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The Bucks Players Who Benefited Most From NBA Cup Prize Money

December 18th, 2024 at 7:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks‘ team salary this season is approximately $193MM, which is over the second tax apron and far exceeds the $160.4MM on the Thunder‘s books.

However, only two players on Oklahoma City’s roster are on minimum-salary contracts and just three of 15 Thunder players on standard deals are earning less than $3MM this season. By comparison, Milwaukee has eight players with salaries below $3MM, plus a ninth earning just a hair above $3MM. Seven of those nine players are earning their respective minimums.

While the $514,970 bonus for winning the NBA Cup may be a drop in the bucket for maximum-salary Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, it represents a significant pay raise for the players on the lower two-thirds of Milwaukee’s cap sheet, as well as the players on two-way contracts who will receive bonuses worth $257,485 apiece.

The NBA Cup prize money results in at least a 17% raise for each of the following Bucks players, whose 2024/25 salaries are noted in parentheses:

Players receiving a $514,970 bonus:

Delon Wright ($3,003,427)
Taurean Prince ($2,988,550)
AJ Johnson ($2,795,294)
MarJon Beauchamp ($2,733,720)
Gary Trent Jr. ($2,613,120)
A.J. Green ($2,120,693)
Andre Jackson ($1,891,857)
Chris Livingston ($1,891,857)
Tyler Smith ($1,157,153)

Players receiving a $257,485 bonus:

Liam Robbins ($578,577)
Ryan Rollins ($578,577)
Stanley Umude ($578,577)

The bonuses for Smith and the Bucks’ two-way players represent a raise of roughly 44.5% on their respective base salaries.

None of this prize money will count against the salary cap, so the Bucks’ team salary for cap, tax, and apron purposes remains unchanged, as do the team salaries for Oklahoma City and the other six clubs who made the knockout round of the IST. Their prize money is as follows:

Oklahoma City Thunder: $205,988 per player ($102,994 for two-way players)
Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets: $102,994 per player ($51,497 for two-ways)
Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic: $51,497 per player ($25,749 for two-ways)

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: Rivers, Giannis, Jackson, Lee

November 16th, 2024 at 8:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks coach Doc Rivers was incensed after a phantom foul call resulted in a loss this afternoon in Charlotte, according to Eric Nehm and Mike Prada of The Athletic. With Milwaukee leading by a point, Giannis Antetokounmpo was whistled for a foul on LaMelo Ball with 7.3 seconds remaining, even though replays showed there was no contact on the play. Crew chief Curtis Blair acknowledged the mistake after the game, but the Bucks were powerless to do anything because they were out of challenges.

“There was clearly not a foul,” Rivers said. “When you watch the video, the ref was blocked out by one of our players. You can’t guess at the end of the game. Both teams have played too hard.”

Rivers was especially angry because a similar play happened in Wednesday’s game against Detroit. With the score tied, Antetokounmpo was called for a foul on Ron Holland with 1.0 remaining, which the league admitted was a mistake in its last-two-minute report. Holland misfired on both free throws, and the Bucks prevailed in overtime.

“This is back-to-back games now where on the final play there’s been an incorrect call made,” Rivers said. “LaMelo Ball fell. He just fell down. Nobody was near him. Slipped on his own. We come up with the ball. The game’s over. So back-to-back games now, we’ve had a call made against us that was incorrect. We were lucky with Detroit that the kid missed two free throws. Tonight, LaMelo Ball made the free throws.”

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Rivers also criticized the referees for not giving calls to Antetokounmpo, Nehm and Prada add. The Bucks star shot just one free throw Saturday, even though Rivers thought he got fouled several times, including on a dunk with 1:09 left to play. “Go back three plays when Giannis dunks,” Rivers said. “The whole team fouled him. The whole team fouled him and it’s a no-call. Giannis drives to the basket because he’s powerful and they can hit him on the arm, they can hit him on the face and because he keeps going, he doesn’t get credit for the contact that he’s creating. Giannis was in the paint. … He was in the paint the whole night. Someone explain to me how Giannis gets one free throw.”
Andre Jackson Jr. continued his strong play since being moved into the starting lineup, per Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel. In addition to serving as the primary defender on Ball, Jackson eased concerns about his outside shot by going 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, including two clutch baskets midway through the fourth quarter. “He took one early one at the break which we didn’t want, but his corner threes are terrific,” Rivers said. “He also had a couple great plays where he drove the ball and he made plays. That’s more of what we mean and he’s doing a great job.”
Former Bucks assistant Charles Lee faced his old team today for the first time as head coach of the Hornets, Owczarski adds. Lee was on Milwaukee’s staff for five years and got to experience a championship in 2021. “I would say the game doesn’t feel as different, but the moments before the game and after the game when you get to revisit with people that you built some great bonds with and you’ll continue to have this relationship that’s bigger than basketball – but I think once the ball is tipped up, these are my guys,” Lee said.

Bucks Notes: Wright, Rollins, Jackson, Giannis

November 11th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Signing veteran guard Delon Wright to a minimum-salary contract over the summer was viewed as a savvy free agency move for a Bucks team facing serious roster-building constraints. However, Wright is off to a slow start in Milwaukee, having fallen out of the rotation entirely just a couple weeks into the season. He’s been a DNP-CD in each the past three games.

“I mean, it wasn’t really a conversation – they kind of just did it,” Wright said of being benched, per Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required). “It’s their decision. I can’t really be too mad at it. It is frustrating but I’m trying to stay ready. It’s a long season.”

Wright, who is in his 10th NBA season, is playing for his ninth different team, so he’s gotten accustomed to having to make a good first impression. He suggested that sometimes it takes a little longer for a new team to figure out how best to utilize him.

“This is not the first time it’s happened to me,” Wright told Owczarski. “Especially with a new coaching staff, they’re not really fully aware of what I do best. They have an idea, but once I get into a rhythm, once I get really acclimated with the team then I’ll be able to be utilized more. Right now I’m just like a three-and-D guy, just play defense and just move the ball. Once I get more acclimated and they get familiar with me it’ll be different for me. But, just have to stay ready, build my confidence back up and wherever (the minutes) is at, be more confident, be more aggressive.”

Two-way guard Ryan Rollins, a 2022 second-round pick who is on his third NBA team, has taken Wright’s spot in the rotation for now and is looking to take advantage of a rare opportunity for regular minutes. While the veteran Wright hopes to eventually earn those minutes back, he recognizes that he has to be supportive of his younger teammate in the meantime.

“I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer. I don’t want to have my energy affect anybody else,” Wright said. “So, I just have to try to stay as engaged as I can, even though it sucks that you’re not playing. I have to encourage Ryan, because he would do the same when he wasn’t playing, cheering me on. I have to make sure to be a good teammate and try to continue to just work. My time will come back around. You never know what can happen in a season.”

Here’s more out of Milwaukee:

Second-year wing Andre Jackson, who has started the Bucks’ past three games, logged just four minutes in the second half on Sunday after playing 18 of 24 first-half minutes. What was the thinking behind that usage? “I thought the way (the Celtics) were helping off of him was really affecting our offense, especially from the second quarter on,” head coach Doc Rivers explained (Twitter link via Eric Nehm of The Athletic). “He’s gonna be a good player for us. We gotta still work with him about what to do when that happens. When you watch the tape, his guy was on the other side of the floor sometimes, double-teaming. They didn’t care where he went. And we gotta make sure we put him in the right spots.”
Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel considers what to make of the Bucks’ disappointing 2-8 start, suggesting Milwaukee has lost its identity as a “hustle team” as its roster has aged.
Michael Pina of The Ringer evaluates whether the idea of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade is realistic, noting that the Bucks look pretty far away from being the sort of title-contending team the two-time MVP wants them to be. Pina doesn’t anticipate an in-season deal, but won’t rule out the possibility of something happening next summer and makes the case that the Rockets would be an intriguing trade partner for Milwaukee.
In case you missed it, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown expressed annoyance with Antetokounmpo following Boston’s win over the Bucks on Sunday.

Eastern Notes: Simmons, Mogbo, Cavaliers, Jackson, Rollins

November 9th, 2024 at 11:48am CST by Tristan Tucker

With Nic Claxton back in the starting lineup, the Nets needed to move someone to their bench. That someone was Ben Simmons, who came off the bench in an overtime loss to the Celtics on Friday, as Michael Scotto of HoopsHype notes (Twitter link). Simmons, who had started 326 of his 338 career games entering the night, finished with eight points, seven rebounds and eight assists in the defeat.

Head coach Jordi Fernandez opted for a starting lineup that consisted of Dennis Schröder, Cam Thomas, Claxton, Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith. Simmons, Jalen Wilson, Ziaire Williams and Keon Johnson rounded out the rotation off the bench.

“Whatever the team needs me to do, whether it’s come off the bench or starting, I gotta do,” Simmons said, per Erik Slater of Clutch Points (Twitter link). “That’s what coach wants right now. It is what it is.”

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Jonathan Mogbo‘s been one of the most impressive rookies in the NBA this season –the No. 31 overall pick is averaging 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in a crucial role for the Raptors. Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes that Mogbo is getting a crash course in the NBA and is acing it, with his plus-21 mark for the season ranking first among Toronto’s rotation regulars. The rookie forward played some defensive possessions with Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis as his primary assignment.
The Cavaliers are off to a franchise- and league-best 10-0 record after drubbing the Warriors on Friday night. Jason Lloyd of The Athletic writes that the Cavs are playing a confident brand of basketball and this could mark the start of something special. “There’s a quiet confidence about this team,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “There’s a humility but they know they’re good. … It’s almost like they know they have to take the next step. It’s there. It’s present.“
Bucks forward Andre Jackson Jr., who recently received a promotion to the starting lineup, is dealing with a hip pointer and only played 18 minutes in a loss to the Knicks on Friday, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link). In other news, two-way guard Ryan Rollins played 12 minutes off the bench, recording seven points. Bontemps writes that Rollins has overtaken Delon Wright in the rotation, as Wright didn’t play on Friday.

Central Notes: Walker, Turner, Cavs, Middleton, Jackson

November 7th, 2024 at 10:50pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Jarace Walker played sparingly during his rookie season for the Pacers after being selected with the No. 8 overall pick in last year’s draft. However, he showed Wednesday why he was a lottery selection just a year ago, contributing a career-high 17 points on perfect (7-of-7) shooting.

According to IndyStar’s Dustin Dopirak, that performance could cement Walker in the rotation even when forward Aaron Nesmith returns from injury.

“Jarace Walker tonight, this was certainly a tremendous performance by him,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He earned all the minutes. Shot-making was great. He rebounded and defended their best players. Had a big block at the end of one quarter that was a real momentum play. There’s nothing like heat-of-the-moment, big-time intensity to really learn what it’s all about and he really responded great.”

Wednesday’s game marked the third straight time Walker reached double-digit minutes. Some of his primary defensive assignments through that stretch included Luka Doncic, Brandon Ingram and Franz Wagner.

“I feel like [Wednesday] wasn’t my best defensive night but I feel like I’m just continuing to take leaps,” Walker said. “I’m watching a lot of film, continuing to grow on that side, but just continuing to focus on and work on pressing up on defense, pick-and-roll defense and obviously one-on-one. I feel like I’m continuing to grow on that side as well.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Myles Turner continues to be a locker room staple and franchise cornerstone for the Pacers despite being included in trade rumors several times through his 10-year NBA career. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda’s Grant Afseth, Turner discussed his connection with his teammates and his value to the Pacers. “I’ve battled through a lot, but it hasn’t broken me,” Turner said. “I want to stay ready and be an example for the next generation.“
The Cavaliers are off to their best start in franchise history, beginning the year with a 9-0 record, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com details. Cleveland is playing tremendous team-oriented basketball, with Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley all playing at or around All-Star levels to begin the season. The Cavs rank first in the league in points and field goal percentage.
Despite the Cavaliers‘ perfect record, Mitchell hasn’t been pleased with recent officiating, Fedor writes. “We’re playing against these teams that are getting tick-tack calls,” Mitchell said after Wednesday’s win over the Pelicans. “Tonight, I don’t even know when the first foul was called in the second half.” Cleveland shot 13 free throws to New Orleans’ 28 in that game.
The Bucks are still not offering a timeline for the return to play for forward Khris Middleton, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. Head coach Doc Rivers said he didn’t know if he’d classify Middleton as dealing with more of a day-to-day or week-to-week injury. Rivers did say that the former All-Star could play in a live, five-on-five practice session on a game day if needed, Owczarski writes, meaning a lack of practice time for the team as a whole shouldn’t delay his return. “Everybody’s different,” Rivers said. “Khris has had a lot of injuries and surgical stuff, so it’s just not as fast as we thought it would be and there’s nothing wrong with that.“
Milwaukee inserted Andre Jackson Jr. into the starting rotation and the Bucks ended up snapping a six-game losing streak. Veteran Bucks guard Damian Lillard was complimentary of how the second-year wing played, according to Gabe Stoltz of Brew Hoop (Twitter link). “Every good team has somebody that you can point to as like a disruptor, energy player that just brings that to a team and I think it was obvious with him out there,” Lillard said.

Andre Jackson To Replace Gary Trent Jr. As Bucks Starter

November 7th, 2024 at 1:17pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks are making a change to their starting lineup, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that second-year wing Andre Jackson is expected to replace Gary Trent Jr. at shooting guard.

It’s unclear if the move will be permanent or temporary. Haynes says the lineup change will take place on Thursday vs. Utah, but didn’t elaborate beyond that. Of course, how Jackson performs will likely play a significant factor in the decision-making process.

At 1-6, the Bucks are currently tied with Philadelphia and Utah for the worst record in the NBA.

Trent, 25, signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Bucks over the summer in the hopes of boosting his stock and entering free agency again in 2025. However, he’s had a rough start to the 2024/25 season, averaging just 8.0 PPG, 1.6 RPG and 1.0 APG and struggling mightily with his shot (.288/.231/.929 slash line) through seven games (29.6 MPG).

Trent has converted 38.3% of his career attempts from long distance; eventually he’ll start making shots. But in the meantime, Milwaukee decided to alter its starting five.

The No. 36 overall pick of the 2023 draft, Jackson isn’t known for his shooting ability, but he’s very active in other aspects of the game. The 22-year-old is an excellent athlete, strong rebounder, and solid multi-positional defender. He’s also a better play-maker than Trent.

The sample sizes are tiny, but the Bucks have been dreadful when Trent has been on the court and have outscored their opponents in Jackson’s minutes.

Jackson’s $1.9MM salary for ’24/25 is partially guaranteed for $945K. He’s under contract through ’26/27, with Milwaukee holding a team option for that final season.

Central Notes: Jackson, Mitchell, Buzelis, Pistons

October 27th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks guard Andre Jackson crashed his car into the porch of an apartment in downtown Milwaukee on Saturday, according to Mary Spicuzza and Drake Bentley of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. An official from the Milwaukee Fire Department said there was property damage but no reported injuries.

The Bucks didn’t share the full details of the incident, but did confirm in a statement that Jackson was unhurt: “Andre was involved in a single-vehicle accident after (Saturday) morning’s team workout. Andre was alone in his car. Fortunately, no one was injured and he didn’t require medical attention. Andre will be joining the team in New York for (Sunday)’s game.”

The 36th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Jackson appeared in 57 games last season but isn’t part of the Bucks’ regular rotation as he enters his second season on a partially guaranteed contract. He saw just one minute of garbage-time action in the team’s first two regular season contests and played the final 3:26 of Sunday’s loss in Brooklyn with the game out of reach.

Here’s more from around the Central:

The Cavaliers are off to a 3-0 start, but all three victories have come against projected lottery teams, prompting star guard Donovan Mitchell to deliver a “passionate and pointed” post-game message to his teammates after Saturday’s win to remind them not to get too comfortable with their early-season success, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). “We took care of business. We did what we’re supposed to do for these three games,” Mitchell said. “But now, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (vs. the Knicks, Lakers, Magic, and Bucks), that’s where we really see what we’re made of as a group and if our habits continue through with tougher opponents and tougher games.”
Playing time has been hard to come by for rookie Matas Buzelis in the Bulls‘ first three games, writes Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Although Buzelis has gotten onto the floor in every game, he hasn’t played more than nine minutes or made more than a single field goal in any of those three appearances. “With the number of guys we have there at that (forward) position, I want to help Matas develop and grow, but I also want to make sure there’s groups out there that will function together,” head coach Billy Donovan said. “So for us, I think it’s still a work in progress with some of the rotations.” As Cowley notes, if Buzelis’ playing time continues to be sporadic, it might make sense to send him on a G League assignment once the NBAGL’s season begins.
Despite their 0-3 record so far, the Pistons aren’t concerned about a repeat of last season’s 2-29 start, says Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. The team has seen some encouraging signs of progress in its losses to three talented teams (Indiana, Cleveland, and Boston). “We might be 0-3, but I feel like we’re right there,” Malik Beasley said after Saturday’s loss to the Celtics. “I’m not just saying that because I’m here. I’ve been through struggles in the NBA. We’re right there. The chemistry is really good, the camaraderie is really good and we still have our energy. We’re going to get on this flight (Sunday) and get ready for Miami.”

Bucks’ Andre Jackson Undergoes Finger Surgery

July 19th, 2024 at 3:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Second-year guard/forward Andre Jackson underwent successful surgery on Friday to repair a fracture of his left middle finger, the Bucks announced in a press release (Twitter link).

Jackson sustained the injury on Tuesday in a Summer League contest vs. the Clippers. He’s expected to be fully healed ahead of training camp, according to the team.

A 6’6″ swingman, Jackson had a modest role as a rookie last season, appearing in 57 games while averaging 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per contest. Known for his athleticism, defense, and versatility, Jackson was the 36th pick of the 2022 draft out of UConn.

Jackson, 22, signed a four-year deal with the Bucks last July. His $1.89MM salary in 2024/25 is currently partially guaranteed for $946K, while his $2.22MM salary for ’25/26 is non-guaranteed. His contract also features a $2.4MM team option for ’26/27.

Central Notes: Burks, Dosunmu, Williams, Jackson Jr.

January 15th, 2024 at 10:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons reserve guard Alec Burks continues to pump up his trade value, despite the team’s woeful season. Burks tied his career high with 34 points on Monday as the Pistons defeated the Wizards and collected just their fourth win this season.

Burks is averaging 18.7 points over the last 11 games. He has an expiring $10.9MM contract and could help a contender in need of a shooter.

“I’m happy for AB, man. He’s a great vet. He can really score the ball,” forward Isaiah Stewart said, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “I love playing with him. Every time he steps out on the floor, he’s in range. He’s the type of guy that just hits all types of shots, and once he’s hot, he’s hot. Seeing him have a performance like that today, he deserved that and I’m happy for him.”

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Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu is dealing with a shoulder stinger, though he’s hopeful he won’t miss any games, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “In the San Antonio game, I had caught a stinger and it was bothering me. Pretty much all year but it wasn’t every day, just on the occasion when I got hit,” Dosunmu said. “And I got hit in San Antonio (on Saturday). (Monday), I went for an offensive rebound and there was some contact and my shoulder just went numb, dead and weak.”
Patrick Williams missed Monday’s loss to Cleveland with a right ankle sprain but the Bulls power forward hasn’t contributed much on the stat sheet since Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic returned from injuries, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes. Williams moved back to the second unit and averaged 6.0 points and 2.6 rebounds before injuring his ankle. “What I try to explain to Pat is everything you go through as a young guy will mold you and turn you into the pro you need to be,” DeMar DeRozan said. “Right now it can be tough trying to constantly figure out what’s needed from him, but my thing is once you get it you’ll find the appreciation of the ups and downs.”
Bucks rookie Andre Jackson Jr., who won a national championship with UConn, recorded his first NBA double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Golden State on Saturday. Jackson was drafted with the No. 36 overall pick and traded to Milwaukee on draft night. “He made big-time plays,” coach Adrian Griffin told the Milwaukee Sun Sentinel’s Jim Owczarski and other media members. “He’s a big-time player. he was a winner in college. Has a motor like i haven’t seen in a long time. Imposes his will on the game. He just made big-time plays, he made winning plays. That’s who ‘Dre is. That was his first double-double. We needed every rebound. He had six offensive rebounds, he’s guarding the best layer on the other side. He’s shaping into being a really, really special player in this league.”