Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly expected to make some big names available in an effort to land a major contributor before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton are all believed to be available provided they can help the Bucks secure an "impact player" in a trade.

Bontemps and Windhorst noted that the Bucks face some potential challenges in making a deal happen since the only first-round pick they can trade is a 2031 selection, plus they have to shed about $6.5 million in salary to get under the second apron, which would allow them to combine player salaries in a subsequent trade.

At 25-17, the Bucks are fourth in the Eastern Conference, and although they are 10.5 games behind the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers and 4.5 games behind the second-place Boston Celtics, they have been a team on the rise.

Milwaukee has won five games in a row and eight of its past nine, all but erasing a nightmarish 2-8 start to the campaign.

Much of the Bucks' success has come on the backs of the superstar duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Giannis is putting up MVP-caliber numbers with averages of 31.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, while Lillard has been much improved during his second season in Milwaukee, putting up 25.1 points, 7.2 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 three-pointers made and 1.3 steals per contest.

Perhaps the biggest thing that could hold the Bucks back, though, is the fact that they don't necessarily have a reliable third offensive option.

Portis, Middleton and Brook Lopez are the only other players on the team averaging double figures in scoring, but none are contributing more than 13.4 points per game.

Middleton, Portis and Connaughton are all signed through the 2025-26 season, so while trading them would help in offloading some future salary, any team that acquires them won't be taking on a ton of long-term money.

Per Spotrac, Middleton has a 2024-25 salary of $31.666 million, while Portis is at $12.578 million and Connaughton is at $9.423 million.

Middleton, 33, is in the midst of his 12th season with the Bucks, and while he is a three-time All-Star who played a big role in their 2021 championship win, he hasn't been his usual self this season.

Coming off double ankle surgery, Middleton missed the start of the season and has been on a minutes restriction, resulting in him averaging just 12.6 points per game, which is his lowest scoring output since 2013-14.

The 29-year-old Portis is in his fifth season with the Bucks, and he too was an important contributor to their most recent championship.

Unlike Middleton, Portis' production this season has pretty much been in line with what he has always done for the team, as he is averaging 13.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest.

Given that he costs significantly less than Middleton and would provide excellent frontcourt depth at 6'10", he may be the Bucks' most coveted trade chip.

Connaughton, 32, is a seventh-year Buck who has seen his usage drop significantly this season.

After averaging at least 20 minutes per game in four straight years, Connaughton is playing only 15.7 minutes per game this season, which is his lowest average time on court since his second NBA season with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2016-17.

Connaughton is putting up just 4.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game, while shooting only 40.4 percent from the field and 28.8 percent from deep.

He would likely be little more than a salary dump to make things match up, although it is fair to wonder if any team would want to take on his salary for next season.

Middleton, Portis and Connaughton all have player options for next season, so they could technically become free agents at the end of the year, but it seems likely that Middleton and Connaughton would opt in since it would be tough for them to approach their current salaries in free agency.

The Bucks have some obstacles to get past in order to add a third star, but if they can make it happen, a core of Antetokounmpo, Lillard and another star would make them a major threat to compete with the likes of the Cavs, Celtics and New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference.

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly eyeing potential trades for a veteran wing ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.

According to The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, the Bucks "are thought to have interest in at least exploring what deals could look like for" Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine and Phoenix Suns star Bradley Beal.

Milwaukee ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 24-17 record. The team had some inconsistencies after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the NBA Cup championship, but it seems to have gotten back on track with four straight wins entering Thursday night's game against the Heat.

While Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have performed at All-Star levels this season, they've lacked a consistent third option. Veteran forward Khris Middleton was forced to miss the start of the season after recovering from surgery on both his ankles and is still rounding into form.

Vecenie pointed out that Milwaukee's pursuit of Butler, LaVine or Beal would likely require them to give up Middleton, and he expressed skepticism that the team would be willing to do that.

"If they were to decide to make a deal for any of those players, Middleton's contract would have to be involved financially for them to get under the CBA's second apron and have the flexibility to make such a deal," Vecenie wrote. "If the choice is between Middleton or Butler, I get it. But if it's Middleton and other players for Beal, I'd probably just rather take the chance that Middleton is right for the playoffs."

The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly not interested in acquiring Bradley Beal despite rumors to the contrary.

"Contrary to popular belief, I was just informed that the Milwaukee Bucks have not inquired about Phoenix Suns' star Bradley Beal," NBA reporter Chris Haynes said Wednesday. "In fact, it was explained to me that a connection between the two is nonexistent. So if Phoenix is able to acquire Jimmy Butler, it would not come via the Bucks taking on the star guard."

Sources: A Milwaukee Bucks, Bradley Beal connection is nonexistent. #haynesbriefs https://t.co/X7H7eQE347 pic.twitter.com/nC5M55zRw6

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 23, 2025

That comes after Beal's agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic on Wednesday that any reports suggesting Beal would waive his no-trade clause in deals involving the Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat or Los Angeles Lakers were "created out of thin air."

"The part of the business that every player dreads is having no control over his future when it comes to trades, and so the fact that we have control of that aspect of Brad's career is something that is extremely precious and is an asset that we certainly would never want to relinquish," he added. "Having said that, I never operate in terms of absolutes, meaning that we would never say there would never be a trade that you would not consider. You always keep an open mind like everyone does in all aspects of their life, and so if something was to come around that you were truly excited about, you always have to consider those things."

Now, however, it sounds as though the Bucks aren't among the teams interested in Beal. And frankly, such a pairing never made much sense.

I was struggling to understand Milwaukee's apparent interest in Beal considering how much salary/ how many pieces they'd have to dump to get him. If they're out, as we heard on the latest #haynesbriefs, things definitely get trickier

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) January 23, 2025

On the court, a Beal and Damian Lillard backcourt would have been skewered defensively, putting a ton of pressure on rim-protectors like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez. Hiding one player on defense in the playoffs is difficult enough—trying to hide your entire starting backcourt is basically parting the seas for the opposing team.

But the Bucks would also had needed to match $50.2 million salary in a trade for Beal, meaning they would've either needed to move Khris Middleton and other pieces or dealt the trio of Lopez, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton, nuking their depth in the process.

It just never quite added up for the Bucks. And even if they decide they do need to shake things up around Antetokounmpo and Lillard, it sounds as though they'll be exploring other avenues to do so.

Pat Connaughton has been a member of the Milwaukee Bucks since the 2018-19 campaign, but that tenure could come to an end this season.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported Thursday that executives around the league see Connaughton "as a potential trade candidate" to help the Bucks avoid being a second apron luxury tax team given their current position of approximately $6.5 million over that second apron.

Connaughton is making $9.4 million in salary this season ahead of his $9.4 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign.

By avoiding being a second apron luxury tax team, Milwaukee would be granted more flexibility for moves with the mid-level exception or trades involving multiple players.

Despite his history as an important role player for the Bucks, Connaughton hasn't been a significant contributor this season. He has appeared in just 21 of the team's 39 games and is averaging 15.7 minutes per night.

His 4.6 points per game total would be the lowest of his career since his second season in the league in 2016-17, and he is shooting just 28.8 percent from deep after connecting on 34.5 percent of his triples last season.

There is an emotional attachment to Connaughton in Milwaukee seeing how he helped lead the team to the championship in 2021 by appearing in 23 playoff games and hitting 38.9 percent from deep during that postseason run, but trading him would better position the Bucks moving forward.

Given that reality, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him traded ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.

The Milwaukee Bucks haven't been told by representatives for Jimmy Butler that the Miami Heat star doesn't want to play there, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick.

NBA insider Chris Haynes originally reported on Jan. 7 that multiple teams had been told that Butler "has no interest in being traded there" amid his standoff with the Heat. Haynes cited the Memphis Grizzlies specifically, with Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor adding the Bucks to the group.

Intentionally limiting his pool of teams was a counterproductive approach from Butler, who told Heat president Pat Riley again last week he wants out, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

The six-time All-Star's trade value simply isn't that high for a player of his caliber, and moving him becomes even more difficult from Miami's perspective with fewer franchises incentivized to negotiate.

"Jimmy Butler isn't going to extend with any team. And so, because teams know that, they're offering the Heat right now the poo-poo platter. There's only one team that is ready to pay Jimmy Butler exactly what he wants, and that's the Phoenix Suns."

—@WindhorstESPN pic.twitter.com/q8LZLPOFOV

— First Take (@FirstTake) January 7, 2025

The Bucks are clearly in need of something to improve their supporting cast around Giannis Antetokounmpo. They're fifth in the Eastern Conference at 21-17, and their 140-106 hammering at the hands of the New York Knicks on Sunday dropped them to 0-8 against the East's three best teams.

After the Knicks game, Antetokounmpo reflected on how Milwaukee has "played horribly" when matched up with New York in addition to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.

Maybe Butler gives the Bucks the shot in the arm they need to rise to the top of the conference again. But they possess a very narrow path to make this trade happen before even considering whether the 35-year-old is the star worth mortgaging what's left of their trade assets.

Swapping Damian Lillard or Khris Middleton for Butler would hurt Milwaukee's floor-spacing, and he'd be an imperfect fit alongside Antetokounmpo, who isn't much of a shooter.

Then there's the risk of acquiring a player who's eligible to become a free agent and who has turned things toxic at multiple stops in his career.

Giving Butler, who has a $52.4 million player option for 2025-26, the kind of long-term extension he's seeking could prove to be a terrible long-term value play. Failing to give him that kind of contract, meanwhile, means he might bolt in a few months or worse, trigger his player option with an eye toward forcing another trade.

Sure, the Bucks might not be out of the running in terms of Butler's preferred destinations, but that may not make them a serious suitor for his services.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered a withering assessment of his team's performance against the best teams in the Eastern Conference so far this season.

"We've gotta get our stuff together. It's as simple as that," he said, per ESPN's Chris Herring. "We did not beat Boston. We did not beat the Cavs. We didn't beat the Knicks. Those are the top three teams, and we've played horribly against them."

Those comments came after the Bucks were on the receiving end of a 140-106 shellacking by the New York Knicks. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson torched Milwaukee's backcourt to the tune of 44 points, while big man Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points and 18 rebounds.

With the loss, Milwaukee is sixth in the East at 20-17. To Antetokounmpo's point, the team is 9-10 against teams that are .500 or better and a combined 0-8 against the Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.

Beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 in the NBA Cup final looked like it might be a turning point for the Bucks, or a moment when they started to find their groove on the court. Instead, they've lost six of their last 12 games and are seemingly falling further and further from the standard required to reach the NBA Finals.

Looming in the background is the speculation over Antetokounmpo's long-term future with the franchise.

The three-year extension he signed with Milwaukee hasn't gone into effect yet, but that's not stopping rival teams from sensing a potential opportunity. NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Brooklyn Nets view the two-time MVP as their "dream target," though there's nothing to indicate he's pushing for an exit.

It's highly improbable he goes anywhere before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Because of that, head coach Doc Rivers and his staff have the rest of the season to get things right for the playoffs.

Should the general malaise in Milwaukee carry on for the remainder of the campaign, though, Antetokounmpo may start to think long and hard about whether his career is best served by staying with the Bucks.

The fan voting for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game continues to heat up, and the second returns were unveiled on Thursday.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antentokounmpo is still the leading vote-getter overall for the second straight week with more than 2,700,000 votes. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić still leads the Western Conference with more than 2,200,000 votes. Here are the rest of the results:

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokić continue to lead their respective conferences in the second fan returns of #NBAAllStar Voting presented by AT&T.

Fans account for 50% of the vote to decide All-Star starters. Players and a media panel account for 25% each.

Next fan update:… pic.twitter.com/oQvm99AmE5

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) January 9, 2025

Despite missing Denver's last two games due to an illness, Jokić used back-to-back 40-point games over the weekend to take over as the NBA's leading scorer with an average of 31.5 points per game. He dropped 41 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and followed that up with 46 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists in Saturday's bounce-back win over the Spurs.

Antetokounmpo now ranks second in the league with 31.3 points per game, but he's still performing at a level that could garner him his third career NBA MVP award. He recorded a triple-double in Monday's win over the Toronto Raptors and had 25 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists in Wednesday's win over the Spurs. The 30-year-old is shooting 59.9 percent from the field, the second-highest mark of his career.

Fans have until Jan. 20 at 11:59 p.m. ET to submit their votes for the 2025 All-Star Game. The starters for the game will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 23 during TNT's NBA Tip-Off before a doubleheader featuring the Bucks vs. the Miami Heat and the Celtics vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.

This year's All-Star Game will be played on Feb. 16 and will look vastly different from past years, as it will be a four-team tournament featuring three teams of eight NBA All-Stars and the winning team from the Rising Stars Game. Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith will draft the three teams of All-Stars on Feb. 6.

Milwaukee Bucks star point guard Damian Lillard got an up-close look at the impact San Antonio Spurs second-year phenom Victor Wembanyama can have on the court during Wednesday night's game between the two teams.

"He's always in range to block a shot, to change a shot. … It's more different when he's on the floor than any other player that I've played against," Lillard told reporters of Wembanyama after Milwaukee's 121-105 win, per The Athletic's Fred Katz.

Lillard led the Bucks with 26 points in the victory, but that doesn't mean he had an easy time against Wembanyama. Katz highlighted an instance where Wembanyama's presence under the basket deterred Lillard from taking the open lane to the rim and forced him to pass the ball back out instead.

Wembanyama had 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in one of his worst performances of the season. It was his first time scoring under 15 points since Nov. 7.

Still, the 2024 Rookie of the Year is a superstar in the making, and he will continue to garner respect from veterans like Lillard over the course of his development.

Lillard and the Bucks will be going for their third straight win when they face the Orlando Magic on Friday, while Wembanyama and the Spurs will be trying to end a three-game skid when they meet the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.

Milwaukee Bucks veteran forward Khris Middleton was moved to the bench for Wednesday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs, but he wasn't upset about the decision.

Following Milwaukee's 121-105 win, Middleton told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Bucks head coach Doc Rivers explained the reasons behind the move, and he understood.

"It was just brought that it's probably best that with my minute restriction that with the way rotations work to come off the bench to play more meaningful minutes," Middleton said of his conversation with Rivers.

The 33-year-old took the decision in stride, as he added that he doesn't believe coming off the bench will be a permanent situation.

"I mean, I know what type of player I am," he said. "Just for the time being I need to come off the bench. It is what it is. But I'm confident in this team, I'm confident in myself and this is the role I have to play for the time being."

Middleton played 21 minutes against the Spurs and had eight points, five rebounds and three assists. He missed the start of the season as he continued his recovery from ankle surgery, and he has since appeared in 13 games and is averaging 12.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists.

The Bucks (19-16) will be seeking their third straight win when they visit the Orlando Magic (22-16) on Friday.

LiAngelo Ball's viral hit song "Tweaker" received a stamp of approval from another basketball player-turned-rapper.

Milwaukee Bucks star point guard Damian Lillard, who has released four rap albums and is widely regarded as the best NBA player to try his hand at making music, praised Ball's new track during an appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter following Wednesday night's 121-105 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

"I rock with it, man," Lillard said around the 2:00 mark. "I've been hearing it a lot, it gives me that 2003-2004 vibe. But I rock with it, like I said, it's a slapper."

Ball, who spent two seasons in the G League, became an overnight sensation when "Tweaker" hit the internet. It remains the No. 1 trending song on YouTube Music five days after its official release and has 5.5 million views as of this writing. Players across multiple sports leagues have been seen bumping the song during locker room celebrations.

"I MIGHT SWERVE BEND THAT CORNER WOAAHHHHH"

Lions turning up to LiAngelo Ball celebrating their first ever #1 playoff seed 💀

(via @StBrownPodcast)pic.twitter.com/YuhlgMlp08

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 6, 2025

The viral success of the song garnered Ball a spot on the lineup for the Rolling Loud concert festival in Los Angeles in March. Lillard added that he's happy to see Ball reach new heights through music.

"As an artist, you gotta respect other people's artistry, and when something is going, it's going. So, like I said, I rock with it, I respect it, and I'm always happy for other people's success. That's when you have your success, when you're happy with people," Lillard said. "So I'm happy for him, it's a big record, you're hearing it everywhere. Much love to him."