Giannis Antetokounmpo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: DeRozan, J. Carter, Garland, Giannis, J. Walker

January 17th, 2024 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been up-and-down season so far for the Bulls, who got off to a 5-14 start and have gone 14-9 since then to move into a play-in spot in the East. Viewed back in the fall as a candidate to blow up their roster prior to the trade deadline, the Bulls no longer have a clear path at the deadline, especially with Zach LaVine generating little interest.

While fans and league observing will be keeping a close eye on the Bulls in the coming weeks to see which direction they go, DeMar DeRozan – a possible trade or extension candidate – made it clear he won’t be checking Hoops Rumors for updates.

“I don’t sit up here refreshing my apps in the morning to see what’s what, rumors or anything,” DeRozan said, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “Should we, shouldn’t we . . . it’s a tough question for me because being in the league so long, I can really be at a point where that [expletive] doesn’t bother me.

“… My focus is making sure we’re trending in the right direction, no matter what happens. … For me, I just have learned not to carry that emotion with me because it will drive you crazy, constantly worrying about what somebody else is going to do, blah, blah, blah. I really don’t worry about it. I can’t.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

A regular contributor off the Bulls‘ bench for most of the season, guard Jevon Carter was a DNP-CD twice last week before returning to the team’s rotation for the past two games. He’s unfazed by his inconsistent role, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). “In and out of the rotation, that don’t really mean nothing to me,” Carter said. “I’m in the NBA. I’m blessed to be here. I’m ready whenever my name is called. Whether that’s for 82 games or 2 games, I’m ready whenever.”
As expected, Cavaliers guard Darius Garland was cleared this week to resume basketball activities, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). The former All-Star, who has been out for over a month due to a fractured jaw, will need some time to get back into game shape, but the hope is that he’ll be back on the court before the end of the month.
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be sidelined for Wednesday’s contest in Cleveland due to a right shoulder contusion, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The two-time MVP was not previously listed on the injury report. There’s no indication yet of how long he might be out.
After being drafted eighth overall last June, Pacers forward Jarace Walker hasn’t played regular minutes as a rookie, but he logged a season-high 26 minutes in Monday’s loss to Utah. As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes, Walker showed signs of promise, racking up four steals and two blocks, but also showed why the team has been reluctant to feature him more consistently — he made just 3-of-11 shots from the floor and Indiana was outscored by 17 points while he was on the court. With the Pacers poised to acquire Pascal Siakam, Walker will likely remain out of the rotation for the foreseeable future.

And-Ones: IST, Load Management, Collier, 2024 Draft, All-Star Votes

January 12th, 2024 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Unsurprisingly, NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed this week during a news conference in Paris that the in-season tournament will “no doubt be back” next season, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

According to Silver, the league will probably make “a couple tweaks” to the way the tournament works, but it’s not likely to undergo a significant overhaul. The commissioner mentioned the tiebreaker rules, the appearance of the courts, and the name of the tournament itself as some things worth looking at.

“Beyond that, as we’re talking to television partners and maybe figuring out exactly when the best time of year is to (hold the tournament), maybe it will make sense to make some other modifications to the format,” Silver said.

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

After announcing in October that its data doesn’t support the idea that load management reduces a player’s injury risk, the NBA sent out a more in-depth report supporting that thesis to teams and select media members this week, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Bontemps, who outlines the findings in more detail, notes that the study doesn’t suggest load management increases a player’s injury risk — it simply concludes there’s no discernible correlation one way or the other.
USC point guard Isaiah Collier, a candidate to be a top-five or top-10 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, will miss the next four-to-six weeks due to a hand injury, the school announced on Thursday night (Twitter link). As Chris Mannix of SI.com observes (via Twitter), Collier’s absence could open up more minutes for another one of the Trojans’ NBA prospects: Bronny James.
Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) polled 20 NBA executives and scouts to get their thoughts on the 2024 draft class and the idea of a two-day draft. According to Woo, 12 of his 20 respondents expect Alexandre Sarr to be the No. 1 overall pick this June, while 13 respondents predicted that the 2013 draft class – considered one of the worst in the couple decades – will end up with more All-Stars (three) than the 2024 class.
The NBA issued an update on All-Star voting on Thursday, announcing that Lakers forward LeBron James and Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo are the leading vote-getters to date. The tightest race is in the Eastern Conference backcourt, where Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has a comfortable lead, with Trae Young (Hawks) narrowly edging Damian Lillard (Bucks) and Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers) for the No. 2 spot.

Central Notes: Morris, Cunningham, Haliburton, Antetokounmpo

January 9th, 2024 at 6:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Cade Cunningham sidelined by a left knee strain, the Pistons would love to have guard Monte Morris available. However, Morris has been out all season due to a quad injury.

Morris, who was acquired in an offseason trade with Washington, is making progress but he won’t return to action for at least a couple more weeks, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Morris has started ramping up his basketball activities this week and could make his season debut before the end of the month.

“Monte’s chomping to get back,” coach Monty Williams said. “This is the first time he hasn’t had pain in his leg since he got injured.”

Morris could be a trade chip for the Pistons — he has an expiring $9.8MM contract.

We have more from the Central Division:

Speaking of Cunningham, Williams doesn’t believe his star guard was injured against Golden State on Friday, as some have speculated, Sankofa adds in another tweet. Cunningham played in the first half against Denver on Sunday. Williams blames himself for the heavy workload he has placed on Cunningham and some other players. “We looked at the film. We don’t think (he was injured against the Warriors). I just think it’s a bit of load,” Williams said. “I’m playing guys way too much in long stretches. It’s something that I have to look at when he comes back to make sure he’s not in this situation again.”
The Pacers were 1-9 last season when Tyrese Haliburton was sidelined by an elbow injury, but they feel confident that can hold the fort without him this season, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. Haliburton will miss at least two weeks with a hamstring strain. “I think we have a better mentality moving forward than we did last year without him,” forward Aaron Nesmith said. “We have a really good next-man-up mentality, especially because we’re just so deep. Everyone on this team works hard, deserve to play, and they always showcase what they’re able to do when they get the chance. I think we’ll be alright.”
The Jazz shredded the Bucks’ defense on Monday and Milwaukee heard boos from the home fans. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who criticized the team’s defensive effort after Saturday’s loss to Houston, didn’t mince words again when asked about the team’s performance. “At the end of the day, you gotta play hard,” Antetokounmpo said. “I don’t think it’s about making or missing shots. It’s about giving effort out there and when you don’t, I think people feel that. When you wear a Bucks jersey and you don’t play hard — not just Bucks jerseys, any jersey — I think we have great fans. But around the league, if you don’t play hard and don’t give everything for the team, there are times where you might get booed.”

Central Notes: Cunningham, Antetokounmpo, Bulls, White

January 7th, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Amid this dismal Pistons season, Cade Cunningham has been one of the few bright spots, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press notes.

Cunningham is averaging 23.4 points, 7.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 45.1% overall, 33.3% on threes, and 87% at the free throw line. Cunningham missed most of last season due to shin surgery.

“I’m steadily growing,” Cunningham said. “I feel the growth. Reaching those different markers, having 40-point games, something that I had never done. It gives you something to look at to feel it out. Sometimes that’s all it takes, is just feeling it for the first time. And then you know what it takes.”

We have more from the Central Division:

Giannis Antetokounmpo often offers blunt assessments when the Bucks aren’t playing well and Saturday was a case in point. After losing to Houston 112-108, the superstar forward ripped his team’s defensive mindset. “Offense gonna be there some nights and some nights it’s not going to be there. Your defensive effort, though, has got to be there. And defensively I don’t think it was not there. There was no pride,” he said, per Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “Guys were just driving the ball, straight line drive, getting to the paint, overhelping, shooting threes, offensive rebounds. There was nothing. This was not who we are. “
Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic returned from injuries on Friday. Now, the Bulls hit a soft spot in their schedule and need to take advantage of it, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. “We’ve had stretches where we’ve played really good as a team when everybody is out there,” guard Alex Caruso said. “There’s no reason with those two guys, who have each been in the league for a decade-plus, we can’t do what we want to do. It’s nothing out of their capabilities.”
Bulls guard Coby White has put himself in the discussion for the Most Improved Player award. White believes the next step in his development is becoming more of an off-the-ball threat, Jim Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. “I need to watch more film on moving without the ball, getting into those open areas,” he said “(Caruso) does that really well and JC (Jevon Carter) does it really well, finding open areas, knowing drives and where to be. I want to play off those closeouts because I feel that’s where I’m most impactful, playing off the closeouts with either catch-and-shoots or driving it and get my play-making involved.”

Central Notes: Beasley, Giannis, Rubio, Pistons

January 6th, 2024 at 11:45am CST by Tristan Tucker

Appearing on a B/R Live stream with TNT and Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Bucks guard Malik Beasley said he bypassed offers worth more money from the Lakers and Mavericks to sign with Milwaukee.

Beasley opened up about his experience in free agency, saying it was “tough” because he closed out the year on a rough note, averaging just 3.0 points per game in the playoffs with Los Angeles after averaging 11.1 PPG during the regular season. The 27-year-old guard said the Lakers wanted to re-sign him on a deal worth about $6MM but explained there were some unknowns regarding his role with Austin Reaves re-signing early in free agency.

Beasley also said he had an offer from the Mavericks worth between $3-6MM, but was again unsure of what his role would be, given that Dallas had a roster filled with guards and shooters.

The seventh-year guard ended up signing with the Bucks on a one-year, minimum contract for a chance to have a bigger role.

“[Bucks general manager] Jon [Horst] is such a great person,” Beasley said. “We talk a lot and he was like ‘You have an opportunity to start here, you have a chance to win a championship.’ And I think for me, most importantly, [the Bucks have] some veterans around [the] team. Most of the teams I have been on, aside from LeBron and AD, they’ve been young.”

Beasley earned a prominent role with Milwaukee right away, starting all 33 of his appearances this year. He’s averaging 11.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per night while shooting a career highs of 48.8% from the field and 46.9% on three-pointers (on 6.3 attempts per game). He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

We have more notes from the Central Division:

Opening up about his time with the Lakers, Beasley blames himself for how his tenure in L.A. ended (Twitter link via Haynes). “It was more of the past things that happened in my life that caused me to not play at my best,” the Bucks wing said.
Out of the Bucks‘ 10 losses this season, four have come at the hands of the Pacers. Giannis Antetokounmpo is bothered by those losses, writes The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “Now, when you go back home and you sleep and you wake up, you think about it,” Antetokounmpo said. “Now, when you go back and work out, you think about it. In the All-Star break, when you’re gonna be on an exotic beach with your family, I hope you think about it, you know? … But at the end of the day, it’s good because it gives us time to fix things.“
Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell had a feeling former teammate Ricky Rubio was going to retire, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor writes. “I feel like he could breathe,” Mitchell said while paying tribute to Rubio. “I’m not speaking for him. But I feel like it’s just one of those things where it’s kind of like that indecision of what you want to do can be a lot. I’m just happy that he finally has time to feel like he can breathe and go pick up his son from school and be with his family in Spain. He’s been playing this game professionally at the highest of levels and had this expectation of himself since he was a teenager.“
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff also paid tribute to Rubio, as detailed in a story from ESPN. “I owe Ricky a debt of gratitude that there’s only a couple of guys who I could say at this point have had the impact on me that way,” Bickerstaff said. “He helped us, in a brief period of time, turn this organization into what you see in front of you. His presence allowed me to coach the team in a certain way where no one was too big to sacrifice.“
The Pistons are widely expected to make a trade of some sort after setting the NBA record for consecutive losses in a season, and The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III thinks Detroit will add some veterans around the margins. In his mailbag, Edwards confirms there’s great interest league-wide in Pistons vet Bojan Bogdanovic but says he doesn’t expect Detroit to trade him just to trade him. The Pistons are in a difficult position, Edwards writes, because the young players who would bring in a difference-making haul are guys the team should build around.

International Notes: Dragic, Knight, Roberson, Topic

January 5th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

At a press conference on Thursday, veteran guard Goran Dragic, who recently announced his retirement, said that he received offers from several EuroLeague teams but didn’t want to play in Europe and leave his children in the United States, per SportKlub (hat tip to BasketNews.com).

Dragic named Olimpia Milano, Real Madrid, Panathinaikos, and Barcelona as some of the teams that had interest in him. However, he had been hoping to work out a deal to remain in the NBA and confirmed he had some discussions with the Heat. After Miami passed on him and no other opportunities arose, the 37-year-old decided to call it a career, noting on Thursday that his left knee isn’t 100% healthy.

Dragic confirmed that he’ll be hosting a farewell event in Ljubljana, Slovenia on August 23 and 24, with NBA stars like Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jimmy Butler expected to attend — Doncic is a fellow Slovenian, while Antetokounmpo and Butler are former NBA teammates. Dragic added that he hasn’t decided what his next career move will be now that he’s finished as a player.

“I want to stay in basketball,” he said. “I don’t see myself as a coach. You are away from home for too long. Maybe in some other role.”

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

Longtime NBA guard Brandon Knight has signed with AEK Athens for the rest of the 2023/24 season, the Greek team announced in a press release. Knight, who appeared in 451 regular season NBA games from 2011-22, last played in the league with Dallas during the 2021/22 season. The 32-year-old holds career averages of 14.0 points and 3.9 assists per contest for six teams.
Veteran forward Andre Roberson will be competing in this month’s Dubai International Basketball Championship, announcing this week that he’ll be part of the team from the Philippines at the event (Twitter video link). Known as a defensive specialist, Roberson appeared in over 300 regular season NBA games from 2013-21. It appears he’ll be on the same roster in Dubai as Dwight Howard, who has also reportedly committed to play for the Filipino squad.
Serbian point guard Nikola Topic, who had been rising up 2024 draft boards of late as he debuted for Crvena Zvezda, suffered a knee injury in his second EuroLeague game and is expected to be out for about six weeks, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Topic is at No. 5 overall in ESPN’s latest prospect rankings for ’24.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Antetokounmpo Named Players Of Month

January 4th, 2024 at 3:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for December, according to the NBA (Twitter link).

Gilgeous-Alexander led his team to a 10-3 record during the month while averaging 31.9 points, 6.6 assists and 3.1 steals per game. Antetokounmpo carried the Bucks to an 11-2 mark in December, posting averages of 32.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per night.

Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis and Kawhi Leonard were the other nominees in the West.

Bam Adebayo, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Donovan Mitchell, Julius Randle, Coby White and Derrick White were the other nominees in the East.

Central Notes: Cunningham, Pistons, Giannis, Lillard, Bucks, Pacers

December 31st, 2023 at 5:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

If there’s a bright side to the Pistons‘ 28-game losing streak, it’s that Cade Cunningham has firmly established himself as the team’s leader, writes James L. Edwards of The Athletic. The No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft delivered another outstanding performance as Detroit snapped the streak Saturday night, with 26 of his 30 points and seven of his 12 assists coming in the second half. He managed to play 38 minutes without a single turnover.

“I’ve always liked when everyone is tuned in,” Cunningham said. “It’s not that I change my approach or feel any different. (Having people watch) does something to me. The stakes were getting higher and higher. I know I had to up my play. I just had to figure out what else my team needed from me. I needed to elevate my game (to end this losing streak). This is where it took me.”

Cunningham did some soul searching during the losing streak, Edwards adds, as his play during the first 14 games of the slide wasn’t up to the standards he set for himself. That changed about a month ago, and he’s averaging 25.6 PPG since November 30 while shooting 50% from the field and 36% from three-point range. Cunningham no longer seems rusty after missing most of last season, Edwards notes, and he’s determined to help the Pistons win more often.

“It wasn’t that I questioned myself if I was ‘the guy’ (to help turn a franchise around) because my faith has been strong and has gotten stronger with this,” Cunningham said. “I know God put me in this position for a reason. However, I knew I wasn’t doing enough. My game wasn’t at the level it needed to be to help turn this franchise around. As much as it sucked, this streak, I feel like I learned a ton about myself, which is something I want to live with forever. I did a lot of reflecting every night.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

The relief of finally getting a victory after two months of losing led to an emotional post-game scene for the Pistons, according to an ESPN report. “I’ve been in a ton of locker rooms my whole life, but that’s a first for me,” coach Monty Williams said. “Guys were screaming. I was almost in tears. I’m just so happy for our guys and for everyone in the locker room.”
Bucks coach Adrian Griffin credits the chemistry between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard for helping the team overcome a 15-point deficit Friday night at Cleveland, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. A little more than two months into their partnership, the two All-Stars have figured out the best way to attack opposing defenses. “You could see Giannis started to trust Dame and they go into the two-man game and it’s hard to stop,” Griffin said. “They went into our pitch action and that was beautiful and we need more of that from those two guys. And I had nothing to do with that. They took it upon themselves. There’s times where I’m trying to manufacture that type of action, where I can call a play or whatnot, but in the flow of the game, for them to just take the initiative amongst themselves, I mean, that shows our growth.”
The Bucks will host the Pacers on Monday in their first meeting since the game ball incident on December 13, Nehm tweets. Bobby Portis gave a lighthearted answer when asked if he expects any bitterness to carry over. “Nah, man. It’s a new year. It’s 2024,” Portis said before laughing.

Bucks Notes: Middleton, Season Start, Lillard

December 24th, 2023 at 3:59pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bucks star small forward Khris Middleton has had to adjust to his new role in Milwaukee’s offensive hierarchy, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.

With the arrival of All-Star point guard Damian Lillard, Middleton is now a distant third when it comes to receiving touches, behind the ex-Trail Blazer and two-time MVP forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Middleton is also still dealing with effects from a lingering right knee injury and Achilles tendinitis.

“That’s part of my role now,” Middleton said. “Figuring out when to be aggressive, when to be a play-maker and when just to fit in.”

“Dame has the ball, I have the ball and maybe [Middleton] has the ball a little bit less,” Antetokounmpo said. “Throughout this whole season, he’s been playing his role perfectly. You could not ask for more. The minutes that he’s been given, and those are going up slowly, slowly, slowly. Maybe one day he can play back-to-backs. But right now I think Khris is doing an unbelievable job, being mature, being OK with his role and playing the game the right way.”

There’s more out of Milwaukee:

Although the Bucks are now 22-7 and the second seed in the East, the team is well aware growth is still possible and important, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Milwaukee’s defense without Jrue Holiday along the perimeter has been a huge problem this season. “We gotta get better,” Antetokounmpo said. “We are good, but we have to get better. There’s things that have to happen offensively and defensively. Like, it has to be automatic. Everybody has to be working on a string. Everyone has to be on the same page. We are on the same page at times, but at times, we’re not on the same page. And our talent helps us, obviously. And it’s good to be able to be talented and still play an ugly game and still win.”
The Bucks with Lillard in fold got off to a mildly underwhelming start to the season, but they’re beginning to turn things around, Collier writes in a separate piece. “You put a lot of really good players together, it takes time to jell, get to know each other and make things work for everybody,” Lillard said. “We’re getting more comfortable… It’s different when you can communicate a little differently. You know what somebody likes. You know what somebody wants. You know how to make it work.” The club has now gone 8-1 in December. This month, the team has the top offense in the NBA (125.9 points per 100 possessions). The Bucks are a middle-of-the-road 19th in defense on the year, a huge leap from being the No. 29-ranked defense through the season’s first five games.
In case you missed it, Antetokounmpo is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Last week, he averaged 36 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 4.5 APG and 1.8 SPG.

And-Ones: MVP Poll, All-Stars, Basketball Day, Bazley

December 21st, 2023 at 2:26pm CST by Rory Maher

After finishing runner-up to Nikola Jokic in 2020/21 and ’21/22, Sixers center Joel Embiid won his first MVP award last season. And he’s arguably been even better through the first third of the ’23/24 season, averaging career highs in multiple categories, including points (35.1), assists (5.9) and free throw percentage (89.3%).

In the first MVP straw poll conducted by Tim Bontemps of ESPN (subscriber link), Embiid is the clear frontrunner, receiving 63 first-place votes and 848 points. However, several top players are in the mix, with Nuggets center Jokic (630 points), Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (352), Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (340) and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (306) rounding out the top five.

12 total players received at least one top-five vote in the informal poll, which features 100 media members and mimics the NBA’s scoring system. Embiid made it clear he’d welcome more hardware.

“I have a pretty good chance [at another MVP],” Embiid told Bontemps. “I mean, if I have a chance to be in the conversation, why not? I want it all. I’m not shy about it. I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘Oh, I don’t care about this.’ Anything that I can get my hands on, I want it.”

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

All-Star fan voting is underway, prompting Zach Harper of The Athletic to choose his starters to this point in the season. Out West, Harper has Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic in the backcourt, with LeBron James (Lakers) and Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) joining Jokic in the froncourt. For the East, Harper selects Jalen Brunson (Knicks), Tyrese Haliburton (Pacers), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), Antetokounmpo, and Embiid.
In a press release, the NBA announced its celebrations for the first-ever World Basketball Day, which was established by the United Nations earlier this year during the World Cup. It will be observed annually on December 21 — the day Dr. James Naismith first introduced the game of basketball at the Springfield YMCA in 1891.
Former first-round pick Darius Bazley is attempting to make his way back into the NBA through the G League after being waived by the Nets prior to the season. Playing for the Delaware Blue Coats (the Sixers‘ affiliate), Bazley had a huge game at the Winter Showcase on Wednesday, recording 43 points, 18 rebounds, three steals and six blocks in the victory over the Texas Legends (Twitter link via the NBAGL).