Jericho Sims

Bucks Notes: Portis, Injuries, Playoffs, Rotation

February 20th, 2025 at 5:31pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Bucks forward Bobby Portis was suspended for 25 games on Thursday morning, an obvious blow to Milwaukee’s depth. The suspension will cost Portis $114,348 per game, or $2.85MM in total, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). Additionally, the Bucks receive a tax variance credit worth about $1.43MM, which is 50% of Portis’s lost salary.

That figure doesn’t come off Portis’s cap hit or the standard team salary. However, when it comes time to calculate Milwaukee’s tax bill at the end of the season, their total taxed salary will be reduced by that amount.

Before the suspension, the Bucks had an open roster spot. It’s unclear what Milwaukee’s exact plans were with that spot, but it’s important to note that two-way player Ryan Rollins has carved out a role for himself. Milwaukee would also be able to move Portis to the suspended list and sign an additional replacement player after he has been out for five games. Theoretically, the Bucks could fill their existing open roster spot and sign a replacement player.

In 46 games this season, Portis is averaging 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds. With his production out from the lineup for the next 25 games, the team could lean on deeper reserve bigs like Jericho Sims and/or Tyler Smith.

We have more on the Bucks::

Injury luck will play a big part in whether Milwaukee can elevate itself from merely a playoff team to a true contender, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. The Bucks are outside the top 10 in both offensive and defensive ratings, which are typical indicators of contention status. If stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are able to stay healthy for the rest of the season and into the playoffs after dealing with injuries during the 2024 postseason, Milwaukee could reach its potential, Nehm writes.
The Bucks are in danger of not having home court advantage in the playoffs for the first time since 2018, when Joe Prunty was head coach. As Nehm writes in the same piece, the Bucks are a game behind the Pacers for fourth in the East, potentially setting up a rematch of last year’s first-round playoff series.
Even with Portis out, the Bucks have no shortage of depth options, leading to questions about the rotation, per Nehm. Outside of starters Antetkounmpo, Lillard, Andre Jackson Jr., Brook Lopez and Kyle Kuzma, Milwaukee has five players vying for four rotation slots. Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr. and A.J. Green seem certain to play regular minutes, leaving coach Doc Rivers to decide on whether Rollins or Kevin Porter Jr. will be the ninth man.

Bucks’ Bobby Portis Jr. Suspended 25 Games By NBA

February 20th, 2025 at 9:50am CST by Dana Gauruder

Bucks big man Bobby Portis Jr. has been suspended 25 games without pay for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program, the league announced today (via Twitter).

Portis tested positive for Tramadol. According to Drugs.com, Tramadol “is an opioid agonist that may be used to treat moderate to moderately severe chronic pain in adults.”

Portis’ suspension will begin with tonight’s game between the Bucks and Clippers. Milwaukee played 53 games prior to the All-Star break, which means Portis won’t be eligible to return until April 8, when the team hosts Minnesota.

Milwaukee is 29-24 and in no danger of dropping out of the postseason picture. However, with the team emerging from the break with the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference, Portis’ suspension could impact whether it holds onto a top-six spot and an automatic berth into the first round.

Portis is one of the league’s top reserves. This season, he’s averaging 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25.2 minutes per game. He’s come off the bench in 39 on 46 games played.

According to Portis’ agent Mark Bartelstein, Portis took the drug by accident.

“I am devastated for Bobby right now because he made an honest mistake and the ramifications of it are incredibly significant,” Bartelstein told ESPN’s Shams Charania. “Bobby unintentional took a pain medication called Tramadol, thinking he was taking a pain medication called Toradol.

“Toradol is an approved pain medication that he has used previously and the teams and players use for pain and inflammation at times. Tramadol, however, is not an approved pain medication and was just recently added to the banned substance list this past spring. The Tramadol pill came from an assistant of his, with a valid prescription f0r the painkiller, which he mistakenly told Bobby was Toradol.”

Portis and Bucks general manager Jon Horst also issued statements via a team press release. Portis was apologetic for his “honest mistake” and Horst said that the team will accept the suspension.

“I was dealing with an elbow injury and using an NBA-approved medication for pain and inflammation,” Portis said. “During that time, I made an honest mistake and took a pain-reducing anti-inflammatory pill that is not approved. I feel horrible and recognize that I’m responsible for what I put in my body. From the bottom of my heart, I want to apologize to the Bucks organization, my teammates, coaches, family, and fans. I give everything I have on the court and will terribly miss playing games for the Bucks during this time. I will continue to work hard and be ready for our long playoff run. Thank you for your support. I appreciate it more than you know.”

“This is a very difficult set of circumstances for Bobby and our team,” Horst said. “He and the Bucks organization respect the NBA/NBAPA Anti-Drug Program and will accept what’s been handed down. But we 100% support Bobby. Together we will take this opportunity to grow and will have a better and stronger Bobby and Milwaukee Bucks team. He’s an integral part of who we are, a huge member of the Milwaukee community, and we look forward to his return.”

With Portis often serving as the backup center to Brook Lopez, recently acquired big man Jericho Sims could have a significant role the remainder of the season. Taurean Prince, who was projected to lose his starting role with the trade acquisition of Kyle Kuzma, will also likely absorb some of Portis’ minutes.

Portis is in the third year of a four-year, $48.6MM contract. He holds a $13,445,754 option on his contract for next season.

The Bucks will be able to move Portis to the suspended list after he serves the first five games of the suspension, which would open up a spot on the club’s 15-man roster until he’s reactivated.

Central Notes: Giannis, Cunningham, Thompson, Green

February 19th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Giannis Antetokounmpo likes the additions the Bucks made at the trade deadline, but a strained left calf has prevented him from getting on the court with his new teammates, writes Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. The injury caused Antetokounmpo to miss the last six games before the All-Star break, and he’s listed as questionable for Thursday’s contest against the Clippers. He was able to practice today, but neither he or coach Doc Rivers is sure whether he’s going to play.

Even though he’s stuck on the sidelines, Antetokounmpo has been impressed by what he’s seen from Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims and Kevin Porter Jr., whom Milwaukee landed in two trades earlier this month.

“The team looks great right now,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re playing very, very fast. Everybody’s competing. Defensively I think we’re going to be way, way better. We’re big. And I’m excited.”

The downside of the deadline for Antetokounmpo was parting with long-time teammate Khris Middleton. They could back be on the court together again Friday when Milwaukee travels to Washington, and Antetokounmpo has a greeting in mind.

“I’m not shaking his hand, I’m not talking to him, I’m not even looking at him, and every time I see him, I’m going to guard him full court, pick him up full court and deny him,” Antetokounmpo quipped. “You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to make a 3 in his face and go, ‘Khash!’ I’m joking.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Cade Cunningham became the first Pistons player to be selected to the All-Star Game since Blake Griffin in 2019 and the first Detroit guard to make it since Allen Iverson in 2009, notes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Cunningham enjoyed making his All-Star debut, but added that he expects to return many times in his career. “It’s cool, man. This is what I planned on, though,” he said. “This is what I saw for myself. To be in this position now is a great feeling, but there’s definitely more steps to climb. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and all the things to come.”
Pistons forward Ausar Thompson could be primed for a strong close to the season, Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News states in a mailbag column. Davis notes that Thompson had to overcome a long layoff caused by blood clots he experienced late in his rookie season. When he was cleared to play in November, he was limited to 20 minutes per game and was still dealing with fatigue. He has been used as the team’s secondary play-maker over the last eight games and is averaging 4.0 assists per night, along with 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 steals.
Javonte Green, who is expected to join the Cavaliers after completing a buyout with New Orleans, was one of the wings the team considered adding before the trade deadline, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Team officials believed Green was likely to be a buyout candidate, so they directed their trade efforts elsewhere and wound up with De’Andre Hunter.

Eastern Notes: Embiid, George, Nurkic, Sims

February 12th, 2025 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Following up on reporting over the weekend that suggested Joel Embiid might require another surgery to address a nagging left knee injury, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during a TV appearance on Get Up (YouTube link) that there’s not necessarily a consensus among the experts the Sixers center has consulted about the best way to put that knee issue behind him.

“I know that people would like this to be a cut-and-dry issue — you either need knee surgery or you don’t,” Windhorst said. “That’s not necessarily clear here. He has seen a number of specialists. There isn’t a clear path on how to resolve this issue.

“He’s still playing, obviously. They’ve got him playing. If they thought he needed knee surgery, trust me, the Sixers would have dealt with it. He’s playing right now, and he signed this $193MM contract extension. He’s under contract now for five years for $300MM. They have to get this right. And right now, they have no option. They have to figure this out.”

As Windhorst notes, Embiid is now locked up through at least the 2027/28 season, with a player option for ’28/29 worth a projected $69MM. Given that huge financial commitment the Sixers made to the former MVP, they have to do all they can to get him back to full health, since it makes little sense to try to trade him while value is at a low.

“He’s not tradable right now. That contract makes his value… it’s not realistic,” Windhorst said. “And just on Friday, Daryl Morey, their team president, coming out of the trade deadline still reaffirms, ‘We think he’s a top-five player. We don’t regret signing Paul George.’

“The future going forward is around Joel Embiid, so he’s doubled, tripled, quadrupled down on it, and he really has to because that contract makes it impossible. They have to figure out a way to get him right. Trust me, they’re trying. They are seeking all kinds of alternatives trying to make it happen.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Speaking of George, the Sixers forward admitted after Tuesday’s loss to Toronto that adjusting to playing alongside Embiid this season has “definitely been challenging,” per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “But I’m here to learn and figure it out,” George said. “He’s an unbelievable talent. He makes the game easy with just his presence, his attention that he draws. But it’s been a challenge.” Sixers lineups that feature both George and Embiid have a -4.2 net rating so far this season.
Jusuf Nurkic will be available on Wednesday to make his Hornets debut vs. Orlando, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that the veteran center will be on a minutes restriction. Nurkic, traded from Phoenix to Charlotte last week, hasn’t played since January 7. With Mark Williams back on the roster following the voided trade with the Lakers, Nurkic likely won’t have as significant a role, but Williams won’t be active on Wednesday, having been listed on the injury report as “not with team.”
Speaking about the trade-deadline addition of Jericho Sims, Bucks general manager Jon Horst referred to the center as a “fourth big,” but expressed enthusiasm about Sims’ athleticism, offensive rebounding, and ability to make an impact in transition, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “It may or may not be an every night role, but it’s kind of based on matchups, it’s based on need,” Horst said of Sims’ role. “If guys get injured or guys are out, he’s a guy that can step in, and you feel confident with him playing.”

Bucks GM: Middleton Trade Was ‘Hardest Transaction’ Of My Career

February 11th, 2025 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters on Monday for the first time since last week’s trade deadline, Bucks general manager Jon Horst said the decision to trade Khris Middleton to the Wizards was the “hardest transaction” he has made during his career as a front office executive, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN.

Middleton, who had been with the Bucks since being acquired from Detroit during the summer of 2013, made three All-Star teams during his 12 season with the organization and was a key part of the team that won a championship in 2021.

“I’m incredibly close with Khris personally, his family,” Horst said on Monday, per Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. “I probably have more Middleton jerseys in my house than anything and will still have more Middleton jerseys in my house than anything.”

Last week’s four-team trade saw the Bucks send out Middleton, 2024 first-round pick AJ Johnson, Delon Wright, a 2028 first-round pick swap, and cash in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims, and a pair of second-rounders.

The deal significantly reduced Milwaukee’s overall salary, moving the team below the second tax apron, though Horst said that wasn’t a mandate from ownership. He believes the move will allow the Bucks to remain in contention in the present and future.

“It’s still the awesome responsibility to try to take this franchise and maximize the window that we have now as best we can,” Horst said. “What we think gives us the best chance to win, and figure out how to continue winning going forward. There’s a very narrow set of opportunities that we felt that we could do that, and this was one of them.”

Middleton has battled injuries in recent years and missed more games (112) than he played (111) from the start of the 2022/23 season to the time of the trade. However, Horst claimed the veteran forward’s availability wasn’t a driving factor in his decision to make the deal.

“Collectively, I think we’re deeper in the spots we needed to be deeper,” he said, according to Collier. “This gave us an opportunity to diversify a little bit, to kind of put money and talent and roster spots in other places where I thought we needed help.”

Kuzma is four years younger than Middleton and has been healthier too, though he’s having a down year this season. His shooting percentages of 42.0% from the field and 28.1% on three-pointers with the Wizards would have easily been career lows, and he averaged just 15.2 points per game prior to the trade after putting up 21.7 PPG in his first two years in D.C.

As Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays, Horst said the Bucks “strongly believe” that Kuzma remains in his prime and will play better than he did in the first half of this season. Milwaukee’s GM also lauded the veteran forward for his ability to move the ball, attack in transition, and serve as a secondary rim protector on defense.

Horst, noting that the Bucks made multiple deadline moves and also brought in Sims and Kevin Porter Jr., made it clear that he doesn’t want to directly compare Kuzma to Middleton.

“This isn’t a Khris or a Kyle comparison, although that’s the easy thing to do,” Horst said. “It’s the team before the trade deadline and the team after the trade deadline, and to be determined with an open roster spot, that we felt like in totality we positioned ourselves to have a better run this year. That doesn’t do anything to diminish the three-time All-Star, Olympian, NBA champion, pillar in the community, everything that Khris Middleton was for this franchise for over a decade.”

Lakers Rumors: Williams, Knecht, Sims, Len, Reddish, Wood, LeBron

February 10th, 2025 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

After acquiring Luka Doncic from Dallas at the start of trade deadline week, the Lakers targeted Hornets center Mark Williams in large part because he was “handpicked” by Doncic as the sort of big man Los Angeles’ new franchise player would thrive next to, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Team sources tell McMenamin that the Lakers viewed the 23-year-old Williams as the sort of player who could grow alongside Doncic in the long term while also fortifying L.A.’s frontcourt against Western rivals like Houston, Memphis, Denver, and Oklahoma City in the short term.

Before agreeing to trade for Williams on Wednesday night, the Lakers weighed whether he was worth the steep price it would take to acquire him, given his injury history, McMenamin writes. Head of basketball operations Rob Pelinka opted to pull the trigger, deciding on an “all in” approach to the deadline and agreeing to send Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap to the Hornets for Williams.

As one Lakers source tells ESPN, Williams’ fit was viewed as a necessity on a roster lacking a starting-caliber center, while Knecht’s was considered a luxury, and the club wanted to establish “goodwill” with Doncic to get the relationship on the right foot. There was also some internal debate on how valuable the Lakers’ 2031 pick would end up actually being.

After making the deal with Charlotte, Pelinka expressed confidence when he talked about the deal on Thursday that Williams’ health wouldn’t be an issue going forward: “We fully vetted [Williams’] health stuff. He’s had no surgeries. So these are just parts of, he’s still growing into his body. We vetted the injuries he’s had, and we’re not concerned about those.”

However, after getting him into the building and conducting a physical, the Lakers identified additional concerns with Williams’ health and ultimately decided to pull out of the trade.

As McMenamin writes, there are some people within the Lakers who expressed relief that the deal didn’t end up going through — one team source said the package was “a lot” to give up for Williams and suggested the club “kind of dodged a bullet.” But the voiding of the trade meant that the Lakers failed in their first attempt to satisfy Doncic and will need to repair their relationship with Knecht, according to McMenamin, who adds that there’s a “perception of fumbled execution” based on how the process played out.

“Nobody did the research prior?” one league source said to ESPN. “Why would [Williams] be available that young?”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

The Lakers considered a trade for Knicks big man Jericho Sims before he was sent to Milwaukee and might have had interest in Alex Len, who has agreed to sign with Indiana after being waived by Washington, sources tell McMenamin. Neither big man would’ve been a clear upgrade on the club’s current options, but they’re two more depth options who are now off the board.
Although the Lakers have a full 15-man roster, they still have enough room below their second-apron hard cap to waive a player to bring in another big man. In that scenario, Reddish and Christian Wood would likely be the top candidates to be cut, Lakers sources tell ESPN. “We will find another center path,” a team source told McMenamin. “The path is always there. We just got to put in the work to find it.”
With Williams not coming to Los Angeles, Jaxson Hayes figures to continue starting at center for the Lakers. LeBron James had “privately wondered” whether the 24-year-old was experienced enough to take on that role down the stretch and in the playoffs, sources tell McMenamin. Hayes is off to a solid start — the Lakers have won each of his last seven starts, including all five games since Jan. 30. He also should have Doncic’s support. According to McMenamin, Hayes – who shares an agent, Bill Duffy, with the former Mavs star – was the first Laker to go out for dinner with Doncic after he arrived in L.A.
“When (Doncic) was in Dallas and I was in New Orleans my first few years, they kept trying to trade for me,” Hayes told McMenamin. “New Orleans never allowed it. He was like, ‘Do you remember when we couldn’t trade for you?’ I was like, ‘Do you remember what I told you after every game I played against you?’ After every game I would be like, ‘If you ever need a big, I would love to play with you.’ Just because of the way he moves the ball.”
It “wasn’t lost on James’ camp,” sources tell ESPN, that Pelinka sought Doncic’s input and pursued a trade target he wanted immediately after his arrival. For years, LeBron has wanted the Lakers’ to trade future draft picks to upgrade their roster, McMenamin notes.

Central Notes: Beasley, Pacers, Kuzma, Sims, Porter

February 9th, 2025 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Malik Beasley could have been cashed in for future assets at the trade deadline. The veteran wing, who is on a one-year, $6MM bargain deal, has been highly productive for the surprising Pistons, including on Friday when he exploded for a career-high 36 points against Philadelphia.

However, Beasley specifically asked not to dealt and general manager Trajan Langdon obliged, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press reports.

“He came to me a couple of weeks ago and said ‘Please don’t trade me, I want to be here,” Langdon said. “Which means a lot. In the summer when we talked about players we were going after and players we wanted to roster, we wanted guys who want to be here. He’s a guy who has said from day one he wants to be in Detroit and has continued to echo that, and with his actions and play has shown that.”

Beasley has indicated he plans to re-sign with the club when he enters free agency this summer. He’s ineligible to sign an extension prior to free agency.

“To be able to talk to your GM is huge, to have that relationship,” Beasley said. “I think he knew that I wanted to stay but he wasn’t sure, because a lot of players come in and still want to leave. But I told him from the jump I want to be here, I want to help build this organization up, I want to be a vet and do everything I can to score, and just get some wins. I’m happy to be here, I want to continue to stay here and let’s keep it going.”

We have more from the Central Division:

The Pacers made only one minor move before the trade deadline, dealing away injured center James Wiseman and cash to Toronto for a top-55 protected draft pick. Coach Rick Carlisle is pleased there wasn’t a midseason roster shakeup, he told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “I’m absolutely not surprised,” he said. “The organization believes in this group. The coaching staff believes in this group. The players have shown a strong belief in each other.”
Kyle Kuzma, who won a championship with the Lakers, is happy to be back in a winning organization after being dealt from the rebuilding Wizards to the Bucks. “It’s been four years. It feels a long time,” Kuzma said, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “But I was in a different space when I went to Washington. I already won a championship, so when I came to Washington it was like all right, let me find myself, let me find my game, let me see how good I can be, let me see what I can get better at. And I did that. And now I’m back in a situation to win, and that’s what it’s about. Obviously, I’ve been licking my chops for an opportunity to compete at a high level.”
The Bucks also acquired center Jericho Sims and Kevin Porter Jr. prior to the deadline. Coach Doc Rivers commented on both players and Nehm relays that Sims could play a key role as a reserve big man. “I didn’t know that we needed a stretch big. I’ll take the size and the ability to roll and run the floor,” Rivers said. “Rollers are invaluable in our league. He’s one of them. He gets behind the defense. He’s as athletic as anyone in the league. I think he’s a fantastic fit.”

Knicks’ Quiet Deadline Indicates Full Confidence In Roster

February 8th, 2025 at 9:51am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Knicks made their biggest move of the year right before the season began, acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns in a blockbuster at the start of training camp. That move has paid major dividends for a team that currently has its best regular season winning percentage since 1997.

Of course, making a move of that magnitude — Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo were sent to Minnesota — meant the Knicks were likely to have a quiet trade deadline.

New York did make one minor trade, sending Jericho Sims to the Bucks in exchange for guard Delon Wright. As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes, the Knicks have a history of sending players to situations where they can potentially thrive, like with Obi Toppin, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, and this was the latest in the series.

The Mavericks, Spurs, and Pelicans were among the teams who had talks with the Knicks about Sims before he was sent to Milwaukee, according to Edwards.

As for Wright, he signed with the Bucks this past summer after closing out last season with the Heat. However, his role has been modest this season — he averaged just 2.5 points per game and shot 26.8% from the field across 26 appearances in Milwaukee.

There’s reason to believe Wright can turn his season around with the Knicks, according to the New York Post’s Bryan Fonseca. The veteran guard was a playoff contributor just last season with the Heat, and Fonseca notes that health issues affected him during his time in Milwaukee.

Knicks big men Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa stuck with the team through the deadline after both having their names floated in rumors for much of the season. Edwards writes that Robinson will be New York’s biggest midseason acquisition when he returns from injury, giving the Knicks a superb defender to add to the rotation. As a first-apron team, the Knicks won’t be eligible to sign anyone who made over the mid-level exception ($12.8MM) on the buyout market.

“You guys can read the tea leaves,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said of the team’s quiet deadline, per the New York Post’s Peter Botte. “We like our team a lot. Obviously, we are excited about Mitch. But we also feel Ariel [Hukporti] has done a good job, and [Achiuwa] has done a good job. That’s really how we approach it.

“[Team president] Leon [Rose] and his staff, they are on it all year long. I think there’s a tendency to think this happens a couple days before [deadline]. They are always looking if they can improve the club. If there’s something that makes sense, they explore it. Then, you go from there. But we like our team a lot.”

As Botte opines in another story, it will be interesting to monitor whether the gambit of relying on health will pan out for the Knicks after a couple key East rivals made moves to shore up their teams, including the top-seeded Cavaliers acquiring De’Andre Hunter.

Four-Team Kyle Kuzma/Khris Middleton Trade Officially Completed

February 6th, 2025 at 10:42pm CST by Luke Adams

The four-team trade that sends Kyle Kuzma to the Bucks and Khris Middleton to the Wizards has been formally completed, the Knicks announced in a press release (via Twitter). Washington confirmed the finalized agreement in a press release as well.

The terms of the deal, which also includes the Spurs, are as follows:

Bucks acquire Kuzma, Jericho Sims, either the Pistons’, Suns’, or Warriors’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable; from Wizards), and a protected second-round pick (from Spurs).
Wizards acquire Middleton, AJ Johnson, the draft rights to Mathias Lessort (from Knicks), the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick for the Bucks’ 2028 first-round pick or the Trail Blazers’ 2028 first-round pick (whichever is least favorable), and cash ($1MM; from Bucks).
Knicks acquire Delon Wright, the draft rights to Hugo Besson (from Bucks), and cash ($2MM; from Bucks).
Spurs acquire Patrick Baldwin Jr. and cash ($4.13MM; from Bucks).
Note: If the Trail Blazers haven’t conveyed their lottery-protected 2025 first-round pick by 2027 and it lands outside the lottery in 2028, it would be ineligible to be swapped; in that scenario, the Wizards would simply have the right to swap their own 2028 first-round pick for the Bucks’ 2028 first-round pick.

The Kuzma/Middleton agreement between the Bucks and Spurs was initially reported on Wednesday morning. Our full story on that original deal can be found right here.

Milwaukee later expanded the trade by working out a side deal with New York involving Sims and a second side deal with San Antonio for Baldwin.

The transaction allows the Bucks to shed enough salary move below the second tax apron, which is why they’re permitted to send out cash in the deal — Fred Katz of The Athletic reported the details on the cash going to each team earlier today.

The only other changes from the terms previously reported are that the draft rights to Lessort are headed from New York to Washington instead of Milwaukee and the Spurs are sending the Bucks a protected second-round pick. Details on that second-rounder are TBD.

Trade Deadline Rumors: Warriors, Post, Bulls, Jazz, Schröder, Lakers, More

February 6th, 2025 at 6:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors may not be done after agreeing to acquire Jimmy Butler in a four-team blockbuster, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Golden State would still like to add a shooting big man, with Bulls center Nikola Vucevic among the club’s potential targets.

Slater notes that the Warriors can still offer the expiring contracts of Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney, which total more than $17MM. However, if they want to acquire Vucevic, they’d need to offer at least one more player besides those two, due to the center’s $20MM cap hit and Golden State’s proximity to the first-apron hard cap.

As they look to navigate that hard cap, one anticipated move for the Warriors is converting center Quinten Post from his two-way deal to a standard contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Because he was a second-round pick in the 2024 draft, Post can be signed for the prorated rookie minimum, which only counts for about half as much for cap and apron purposes as a prorated veteran’s minimum deal would.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Jazz and Bulls were engaged in trade talks as of Wednesday, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), though he doesn’t have any details on which players they were discussing. Neither team is considered a deadline buyer, so if the two clubs end up making a deal, it could be centered more around contracts and finances than win-now players.
The Jazz aren’t expected to retain guard Dennis Schröder after acquiring him as part of the four-team Butler trade, reports Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Utah’s plan is to flip Schröder to another team or simply to buy him out. If he’s bought out, the veteran point guard would be ineligible to sign with any teams operating above either tax apron, since his salary ($13MM) exceeds the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.8MM).
Having agreed to trade for Mark Williams, the Lakers have an open roster spot and could prioritize play-making and/or three-point shooting with that opening, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Based on conversations with sources around the NBA, as well as the fact that many of the Nets‘ top trade candidates were active for Wednesday’s game, Brian Lewis of The New York Post wouldn’t be shocked if it’s a relatively quiet deadline in Brooklyn. After previously reporting that a Cameron Johnson deal appears increasingly unlikely, Lewis says there have been no indications that anything “seismic” is imminent for the Nets.
Before making their Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis mega-deal, the Mavericks showed “strong” interest in center Jericho Sims, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link). The Knicks are reportedly sending Sims to the Bucks as part of a larger deal.

Load More Posts