Giannis Antetokounmpo

Central Notes: Giannis, Griffin, Bogdanovic, Hield, Cavs

November 23rd, 2023 at 3:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Adrian Griffin appeared to have a “heated” disagreement during the third quarter of Milwaukee’s loss to Boston on Wednesday, but the Bucks‘ head coach downplayed the incident after the game, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.

Antetokounmpo didn’t want to be subbed out midway through the period after being called for a carrying violation and sat on the scorer’s table talking to Griffin, eventually checking back in at the next dead ball.

“He wanted to stay in, I wanted to give him a breather. That’s all it was,” Griffin said. “And then I told him to stay at the table for one possession, and he got right back out there.”

Antetokounmpo simply said “no” when he was asked what transpired.

As Bontemps writes, the matchup between the East’s top two seeds was lopsided for most of the contest, with Boston reeling off 10 straight points to open the game and never trailing. The Bucks made things interesting late, but the Celtics prevailed by a final score of 119-116.

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Sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic is nearing his 2023/24 season debut for the Pistons, writes Mike Curtis of The Detroit News (subscriber link). Bogdanovic, who has been battling a right calf strain, was recently cleared for contact work and was a full practice participant on Wednesday. Getting their top scorer from last season back in the near future is certainly welcome news for the injury-ravaged Pistons, who have lost a league-worst 12 straight games and once again hold the worst record in the NBA at 2-13.
Pacers wing Buddy Hield got his second straight start on Wednesday in place of Bennedict Mathurin, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Head coach Rick Carlisle was noncommittal when asked if the lineup change he implemented for Tuesday’s contest would be permanent or temporary. Aaron Nesmith, who replaced Obi Toppin at power forward on Tuesday, was sidelined with a sprained wrist, so Toppin was back in the starting lineup yesterday. Hield, who had been in a shooting slump, has been scorching hot the past two games, averaging 27.5 points while shooting 75.0% from the floor and 72.2% from three-point range.
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell missed his fourth straight game on Wednesday due to a hamstring strain, notes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (via Twitter). While there weren’t many positives from the Cavs’ blowout loss to the Heat, rookie guard Craig Porter Jr. got his first career start and continued his streak of strong performances, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link). Porter, who went undrafted in June and is on a two-way contract, recorded 16 points (on 6-of-12 shooting), five assists, two rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 35 minutes.

Central Notes: C. Porter, Giannis, Dame, Pacers, Pistons

November 20th, 2023 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

Of the three players on two-way contracts with the Cavaliers, Evan Mobley‘s brother Isaiah Mobley and former five-star recruit Emoni Bates are the bigger names. However, it has been Cleveland’s third two-way player – point guard Craig Porter Jr. – who has been emerging as the one with the most important role in the short term.

As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes, Porter earned the game ball from Sunday’s upset win over the Nuggets by scoring 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 25 minutes of action. It was an impressive showing for an undrafted rookie who was expected to spend most of his first season in the G League getting acclimated to the pro game. Porter has received an opportunity to play because Ricky Rubio is absent for personal reasons and Ty Jerome is out with an ankle injury.

“That’s just one of the things they told me early in the year after training camp and stuff like that. ‘Just be ready, you never know when your number’s gonna be called,'” Porter said. “I took that to heart and it’s been working for me. … As the games go on and as some guys fall down with injuries and stuff, I’m going to keep getting my opportunity. Each game, the confidence just builds and builds. The coaches believe in me, and the guys are just pushing me to be better. I’m ready for it.”

According to Fedor, the Cavaliers had a verbal two-way offer on the table for Porter in the event he went undrafted, but the team wanted him badly enough to try to acquire an additional second-round pick after drafting Bates at No. 49. Cleveland ultimately didn’t find a trade partner, so the front office was relieved when Porter went undrafted. He reached an agreement with the Cavs on a two-year, two-way deal shortly after the draft ended.

“He’s mature,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of the 23-year-old. “He’s an older rookie, so to speak. You just feel like you can trust him and you don’t feel like he gets rattled in the moment. It makes it easy to put him on the floor. You know what he’s going to do. … A lot of guys come into the league as young rookies and they’re still searching for their game. Craig knows what his game is. Never over his skis. That’s how Craig has been for us since he’s gotten here.”

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The chemistry between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard in Saturday’s win over Dallas looked like what the Bucks envisioned when they traded for Lillard, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The star duo combined for 67 points, 19 assists, and 18 rebounds in the victory, with Antetokounmpo racking up 40 of those points. Lillard said after the game that he’s happy to cede center stage to his two-time MVP teammate. “I think tonight, he’s the horse,” Lillard said. “I wanna see him be four-time MVP or five-time MVP and have those type of games.”
Sunday’s blowout home loss to Orlando was Tyrese Haliburton‘s worst game of the season and a reminder of how dependent the Pacers‘ success is on their star point guard, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, who suggests that the club will probably need a second star on its roster to establish itself as a consistent winner.
Due to a sprained left shoulder, Killian Hayes missed Sunday’s game for the Pistons, who started second-year guard Jaden Ivey for the first time this season. As Mike Curtis of The Detroit News (subscription required) writes, head coach Monty Williams said before the game that he has been considered bringing Hayes off the bench to add his play-making to the second unit, so Ivey may see more starts going forward. However, Detroit’s lineup remains in flux with so many players affected by injuries — it could continue to change in the coming days and weeks, Curtis notes.

Central Notes: LaVine, DeRozan, Smith, Giannis

November 15th, 2023 at 2:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Zach LaVine didn’t deny a report that he’s open to being traded. In fact, the Bulls wing only fueled more speculation in his comments to the media, as relayed by NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson.

When asked if he’d rather be elsewhere, LaVine was evasive.

“Right now is not that time to really talk about that. Play the Orlando Magic (Wednesday), try and get a win,” he said. “If something comes obviously out later on that will be the time I talk about it.”

Chicago is off to a slow start, having won just four of its first 11 games, and LaVine acknowledged that the losing has worn on him.

“I mean, I think it’s a combination of things where if you’re in a losing situation or a place you’re not winning games, people are frustrated,” he said. “From players to the front office, the coaches … we’re not happy because we’re not winning. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s just the nature of the business. More things come up when you’re not in a winning environment.”

LaVine, who signed a five-year extension in the summer of 2022, is represented by super-agent Rich Paul. LaVine indicated that Paul is in frequent contact with top Bulls executive Artūras Karnišovas.

“It’s not like we’re not in a good relationship or a good talking space. We understand the business of basketball, I do more than most people,” LaVine said. “People talk. I’ve been in trade talks for a long time, so I understand the situation. But once news is always broken it’s a big thing. It’s not like it will be the first or the last time it’s going to happen with my name. As of right now I’m excited to still put this jersey on and go out here and play, try and get this win.”

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The Bulls’ other starting wing, DeMar DeRozan, won’t play against Orlando. He’s left the team to attend to a personal matter, Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report tweets. DeRozan is expected to return for Chicago’s next game on Friday, also against Orlando.
The Pacers are awaiting the results of tests on Jalen Smith. He was taken to a Philadelphia-area hospital after suffering a head injury during their game against the Sixers on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press (link via ESPN). Smith collided with the Sixers’ Paul Reed as Reed elevated for a dunk during the second quarter.
The Bucks have listed Giannis Antetokounmpo as out for their game on Wednesday against Toronto, Eric Nehm of The Athletic tweets. Antetokounmpo is dealing with a right calf ailment.

Central Notes: Giannis, Lillard, Bulls, Theis

November 12th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks have relied on defense to become one of the NBA’s best teams, but that part of their game has been lacking so far this season, writes Jim Owczarski of The Journal Sentinel. Facing an Orlando team that has been struggling to score, Milwaukee gave up 65 points in the first half Saturday on the way to a 15-point loss. The Magic came into the game 22nd in the league in scoring at 109.9 PPG.

The Bucks lost a major part of their defensive identity when Jrue Holiday was sent to Portland in the Damian Lillard trade. Although Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez remain formidable obstacles around the basket, the rest of the team’s defense has been disorganized.

“This is not who we are. This is not the Milwaukee Bucks,” Antetokounmpo said. “We gotta guard people. Sixty-five points is too much. And it starts with me. It starts with the leader of the team. I gotta be better. But again, it’s not one person can do it alone. Defensively, we gotta show more. Make our paint look more crowded. Make the lanes look more crowded. Don’t allow guys to get comfortable and guys to be able to get downhill.”

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Lillard missed his second straight game Saturday with soreness in his right calf, and Owczarski notes that the team will have to provide more clarity on the injury if he remains sidelined. An offseason rule change prevents players from being held out for more than two consecutive games due to “soreness.” The Bucks will be required to offer a more specific diagnosis if Lillard doesn’t return for Wednesday’s contest at Toronto.
The Bulls have a chance to turn their season around after a rough start, and it’s an opportunity they need to take advantage of, observes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The team is in the midst of a stretch with seven of eight games at home over two weeks, and there are already rumblings that changes could be coming if things don’t improve. “Every game is tough, regardless of who you’re playing,” Zach LaVine said. “It can be the No. 1 seed in the East or the bottom seed. Every team can win. It’s us worrying about what we can do instead of worrying about the future.”
Daniel Theis could become a buyout candidate if the Pacers can’t find a trade they like for the veteran big man, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files states in his latest mailbag column (subscriber only). The Clippers had interest in Theis over the summer, and that rumor reemerged after an injury to Mason Plumlee. Theis has only appeared in one game this season.

Nuggets Notes: Jackson, Porter, Caldwell-Pope, Strawther

November 9th, 2023 at 4:20pm CST by Luke Adams

When Reggie Jackson was waived by Charlotte in February and hit the buyout market, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo attempted to recruit the veteran guard to Milwaukee, sources tell Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. However, Jackson opted for Denver instead, and both he and the Nuggets are happy about how that decision worked out, as Wind writes.

Jackson didn’t play a major role for the Nuggets during the championship run in the spring, but he has been an important piece of the rotation so far this fall, particularly since Jamal Murray went down with a hamstring injury. Jackson scored 20 points, handed out six assists, and was a plus-12 in a season-high 32 minutes during Wednesday’s three-point victory over the Warriors, earning praise from head coach Michael Malone, who said the 33-year-old has been “fantastic for us.”

The Nuggets raised some eyebrows when they devoted their taxpayer mid-level exception this offseason to a player who wasn’t part of their playoff rotation, but Jackson has benefited from spending the summer in Denver and becoming more familiar with the club’s system. Malone believes Jackson “feels so much more comfortable” this season than he did down the stretch of 2022/23 — and one of the guard’s teammates agrees.

“He spent all offseason in Denver when he could have been moving all around,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “He stayed here, learned our offense, and it’s showing. It’s paying off for him.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

A day after exploring how the Nuggets will weather Murray’s absence, Tony Jones of The Athletic says the team showed off its “depth, hunger, and versatility” in Wednesday’s win over Golden State. Denver has matched its best start in franchise history at 8-1 and Porter’s improved defense has been an important factor in the team’s success, Jones notes. “We want Michael to get to the point where that’s the norm for him,” Malone said. “We want to get to the point where what he’s doing is no longer a surprise.”
Having already expressed a desire to make an All-Defensive team, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope clarified after Wednesday’s game that he actually has a loftier target in his sights. “I got one goal, man, either Defensive Player of the Year or (All-Defensive) First Team,” Caldwell-Pope said, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link). “I’m going to continue to push that envelope.”
It’s rare for a team to draft a player at No. 29 who is ready to immediately play rotation minutes, but the Nuggets may have achieved that feat with Julian Strawther, Wind writes for DNVR Sports. While Strawther’s 21-point night vs. New Orleans on Monday in just 19 minutes of action has been an outlier so far (he has 20 points in 52 minutes in his other six appearances), the rookie has impressed coaches and teammates for his confidence and poise.

Central Notes: Giannis, Bucks, Knox, Caruso, Phillips, Terry

November 9th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter of Wednesday’s win over Detroit, was hit with a second technical and ejected from the game early in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo briefly stared down Isaiah Stewart after a dunk, prompting the ejection (Twitter video link via Stephen Watson of Bally Sports Wisconsin). Antetokounmpo and his teammates were surprised by the decision, as Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details.

“He made like a little face and he took off running and he didn’t say a word,” Jae Crowder said. “I think that’s why he was so frustrated, like, ‘You really threw me out and I didn’t say anything?’ Like, the first tech, I think he would say he deserved it. He deserved that first tech. The second one was like, he didn’t say a word, so how do you throw him out for that? He definitely stared, but I don’t know if that’s a tech. I don’t know about that one.”

Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin didn’t criticize the officiating decision during his postgame comments, instead suggesting that he has a responsibility to make sure his star player doesn’t end up in that situation again.

“I think I just have to do a better job,” Griffin said. “Giannis doesn’t complain to the refs. He’s really respectful to the refs and I think I’m letting him down in that sense. I think I need to be a little more, just vocal, during the games when he’s getting hit and kind of stick up for him a little bit better. I’ve been dropping the ball on that.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Seth Partnow of The Athletic considers whether or not it’s too early to be concerned about Milwaukee’s major drop-off in defensive efficiency this fall. Although the Bucks are off to a 5-2 start, they rank 25th in the NBA in defensive rating (115.8) and are the only team with a winning record that has been outscored so far this season.
The one-year, minimum-salary deal that Kevin Knox signed with the Pistons is non-guaranteed, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. If he plays out the contract, Knox would earn $2,144,320, the prorated portion of his minimum salary.
Alex Caruso isn’t one of the Bulls‘ “big three” stars, but his teammates know his value and rave about what he brings to the team — DeMar DeRozan tells Jamal Collier of ESPN he can envision Caruso winning a Defensive Player of the Year award.“He’s our Ray Lewis. He’s the Deion Sanders. He’s the Charles Woodson,” DeRozan said. “He definitely is one of those great, vocalist, communicators and competitors when it comes to that end of the ball.”
A crowded Bulls depth chart means there has been no room in the rotation early in the season for rookie forward Julian Phillips or second-year wing Dalen Terry. As Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times writes, the club intends to get both players some regular minutes in the G League and has mapped out the first month of the Windy City Bulls’ schedule to see how it coincides with Chicago’s schedule as it prepares a plan for those youngsters.

Central Notes: Umude, Stewart, Theis, Giannis

November 7th, 2023 at 7:01pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons two-way player Stanley Umude made the most of his opportunity to play on Monday, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes. With Detroit missing seven players due to injuries and illness, Umude received extended minutes off the bench and supplied 15 points against Golden State.

Umude thanked coach Monty Williams afterward.

“It meant a lot to me because it showed that he was watching me and he cared about what I was doing, no matter what my contract situation is,” Umude said. “It meant a lot for me just going into the game with focus. It’s not even about making shots. It’s just about being ready to play, being ready to help the team in any way I can.”

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Isaiah Stewart put in plenty of work during the summer with the aim of becoming a stretch four, as James Edwards III of The Athletic details. The Pistons power forward even spent extensive hours in a YMCA in Rochester, N.Y. trying to refine his shooting stroke. Trainer Scott Finch tweaked his release and Stewart has made 46.4% of his 3-point attempts this season. “I feel like I can shoot with the best,” said Stewart, who signed a four-year extension this summer.
Daniel Theis, who expressed displeasure with his lack of minutes, hasn’t been able to crack the Pacers’ rotation and coach Rick Carlisle explained his reasoning, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star tweets. “Jalen Smith has really won the (backup center) position. … Daniel is a very good player, no question about it, and he’s working really hard to stay ready. I know he doesn’t like sitting, but he’s being professional about it,” Carlisle said. Smith is averaging 11.2 points and 6.2 rebounds. The club holds a $9,522,404 option on Theis’ contract for next season, which seems likely to be declined.
The Bucks have won their last two games, but Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t happy with the team’s defense. Milwaukee gave up 125 points to Brooklyn on Monday. “I hope we can be better defensively,” Antetokounmpo told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I feel like our gaps wasn’t tight. Guys felt comfortable going one-on-one and getting to the rim, drawing fouls. Our help defense has got to be better.”

Bucks Notes: Lillard, Herro, G League Invites

October 30th, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Damian Lillard didn’t get his wish to be traded to Miami this summer and he doesn’t want that to be a distraction as his Bucks prepare to face the Heat tonight, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Miami was Lillard’s first choice when he asked the Trail Blazers for a trade in July, but despite weeks of rumors, the teams were never able to get close to a deal. Now that he’s in Milwaukee, Lillard wants to move past any connection with the Heat.

“I’m not going into (Monday) like, ‘This is the team I was supposed to be playing for,’” Lillard said. “None of that. I know Jimmy (Butler), I know Bam (Adebayo). We’re cool. But I play for the Bucks and I’m not going into it like that’s my former team or we were tied in or nothing like that. It’s just another game.”

Lillard also addressed reports that Adebayo was encouraging him to push for a deal to Miami. Although they became friends during their time with Team USA during the Olympics in 2021, Lillard said Adebayo wasn’t very involved in the process.

“I think on the outside, people made more of it than what was actually taking place,” Lillard said. “It’s not like I was calling him every day or nothing like that. I said what I needed to say to the team that I was on at that time and I went on about my time. I did my training, I spent time with kids and that was it. I’m telling you the real when I say it’s not that deep. Bam was my boy before I asked for a trade, he still is and that was the extent of it.”

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Heat guard Tyler Herro has “a couple different reasons” to look forward to tonight’s game, Chiang adds in a separate story. Playing in Milwaukee means a homecoming for Herro, but he’s also eager to face Lillard after having his name mentioned in trade rumors all summer. “I’ve never spoken to him,” Herro said. “I probably won’t (talk to him on Monday). We’ll see what happens. I respect his game, for sure. There’s no hate toward him at all. He’s a great player. I’ve been watching him my whole life. So I’m excited to continue to compete against the best.”
The Bucks were sharp on Thursday in Lillard’s first regular season game with Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the results looked much different in Sunday’s loss to the Hawks, observes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Lillard shot just 2-of-12 from the field and committed six turnovers by halftime as the offense appeared out of sorts.
Wenyen Gabriel, Alex Antetokounmpo and Glenn Robinson III are among the players waived before the start of the season who received invitations to join the Wisconsin Herd, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel. Drew Timme and Jazian Gortman are also on the G League team’s 18-man roster, but Omari Moore isn’t, Owczarski adds (Twitter link). Moore signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Toronto after being waived from his two-way contract by Milwaukee, so the Raptors 905 hold his NBAGL rights.

Bucks Notes: Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Horst, First Game

October 28th, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Tristan Tucker

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo responded to the team’s all-in push and the acquisition of Damian Lillard by signing a three-year, $186MM contract extension. It’s a quick turnaround for Antetokounmpo who, in August, said he wouldn’t sign a new deal with Milwaukee unless he felt everyone was on the same page as him.

The Bucks’ acquisition of Lillard proved to Antetokounmpo just how serious the franchise was about winning, and it’s the second time in three years general manager Jon Horst directly responded to uncertainty about Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee by pulling off a blockbuster trade, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes.

The last time Horst and the Bucks made such a move in the offseason following a lackluster playoff showing, acquiring Jrue Holiday from New Orleans, Milwaukee won the title. And with rival superstars reaching out to Antetokounmpo, rival teams gearing up for a bidding war for his services, and the Bucks lacking resources to meaningfully improve in free agency, Horst knew he was on the clock to make another big move, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN writes.

Antetokounmpo had no idea Horst and the Bucks were in serious talks for Lillard until the trade happened, both Amick and Shelburne explain. As detailed previously, the Bucks kept everything under wraps so as to not compromise the contending team they already felt they had with Holiday running the point in case things soured. With Milwaukee swinging for the fences, Antetokounmpo made the decision to give more of his prime to the franchise that drafted him in 2013.

“The city shows me a lot of love,” Antetokounmpo said. “And also whenever I go out there and have time with my family, they also give me space. When they see me on the street, they give me space. They respect me, who I am as a person, what I’ve done for the city of Milwaukee. And for that, I can’t turn my back. Not now, not in the future, not never. I want to be committed. I want to give back to the city of Milwaukee. We won one championship, but I believe that we can win a second one.”

Waiting a year to sign an extension with the Bucks would have given Antetokounmpo to sign for an extra year and $65MM, but with Lillard on board, Horst still sent the franchise player an official offer letter for an extension the first day he was permitted to, Shelburne details. Horst and his team pitched Giannis on the idea of signing a three-year extension now, which would allow him to sign two more maximum extensions before the age-38 rule in the CBA would limit his flexibility.

“When we took the long-term view of how this decision gave him the best ability to maximize earnings over the next 10 years, it began to make more sense,” Antetokounmpo’s agent Alex Saratsis said.

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Milwaukee’s decision to trade for Lillard paid immediate dividends in the team’s opener against the Sixers on Thursday. The Bucks’ new point guard dropped 39 points, a team record for most points in a debut game, including the final 11 points scored by the club in the 118-117 victory, ESPN’s Jamal Collier notes. “At the end of the day, he had the hot hand and you’ve got to keep on feeding it. You’ve got to keep going with what works,” Antetokounmpo said.
Lillard and Antetokounmpo have had extensive conversations about closing games out, and Lillard gave some insight into those talks following Thursday’s game. “They trust my judgment and they trust me making decisions,” Lillard said via Gabe Stoltz of Brew Hoop (Twitter link). “All the way down to the very last play where I got fouled and I went to the free throw line, they inbounded it to Giannis and I was just kind of reading him like, “What do you want to do?” And he was like “Come get the ball.” … He wanted me to make that final decision. For a player of his level to respect me in that way, it means a lot to me but I think it just shows that his No. 1 priority is to be the best we can be and win games.“
Lillard delivered the ultimate first impression to his teammates in his 39-point debut, CBS Sports’ Jack Maloney writes. “It was tough man, he was hooping,” Cameron Payne said. “It was crazy, we really ain’t got to see that Dame yet. That was our first time seeing him go crazy on our team, because in preseason he was getting trapped. We really didn’t get to see that. But he put on a show tonight. I know he’s gonna keep that going. The boy looked good.“

Central Notes: DeRozan, Bulls, Giannis, Allen, Garrett, Cavs

October 26th, 2023 at 12:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back Show (Twitter video link), Shams Charania of The Athletic said the Bulls made some “poignant remarks” during last night’s players-only meeting, expressing frustration about the stagnant offense and lack of passing in the team’s season-opening loss to Oklahoma City.

One point of contention was that Chicago’s players “feel like they need a true point guard,” Charania said. Lonzo Ball, unfortunately, will miss his second consecutive season following a third knee surgery. Coby White started during preseason and in the opener, but had an uneven game one. While he finished with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists and zero turnovers, he shot just 4-of-14 from the field.

According to Charania, though the Bulls want to retain DeMar DeRozan, who is on an expiring $28.6MM contract, extension talks haven’t been fruitful thus far.

“They’ve been talking about an extension, but I’m told that the sides are apart right now on multiple fronts — years, salary,” Charania said. “And also, DeMar DeRozan wants to see where this Bulls team goes. They’re 0-1 to start the year. They had a players meeting after game one of the season, and so that’s not the way to start the year.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

In an article that was published prior to the Bulls‘ season opener, center Nikola Vucevic, who was at the forefront of the players-only meeting, said he knows that unless the team makes a playoff run, management might break up the “Big Three” of Vucevic, DeRozan and Zach LaVine. “This is probably our last shot to make something happen, and we’re aware of that,” Vucevic said, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s on us to deliver.”
Why did Giannis Antetokounmpo decide to sign an extension with the Bucks now instead of waiting for more money next summer? As ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains (via Twitter), Antetokounmpo’s deal contains a player option for 2027/28, making him eligible for another short-term extension in 2026. That would allow the two-time MVP to sign a four-year extension in 2028, when he’ll be 33. He would not have been eligible for that same deal down the line had he waited for a more lucrative extension in 2024 due to the Over-38 rule.
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen missed Wednesday’s season opener in Brooklyn as he’s still hampered with an ankle bone bruise. As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com tweets, Allen went through individual drills with assistant coaches prior to the game and he continues to make progress while ramping up his activity.
Myles Garrett, a star defensive end for the NFL’s Browns, has purchased a minority stake in the Cavaliers and will serve as an “official brand ambassador” for the team, per Jake Trotter of ESPN. “As a leader on and off the field, Myles has become a Cleveland icon and shares in our organization’s commitment to being a transformative force for good across the region,” Cavs owner Dan Gilbert said in a statement. “We are honored to welcome this long-time friend of the team as our new partner and investor.”

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