Milwaukee Bucks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Williams, Pacers, Bucks Tourney Run, Lillard

December 12th, 2024 at 3:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls forward Patrick Williams practiced in full on Thursday and is on track to play approximately 20-to-24 minutes on Friday, head coach Billy Donovan told K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network and other media members (Twitter link). Williams has been sidelined since Nov. 18 due to a foot injury.

The Bulls held guard Josh Giddey (back tightness) out of practice, but there’s optimism he’ll play on Friday against Charlotte.

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The Pacers practiced on Tuesday and Thursday due to a gap in their schedule. After losing five of their last six, the team was happy to get some time to try to fix its issues, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “We certainly would have loved to have been a part of the quarterfinals like we did last year at the in-season tournament,” veteran backup point guard T.J. McConnell said. “But we’ve gotta look at it a different way. It’s a different season. Guys are working their way back so it can be very beneficial to work on getting them back and stuff that we need to improve on.”
Following a very slow start, the Bucks are above .500 and headed to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals after defeating Orlando. Coach Doc Rivers said that the NBA Cup has provided some extra incentive. “You set a goal and you try to reach it, right?” Rivers said, per ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “Our goal is not just to get to Vegas, we want to win this thing.”
Damian Lillard has adjusted his game to fit the Bucks’ style and personnel. He’s driving into the paint more, though it doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll take the shot. It often turn into a “hockey assist” or a direct assist to a teammate, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. “It’s like completely changing your game and for someone that’s been the best at what he does his whole career, who’s going down as one of the greatest of all time, that’s such a wild ask,” center Brook Lopez said. “But for him to still be as good as he is and our team to be successful and winning right now, it’s a testament to the player he is. It shows he is one of the greatest of all time.”

NBA Cup Semifinals Set; Sunday Games Scheduled For Eliminated Teams

December 12th, 2024 at 6:41am CST by Luke Adams

Following Atlanta’s and Houston’s wins in Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal matchups, the semifinals for the NBA’s second annual in-season tournament have been set, with the Hawks, Bucks, Rockets, and Thunder advancing to the final four.

Both games will be played on Saturday, December 14, and the matchups and tip-off times are as follows, per the league (Twitter link):

Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks (3:30 pm Central time)
Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (7:30 pm CT)

Both games will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the winners squaring off in the NBA Cup final on Tuesday.

Players on the team that win the NBA Cup will be awarded $514,970 apiece in prize money, while bonuses for the runner-up team will be worth $205,988 apiece and the semifinal losers will receive $102,994 each. In each instance, the bonuses for players on two-way contracts will be worth half that amount.

Players on the Knicks, Magic, Warriors, and Mavericks will receive bonuses of $51,497 apiece ($25,749 for two-way players) after being eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Those four teams have also had an extra game added to their regular season schedules to ensure they get the necessary 82. Those games will be played on Sunday, Dec. 15 and are as follows:

New York Knicks at Orlando Magic (5:00 pm CT)
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors (7:30 pm CT)

Since both Dallas and Golden State played on the road in the NBA Cup knockout round, the Mavericks will be the unlucky team that ends up with 42 road games and 40 home games on its schedule this season, since they were the lower-seeded quarterfinalist. The Magic played on the road in the quarterfinals, while the Knicks lost at home, so the home/road schedules for the Eastern clubs will be evenly balanced.

Bucks Notes: Rivers, Middleton, Minutes Restriction, Celtics Matchup

December 7th, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Doc Rivers didn’t see any signs of panic as the Bucks stumbled out of the gate this season, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. After winning on opening night, Milwaukee dropped six straight games, raising questions about whether the team should still be considered a contender following two consecutive first-round playoff exits. Meeting with reporters before Friday’s game at Boston, Rivers said those concerns never affected his team.

“Nobody in Milwaukee is saying that, nobody on our team is saying that,” he said. “We feel like we’re going to be right there when we need to be.”

The slow start led to some speculation that a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade might be necessary, considering the team’s second apron status and the overall age of its roster. The Bucks eventually pulled out of their tailspin, winning seven straight before back-to-back losses that evened their record at 11-11. Rivers admitted that he expected to be in a better position, but he believes the team is heading in the right direction.

“Tough start, but I think everybody here’s patient,” he said. “… I think we’re going to be one of the teams, but we’re not yet. We’re not. So we have work to do. It’s funny, when we go on the road we hear that and it’s laughable for us. But our record says what we are and we’re not where we want to be, so we get it.”

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Making his season debut after missing 21 games following offseason surgery on both ankles, Khris Middleton took a hard bump early in Friday’s contest, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Less than two minutes after checking into the game, Middleton was knocked to the court by Sam Hauser while sinking a three-point shot. “I love it. Get it out the way,” Middleton said. “That’s something that’s been happening to me in play groups, one-on-one sessions, workouts, feeling that contact. Of course the contact was a little bit more during the game, but I needed that. I needed to feel like what it feels like to get hit, fall down on the floor and not really worry about anything. So that felt great. Felt even better to knock down the shot too and the free throw. I was cool with it.”
Rivers admitted that Middleton exceeded his minutes restriction in his first game back, Owczarski adds. The team didn’t reveal what Middleton’s limit is, but he wound up playing 23 minutes and was in the closing lineup as the game went down to the wire.
Friday’s contest was already the last of three meetings between Boston and Milwaukee during the regular season. Eric Nehm of The Athletic contends that the Bucks have become a better matchup for the Celtics because of the emergence of A.J. Green and Andre Jackson, adding that Taurean Prince‘s illness prevented Milwaukee from having a full complement of wing defenders that it might use against Boston in a playoff series.

Bucks Notes: Middleton, Rivers, Lillard, Giannis

December 6th, 2024 at 2:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The long wait is about to end for Bucks swingman Khris Middleton, who is expected to take the court tonight in Boston for the first time since last spring’s playoffs, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Speaking to reporters at Friday afternoon’s shootaround, Middleton said this was the most difficult rehab process of his career because he had to undergo surgery on both ankles. Balance became an issue because Middleton couldn’t risk favoring one ankle over the other, and he said it was challenging mentally to be out of action for so long.

“Just not trying to get into a dark tunnel,” he said about his approach to rehab. “Having as many surgeries as I have, coming back from this one, I wanted to make sure I was all the way ready to come back, be as fresh as I can mentally to be in a good spot because this is a long, grueling season. I’m going to go through a lot of things during the season, going to get hit, banged up, whatever, to have that mindset that I can still fight through and to keep going.”

Bontemps notes that tonight will mark just the 43rd time that Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard will play together since Lillard was acquired in a trade in September 2023 — and only the ninth time with Doc Rivers as their head coach. The trio has been extremely effective in its limited window, Bontemps adds, with the Bucks outscoring opponents by 22.6 points per 100 possessions with the three of them on the court at the same time under Rivers and by 17.5 points per 100 possessions overall.

Middleton is likely to be on a minutes restriction as he eases his way back into action, but he’s not sure what it will be. He added that his focus is seeing how his body reacts to live game action.

“That’s one of the things I’m nervous about, just to see how I feel when I get out there,” he said. “See if I’m going to be ready to throw up in a minute, but once I’m out there, I’ll be fine. If I’m going to shoot the ball over the rim, over the glass, whatever, just with the nerves and everything, adrenaline going. So I’m excited about it, see how it performs, see how it goes and just go from there.”

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Rivers has been saying for weeks that Middleton is close to returning, and he acknowledged that it was difficult for Middleton not to rush the final stages of his rehab process, per The Associated Press. “Anybody who wants to play, and Khris is one of those (guys), they’re frustrated,” Rivers said. “That’s mentally challenging. You see your team playing and although we’re playing well right now, I imagine when we were really struggling and he wasn’t playing that had to be really hard for him. You want to help your team, and he knows he can.”
Lillard discussed the importance of psychological preparation as the Bucks got ready to host Atlanta Wednesday night following Tuesday’s game at Detroit, relays Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I take it serious – mentally,” Lillard said. “You got to come in with no excuses and no crutches. You can’t come in thinking, ‘Oh, we had a back-to-back. We played last night, we’re tired.’ You do that, you start thinking like that, you’re beat.”
Antetokounmpo talks to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports about his desire to capture another MVP award. Antetokounmpo won in both 2019 and 2020 and would join an elite group of players by picking up a third trophy. “I do want to be part of that conversation,” he said. “It lets me know I was able to help my team, carry my team, solidified [us as a team]. I’m not gonna lie, it definitely means something to me.”

Khris Middleton To Make Season Debut On Friday

December 5th, 2024 at 9:48am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Bucks have been rolling along lately, winning nine of their last 11 despite Wednesday’s loss to Atlanta. They’ll now add longtime starter Khris Middleton to the mix.

Middleton will make his season debut at Boston on Friday, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. Middleton was medically cleared to return to action on Nov. 20 after undergoing surgery on both ankles during the offseason. At that time, Middleton didn’t feel quite ready to suit up and has since continued the rehab process, working on improving his conditioning and increasing his comfort level on his surgically repaired ankles.

Middleton, a three-time All-Star, has dealt with a myriad of health issues in recent seasons. He only appeared in 33 games two seasons ago and 55 regular season contests last season.

In those last two seasons, Middleton has averaged 15.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 0.8 steals per game — all far cries from his numbers during his final All-Star season, 2021/22. He registered averages of 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals per night that season, with .443/.373/.890 shooting splits.

Middleton holds a $34MM player option on his contract for next season and it’s hard to see him passing that up unless he shows he can recapture that All-Star form. The Bucks probably don’t need him to perform at that level but he’ll boost their depth at the wing position and will take some of the scoring burden off Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

In his absence, Taurean Prince has started at small forward and provided a steady three-point threat. Prince is averaging 9.0 points on 6.3 shot attempts per game, knocking down 55.6% of his long-range attempts.

It’ll be interesting to see what Doc Rivers does in terms of his lineup. Middleton came off the bench 14 times two seasons ago but has generally been a fixture in the starting five since he was acquired from Detroit in 2013.

Knockout Round Matchups Set For NBA Cup; Games Scheduled For Non-Quarterfinalists

December 4th, 2024 at 6:27am CST by Luke Adams

Following the conclusion of the group play games in the NBA Cup on Tuesday, the eight teams advancing to the knockout round have been set, and the quarterfinal games have been scheduled.

After the Warriors, Rockets, and Hawks previously clinched spots in the knockout round, the Thunder, Mavericks, Bucks, Knicks, and Magic joined them as a result of Tuesday’s outcomes. The quarterfinal matchups are as follows, per the NBA (Twitter links):

Eastern Conference:

Orlando Magic (No. 4) at Milwaukee Bucks (No. 1): Tuesday, December 10 (7 pm ET)
Atlanta Hawks (No. 3) at New York Knicks (No. 2): Wednesday, December 11 (7 pm ET)

Western Conference:

Dallas Mavericks (No. 4) at Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 1): Tuesday, December 10 (9:30 pm ET)
Golden State Warriors (No. 3) at Houston Rockets (No. 2): Wednesday, December 11 (9:30 pm ET)

While those four games will be played in the home team’s arena, the winners will advance to a neutral site for the final four. The semifinals (Dec. 14) and final (Dec. 17) will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The quarterfinal and semifinal results will count toward each team’s regular season record, whereas the final won’t. A team that loses in the quarterfinals will play the other quarterfinal loser in its conference in newly scheduled regular season games to make sure those clubs get the full 82.

Meanwhile, the 22 teams who did not advance to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup have each had two regular season games added to their initial 80 to fill that mid-December gap on their schedules.

Here are the newly added games for those clubs, according to the league (Twitter link):

Thursday, December 12:

Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics (7:30 pm ET)
Toronto Raptors at Miami Heat (7:30 pm ET)
Sacramento Kings at New Orleans Pelicans (8 pm ET)

Friday, December 13:

Washington Wizards at Cleveland Cavaliers (7 pm ET)
Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers (7 pm ET)
Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota Timberwolves (8 pm ET)
Brooklyn Nets at Memphis Grizzlies (8 pm ET)
Charlotte Hornets at Chicago Bulls (8 pm ET)
Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets (9 pm ET)
Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz (9:30 pm ET)
San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers (10 pm ET)

Sunday, December 15:

New Orleans Pelicans at Indiana Pacers (5 pm ET)
Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards (6 pm ET)
Minnesota Timberwolves at San Antonio Spurs (7 pm ET)
Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns (8 pm ET)
Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers (9:30 pm ET)

Monday, December 16:

Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Hornets (7 pm ET)
Miami Heat at Detroit Pistons (7 pm ET)
Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors (7:30 pm ET)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Brooklyn Nets (7:30 pm ET)
Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings (10 pm ET)
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 pm ET)

Bucks Notes: Giannis, Lillard, Prince, Middleton, NBA Cup

December 3rd, 2024 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

At the start of training camp, Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard expressed confidence that their chemistry would be much improved in 2024/25 following a full season and offseason together.

While Milwaukee got off to a shaky start this fall, losing eight of its first 10 games, the club has since won eight of nine, including six in a row, and Antetokounmpo believes the on-court rhythm he and Lillard have developed has been a key factor, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes.

“Now we’re going into our second year playing together, and our chemistry has been incredible so far,” Antetokounmpo said after Saturday’s victory over Washington. “He hits me in the pocket. If he doesn’t hit me in the pocket, that means he has an open shot. He can get downhill, make another play. I think we trust one another. We definitely trust way more one another’s decision-making and we give one another space to operate.”

Lillard’s scoring average (25.9 PPG), and shooting percentages (.441 FG%, .361 3PT%) are all up so far this season over the marks he posted in 2023/24. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, is playing some of the best basketball of his career, with a league-leading and career-high 32.9 PPG on 60.9% shooting in his first 17 games.

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Offseason addition Taurean Prince has been “incredible” so far this season for the Bucks, according to Antetokounmpo, who praised the veteran wing’s ability to space the floor around him and Lillard. As Nehm writes for The Athletic, Prince’s 8.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game don’t jump off the page, but he’s making an NBA-best 54.2% of his three-point attempts and is one of just two Bucks who have started all 19 of the team’s games so far this season. The 30-year-old signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with Milwaukee over the summer.
Khris Middleton has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game in Detroit and it remains to be seen when he’ll make his season debut following offseason surgeries on both ankles. Still, he insisted over the weekend that he continues to move in the right direction as he works toward his return, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I feel good. I feel like I’m progressing. It’s just slower. Slower than I want it to be,” Middleton said. “I want to be out there, my teammates want me to be out there. I don’t think there’s anybody that wants to play more than me. You know that. I think some people know that in our organization. I just gotta be smart and not go out there until I’m fully ready.”
The Bucks’ game against Detroit on Tuesday will go a long way toward determining whether or not Milwaukee advances to the knockout round of the NBA Cup for a second straight year. A win would secure a quarterfinal berth for the Bucks as the winner of East Group B, while a loss by six points or less (or in overtime) would keep the club in the running for the East’s wild card spot (Twitter link).

Wizards Rumors: Kuzma, Valanciunas, Brogdon, Davis, Baldwin, Coulibaly

December 2nd, 2024 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards view Kyle Kuzma as a team leader who can help the team stay competitive and assist in the development of some of the young players on the roster, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. But Scotto says teams around the NBA view Kuzma as a potential trade candidate due to his skill set, the team-friendly declining structure of his contract, and the fact that he probably doesn’t fit Washington’s long-term timeline.

The Mavericks nearly traded for Kuzma at last season’s trade deadline, but the Wizards reportedly brought that opportunity to the forward, who decided to pass on it. As Scotto writes, the Pacers had some interest in Kuzma before they acquired Pascal Siakam and the Kings have also been connected to him over the past couple seasons.

While it’s unclear if any of those clubs would circle back to Kuzma at this point, Scotto hears that the Bucks, Warriors, Lakers, Heat, and Cavaliers are among the other teams that have kept tabs on the 29-year-old.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon are among the Wizards’ veteran trade candidates being monitored by rival teams, says Scotto. According to Scotto, Valanciunas has provided the sort of veteran mentorship to No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr that Washington hoped for, going up against the rookie big man in practice and teaching him things on both sides of the ball.
While the Wizards have a few trade candidates to watch, Scotto suggests that second-round picks may not move the needle much for the front office, especially if they come attached to bad contracts. Washington has already stockpiled several extra second-rounders and turned down offers consisting of second-round picks for Tyus Jones at last season’s deadline, Scotto adds.
Johnny Davis and Patrick Baldwin Jr., both of whom are on expiring contracts after having their 2025/26 team options declined in October, were shopped on the trade market prior to the season and are potential salary fillers for in-season deals, per Scotto.
Although Bilal Coulibaly has taken a step forward in his second NBA season, the 20-year-old is still adjusting to being relied upon as a two-way threat, according to Varun Shankar of The Washington Post, who notes that the Wizards forward’s offensive production has slipped following a hot start. “It’s been a lot thrown at me,” said Coulibaly, who has averaged 8.8 points per game with a .377/.208/.667 shooting line in his past nine games after putting up 17.0 PPG on .575/.387/.828 shooting in his first eight. “But I got to go through it because that’s what I want to do in my future, in the near future. I want to be a great two-way player. … I’ll take it.”

Doc Rivers Says Khris Middleton Continues To Make Progress

November 30th, 2024 at 6:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks swingman Khris Middleton will miss another game tonight against Washington, but coach Doc Rivers said he’s getting closer to making his season debut, per Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel. Middleton had a scheduled day off for Friday’s practice, but he went through a productive five-on-five session earlier in the week. “He’s progressing,” Rivers told reporters. “I’m going to keep saying it. You can ask as many questions as you want, it’s not going to make him come back faster.”

Connaughton Discusses Being Out Of Rotation

November 29th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Rory Maher

Forward Pat Connaughton was out of the Bucks‘ rotation for four games before giving the team a boost in Tuesday’s win at Miami, contributing 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 21 minutes. Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscriber link) has the story on how the veteran wing stayed ready while being unsure of when his next opportunity would arise.