Milwaukee Bucks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Dragic Could Be Postseason Factor

March 5th, 2023 at 5:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jordan Nwora was acquired by the Pacers from the Bucks at the trade deadline and coach Rick Carlisle has been impressed by the reserve forward, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star writes. Nwora, who is signed through next season, is averaging 9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 20.2 minutes in six games with Indiana. “Nwora’s a skilled player,” Carlisle said. “Positionally, he does a better job defensively than a lot of people might think. … He’s getting better and better for us.”

The Bucks were interested in Goran Dragic because he gives them a pure point guard off the bench, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. Dragic could bring the ball up the floor and get the Bucks into their offense for 10 minutes per night during the postseason, Nehm speculates, which could ease the burden off their other play-makers. Current backup Jevon Carter has more impact on the defensive end and doesn’t typically bring the ball up the floor. Dragic signed on Saturday after clearing waivers.

Goran Dragic Signs With Bucks

March 4th, 2023 at 11:03pm CST by Luke Adams

11:03pm: The signing is official, the Bucks announced in a press release.

12:14pm: Free agent guard Goran Dragic is meeting with the Bucks in Milwaukee this afternoon and intends to sign with the team for the rest of the season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Wojnarowski first reported on Thursday that the Bucks were the frontrunners to sign Dragic, and it seems no rival suitors have jumped the line since then. According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), Dragic would have welcomed an offer from the Heat, but Miami isn’t in the market for another point guard.

Dragic, who will turn 37 in May, began this season on a minimum-salary contract with Chicago and was part of the Bulls’ rotation at point guard. However, while he appeared in 51 games, Dragic was only averaging 15.4 minutes per night, his lowest mark since he was a rookie in 2008/09. After the Bulls added Patrick Beverley on the buyout market, Dragic was the odd man out, resulting in his release.

Dragic is no longer the player he was in 2017, when he averaged 20+ points per game, or 2018, when he earned his lone career All-Star berth, but he was somewhat productive in Chicago this season, averaging 6.4 PPG and 2.7 APG on .425/.352/.659 shooting.

He’ll join a Bucks team that starts Jrue Holiday at the point, with Jevon Carter backing him up. As long as Milwaukee is healthy, it seems unlikely that Dragic will have much of a role, especially once the playoffs begin. But he’ll provide some reliable veteran depth at a position that wasn’t especially deep for the Bucks.

If Dragic signs his minimum-salary contract on Saturday, he’ll earn $617,911 the rest of the way, with the Bucks taking on a $390,433 cap charge. Even after re-signing Meyers Leonard to a 10-day contract, Milwaukee has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary.

Meyers Leonard Signs Second 10-Day Deal With Bucks

March 4th, 2023 at 11:05am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

MARCH 4: Leonard has officially signed a new 10-day deal with the Bucks, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. It will run through March 13, making Leonard eligible for six more games.

MARCH 2: Veteran big man Meyers Leonard is signing a second consecutive 10-day contract with the Bucks, sources inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The seven-foot center’s first 10-day deal will expire on Friday night.

Newly-anointed Eastern Conference coach of the month Mike Budenholzer had high praise for his new bench big, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets.

“Just to bring his size and physicality, I think it’s an area that maybe the roster, is one of the things it doesn’t have and he fills that need and still has the ability to make threes and spread the court,” Budenholzer said, per Nehm. “He just has a lot of basketball characteristics that fit us. The human’s been great. He’s fit in quickly with the locker room.”

Leonard, a career 39.1% three-point shooter, signed his first 10-day deal with the Bucks late last month. Through four games, the 30-year-old is averaging 2.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG for Milwaukee. Those four contests represent the big man’s first NBA action since March 2021.

A combination of personal controversy and ankle and shoulder surgery recoveries have kept him sidelined in the intervening seasons. Leonard was flipped from the Heat to the Thunder after using an antisemitic slur during a video game live stream. Oklahoma City subsequently released him, and he had not been rostered since.

Bucks Closing In On Goran Dragic

March 2nd, 2023 at 6:08pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Bucks are considered leaders in the clubhouse to sign veteran free agent point guard Goran Dragic, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports (Twitter link).

Dragic, who just cleared waivers today after being released by the Bulls earlier this week, has spoken recently with several title-contending teams, according to Wojnarowski. However, Milwaukee – currently riding high on a 16-game win streak – seems to have the best odds of adding Dragic, Woj adds.

Dragic is set to visit the Bucks tomorrow, and a deal could be finalized as soon as then, Wojnarowski reveals. Milwaukee was also trying to add Dragic last year, before he latched on with the Nets for the final stretch of the season.

The 6’3″ vet, a former All-Star during his tenure with the Heat, started off strong during his first full month with Chicago this year, averaging 9.3 PPG on .448/.440/.667 shooting splits, plus 3.8 APG and 1.9 RPG, in just 19.2 MPG. Lately though, his production has declined in a major way. Across his final 10 games with the Bulls, he averaged just 2.6 PPG with a .333/.250/800 shooting line, plus 2.4 APG.

The 36-year-old was supplanted in Chicago’s rotation when the team brought in Patrick Beverley. Beverley immediately became the team’s starter, pushing down then-incumbent starter Ayo Dosunmu to a backup role and leaving Dragic as the odd man out.

This is a curious choice for Milwaukee, as it is unclear how much Dragic has left to give a team gunning to win it all this year. But the Bucks have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so no corresponding move would be necessary to add Dragic.

Mike Brown, Mike Budenholzer Named Coaches Of The Month

March 2nd, 2023 at 5:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Kings head coach Mike Brown and Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer have been named the league’s coaches of the month for February, the NBA has announced (Twitter link).

Led by All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, Budenholzer’s Bucks are currently at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 45-17 record. Milwaukee is in the midst of a 16-game winning streak and enjoyed a spotless February, going 10-0.

Brown led Sacramento to an 8-4 record across the month. The team is currently on a four-game win streak, while top players De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis both played in this month’s All-Star Game.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and Suns head coach Monty Williams were runners-up to Brown in the Western Conference, while Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau were also nominated in the East, the league added (via Twitter).

Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL tweets that Brown is the first Sacramento coach since Rick Adelman during the 2003/04 season to earn a Coach of the Month honor. Given that his 36-25 Kings club appeared poised to make its first return to the postseason in nearly that long, he certainly seems worthy of the award.

Jae Crowder: “I’d Do It All Over Again”

March 2nd, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Jae Crowder has no regrets about his holdout in Phoenix or the months of missed games as he waited for a trade to be completed, telling Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, “I’d do it all over again.”

The Bucks had been considered among the favorites to land Crowder, but they weren’t able to work out a deal directly with the Suns. After Phoenix agreed to ship Crowder to Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant trade, Milwaukee offered draft assets to the Nets and everything was folded into a four-team deal.

The Bucks were thrilled to finally obtain Crowder, and they see him filling the defensive specialist role that P.J. Tucker did during their championship run in 2021. He has fit in seamlessly so far, averaging 19.3 minutes off the bench as Milwaukee has gone 4-0 since he has arrived.

“I think this team has what it takes to win a championship,” Crowder said. “That’s my main goal right now. I think once you win a championship, the rest of that stuff will take care of itself. My main goal, honestly, is not thinking about free agency or the summer. It’s all about winning the championship. I think that’s our locker room goal, and when I came into it, I knew that was the goal of the team.”

Crowder’s relationship with the Suns was reportedly damaged beyond repair when head coach Monty Williams informed him last offseason that he would no longer be a starter. Crowder refused to report to training camp, opting for individual workouts twice each day while he waited for a trade to materialize.

Sources tell Scotto that even when Cameron Johnson tore his meniscus in November, Crowder never considered returning to the Suns and the team didn’t discuss asking him to come back.

“Nah, there wasn’t a chance I was going to play there,” Crowder said. “Both sides knew that the road had come to an end. That came to an end way before Cam got hurt. I wasn’t going back on it, and they weren’t going back on it.”

Phoenix received offers for Crowder from several teams, Scotto adds. The Hawks, Rockets and Suns had exploratory discussions that would have sent Crowder to Atlanta along with Landry Shamet, while Eric Gordon and Kenyon Martin Jr. would have gone to Phoenix and John Collins would have wound up in Houston, but Scotto’s sources say that deal was never close to being completed.

Scotto adds that the Hawks also attempted to acquire Crowder and Shamet in a three-way trade that would have included the Jazz, but a disagreement over the draft picks Utah would have received prevented the teams from making progress. Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley would have gone to the Suns in that version of the deal.

Bucks Notes: Antetokounmpo, Leonard, Mamukelashvili, Middleton

March 2nd, 2023 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo feels that most players who reach the upper level of the NBA eventually get taken for granted, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. The two-time MVP and perennial candidate for the award made the comments after a recent series of injuries, saying that even people close to him expect him to go out and produce every night because he’s always been so durable.

“I don’t think I’m the first, I don’t think I’m the last. I feel like people take for granted (Kevin Durant), people take for granted LeBron James, people take for granted (Stephen Curry),” Antetokounmpo said. “You see all this greatness every day and they take it for granted until they’re not there no more. And you’re like, ‘Oh, man. I miss those guys. I miss the show that they put on.'”

Antetokounmpo dealt with a wrist injury that limited him to a short appearance in the All-Star Game, then bumped knees with an opponent in his first game back and sat out Sunday with a quad injury. He was able play in both games of a back-to-back this week, logging 28 minutes on Tuesday and again on Wednesday as the Bucks ran their winning streak to 16 games.

There’s more from Milwaukee:

The team will have a decision to make on Meyers Leonard, whose 10-day contract is about to expire. Leonard has appeared in four games in his first NBA action in nearly two years and has made an impression on coach Mike Budenholzer, tweets Bucks beat reporter Gabe Stoltz. “Just to bring his size and physicality,” Budenholzer said. “I think it’s an area that maybe the roster doesn’t have and he fills that need and still has the ability to make threes and spread the court. He just has basketball characteristics that fit us. The human’s been great. He’s fit in quickly with the locker room. I’m very, very happy with his 10 days.” Milwaukee can sign Leonard to one more 10-day contract before determining whether to keep him for the rest of the season.
Even though the Bucks waived Sandro Mamukelashvili on Wednesday, Budenholzer believes the former second-round pick will have a future in the NBA, Stoltz adds (via Twitter).
Khris Middleton was briefly off the injury report for Wednesday’s game before being listed as out. Budenholzer explained that the original designation was a mistake and Middleton isn’t ready for back-to-back games yet, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

Bucks Waive Sandro Mamukelashvili

March 1st, 2023 at 10:49pm CST by Rory Maher

10:49pm: Mamukelashvili has officially been waived, the Bucks announced in a press release.

4:06pm: The Bucks will waive big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Milwaukee worked with Mamukelashvili’s agents to try and help with his options in the future. We’ll have to wait and see whether the young forward/center has another opportunity lined up if he clears waivers.

After spending four college seasons at Seton Hall, Mamukelashvili was selected 54th overall in the 2021 draft. He has spent the past two seasons on a two-way contract with the Bucks, but his playing time was very limited at the NBA level — he averaged 3.2 PPG and 2.1 RPG on .439/.345/.750 shooting in 65 games (9.6 MPG) from 2021-23.

The Bucks have one of league’s best frontcourts, so it’s understandable why the 23-year-old’s minutes were limited. Still, he put up strong numbers in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd this season, averaging 23.3 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG on .486/.471/.667 shooting in four regular season games (36.5 MPG).

Once Mamukelashvili is officially waived, the Bucks will have one two-way slot open. They also have a couple of standard roster spots available; Meyers Leonard is temporarily occupying one, but his 10-day deal expires in a couple days.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Central Division

March 1st, 2023 at 3:53pm CST by Rory Maher

For the rest of the regular season and postseason, Hoops Rumors is taking a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents during the 2023 offseason. We consider whether their stock is rising or falling due to their performance and other factors. Today, we’re focusing on a handful of Central players.

Brook Lopez, C, Bucks

2022/23: $13,906,976
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Up

Lopez has been one of the NBA’s best stories this season, rebounding from a mostly lost season in 2021/22 after undergoing back surgery (he played just 13 regular season games and 12 playoff games). He’s having an outstanding year and has been a major factor in Milwaukee’s league-leading 44-17 record, averaging 14.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 2.4 BPG on .508/.370/.766 shooting through 60 games (30.3 MPG).

The veteran center, who is one of the leading candidates for Defensive Player of the Year, has said he hopes to remain with the Bucks, and the interest is reportedly mutual. Lopez has definitely earned a raise, but given his age (he turns 35 next month), I’d be a little surprised if he gets more than a two-year deal.

Khris Middleton, F, Bucks

2022/23: $37,948,276
2023/24: $40,396,552 (player option)
Stock: Down

Middleton’s stock is down primarily due to injuries, which have limited him to 20 games to this point. The Bucks have been very cautious with the three-time All-Star, as he’s been coming off the bench lately and averaging his fewest minutes per game (21.5) since he was a rookie. However, despite the small sample size, it’s worth noting that the Bucks have been terrific with Middleton on the court – he has a plus-9.7 net rating, per NBA.com.

A career 38.9% three-point shooter, Middleton is making just 29.9% from deep this season, which has hurt his offensive efficiency (the rest of his shooting numbers are very close to career norms). That seems more like an aberration than a long-term concern.

The remaining 21 regular season games and how he fares in the postseason will likely determine whether or not the 31-year-old decides to pick up his player option for ’23/24. Let’s not forget that Middleton averaged 23.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 5.1 APG and 1.5 SPG during Milwaukee’s championship run a couple years ago — I would not be surprised at all if he bounces back from a disappointing season over the next few months.

Ayo Dosunmu, G, Bulls

2022/23: $1,563,518
2023/24: RFA
Stock: Neutral

The 38^th pick of the 2021 draft, Dosunmu had a strong rookie campaign, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 8.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 3.3 APG on .520/.376/.679 shooting in 77 games (40 starts, 27.4 MPG).

His numbers have been quite similar in year two, with the 23-year-old averaging 9.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 2.8 APG on .498/.316/.806 shooting in 60 games (49 starts, 28.1 MPG). Obviously the three-point percentage is down, which is unfortunate, and he hasn’t necessarily progressed from a statistical standpoint like some second-year players do.

Advanced stats aren’t very high on Dosunmu, and the Bulls have been better by a pretty significant margin when he’s not on the court. While Dosunmu may not have made a second-year leap, I still like his defensive potential and he reportedly has a strong work ethic and team-first attitude.

Dosunmu met the starter criteria, so the value of his qualifying offer increased to $5,216,324. It will be interesting to see how his restricted free agency plays out.

Hamidou Diallo, G/F, Pistons

2022/23: $5,200,000
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Up

Diallo is challenging to evaluate because his strengths and weakness are more pronounced than most players. He is a non-shooting wing with pretty bad tunnel vision, which you would expect would make him ineffective in a league constantly looking for floor-spacers.

That isn’t the case. The 24-year-old is one of the most athletic players in the NBA and he plays with a tremendous amount of energy. He utilizes those strengths to play strong defense, crash the boards, drive, and catch lobs, and he’s been very effective at all of those things in ‘22/23.

The Pistons have an overall defensive rating of 117.6, which ranks 28^th in the league. When Diallo is on the court, Detroit has the equivalent of the league’s fourth-best defense. He is shooting a career-high 58.1% from the field in large part because he is converting 71.8% of his attempts at the rim, per DunksAndThrees.com – a better mark than many centers.

Sometimes Diallo’s energy carries over into recklessness. He fouls too much and can be turnover-prone. Even if his game is polarizing, I think he deserves a raise, perhaps a deal in the range of $6-10MM per year.

Oshae Brissett, F, Pacers

2022/23: $1,846,738
2023/24: UFA
Stock: Down

After averaging 9.6 PPG and 5.4 RPG on .428/.368/.716 shooting in 88 games (41 starts, 23.7 MPG) with Indiana from 2020-22, Brissett had an opportunity to establish himself as a reliable rotation player in a contract year. Unfortunately, that has not come to fruition.

The Pacers have been relatively weak at power forward all season. Brissett hasn’t helped much. He’s averaging 5.5 PPG and 3.4 RPG on .388/.333/.693 shooting in 49 games in ‘22/23, with his playing time cut back to 16.0 MPG. He has been a healthy scratch in seven of the last eight games.

Still just 24 years old, Brissett should land another (relatively small) deal in free agency — he’s a solid rebounder and defender. But those shooting numbers are a problem, and his stock is definitely down compared to the past couple seasons.

Suns Notes: Crowder, Okogie, Warren, Payne, Bridges

March 1st, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

A rift with head coach Monty Williams over the loss of his starting spot led to the end of Jae Crowder‘s time with the Suns, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Williams informed Crowder during the offseason that Cameron Johnson would be replacing him in the starting lineup, sources told Fischer. While Crowder didn’t go into detail, he confirmed that a strained relationship with Williams prompted him to ask for a trade.

“Yeah, we had differences,” Crowder said. “They asked me to keep it in-house, I’ll keep it in-house. I’m now gone, same thing I’ve told everybody else: I’ve moved on from the situation. I wish them the best, I’m leaving that behind.”

Crowder was initially on track to be shipped to the Nets as part of the Kevin Durant trade, but he ultimately wound up with the Bucks, who had been attempting to acquire him from the Suns. Phoenix gave permission to Milwaukee to meet with Crowder, and several trade scenarios had been discussed that included players such as Grayson Allen, Serge Ibaka, George Hill and Jordan Nwora.

“I landed where I wanted to land at the end of the day,” Crowder said. “I think I gained just knowing myself as a player and my mental. I never wavered. Never wavered on the process. From a month, to two months … I stayed with the plan of what it was and what I wanted to accomplish. So I give kudos to my mental and me staying sane throughout the entire process, because I did want the process to end fairly sooner than when it did.”

There’s more on the Suns:

Phoenix will undergo a major lineup change tonight when Durant makes his debut with the team, and it appears Josh Okogie will be the fifth starter alongside Durant, Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Okogie has made five consecutive starts and is averaging 18.5 points and 5.8 rebounds over his last six games while shooting 53.4% from the field. “We’ve been looking forward to (Durant’s first game) since the trade, but we had to wait a little bit,” Okogie said. “We’re excited to finally get him in the mix of things, show him how we play. Show him the love that we play with, the passion and the unselfishness that we play with.”
T.J. Warren hasn’t played in the two games since the All-Star break, Rankin notes in another Arizona Republic article. Warren was productive in Brooklyn, but Williams points out that he’s already using a 10-man rotation and someone else will be bumped now that Durant is active.
Tania Ganguli of The New York Times looks at the long friendship between Cameron Payne and Mikal Bridges, who are no longer teammates since Bridges was sent to Brooklyn in the Durant deal.