin, Morris, Thompson, Ball

October 6th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Rory Maher

Point guard Damian Lillard is beginning to find his niche with the Bucks, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. While Lillard plans to do “a lot of listening” as he grows accustomed to a new environment, he says he’s already giving the younger players advice.

“I’ve just been coming in, introducing myself,” he said. “And I’m interacting with different guys so they can see, I’m not on ‘superstar time.’ And I think as I earn the respect of my teammates and everybody else, they respect what I say after that.

“But if something comes up that I’ve had (experience with), or something that I’ve, that I recognize is what’s in the best interest, I’m not afraid to be the person to say it. I’m not a guy that is going to hold back or second-guess what I have to say because I know that what I have to say comes from a good place at all time.”

New head coach Adrian Griffin is making an imprint as well, according to Goodwill, particularly on the defensive end.

“One of the messages to the team, if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready,” Griffin said. “We want to be physical now so when the playoffs come you don’t have to be you know, talk about this good physical that’s gonna be part of our DNA.”

Here’s more from the Central:

  • Pistons guard Monte Morris, who was acquired from Washington in the offseason, says he’s embracing the opportunity to become a vocal leader for a young Detroit team, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “That’s going to be a good challenge for me because it’s going to be one of the first times in my career where that’s going to be something they’re going to be looking for from me,” Morris said. “To be a voice. With my resume and the experience I have been able to have in my career so far – being me, playing the right way, bring energy, trying to be as consistent as possible every day. Have fun with it. But (being) vocal is going to be my biggest challenge. I’m ready for it.”
  • Head coach Monty Williams believes No. 5 overall pick Ausar Thompson has a chance to make an immediate impact for the Pistons, as Langlois tweets. “We think he’s going to be phenomenal and we think he’s going to be an integral part of our team,” Williams said. “And there’s a chance that could happen right away.”
  • Bulls guard Lonzo Ball hasn’t played since January 2021 and will miss the entire 2023/24 season following a third knee surgery. However, he’s optimistic that he’ll return to an NBA court in the future, he tells Jamal Collier of ESPN. “After the other surgeries, this one has definitely gone the best as far as (the) recovery process,” Ball said. “The last two rehab processes I had, I was getting better and then it just hit a standstill and it started going down. And I haven’t hit that yet.”
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