NBA Central

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton is continuing his ascent toward superstardom, landing a major endorsement contract with Puma.

"I'm super excited to announce that I've joined the PUMA Family," Haliburton said in a press release on Tuesday. "I look forward to being a part of their commitment to the next generation of basketball. PUMA's vision and dedication to supporting athletes align perfectly with my goals, and I'm excited to represent the brand on and off the court."

Made you look. #PUMAfam@PUMA @PUMAHoops pic.twitter.com/njC9vGmVcW

— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) October 8, 2024

Nick DePaula of Boardroom and ESPN first reported the 24-year-old had agreed to a "massive" multi-year shoe deal with Puma that will make him the future face of the brand.

Tyrese Haliburton has signed a “massive” multi-year sneaker deal with Puma, per @NickDePaula.

The deal will make Haliburton the face of the brand. pic.twitter.com/QlqfGeKbjf

— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) October 6, 2024

Haliburton raised some eyebrows when he showed up to media day wearing a pair of loafers instead of sneakers. He also had his socks flipped to hide the Nike swoosh, apparently sending a message that he was a sneaker free agent.

Internet had to chime in on Hali rocking the loafers at Media Day 😅👞

(via @TyHaliburton22, h/t _cochino/IG) pic.twitter.com/8n1w2J56rI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 3, 2024

Haliburton signed a deal with Nike shortly after entering the NBA as the No. 12 pick in the 2020 draft by the Sacramento Kings. His career has blossomed in Indiana, as he's earned an All-Star selection in each of the last two seasons and he won a gold medal as part of Team USA at the Paris Olympics.

Boardroom had previously reported (h/t HoopsHype) that "brands including Anta, Puma, and New Balance made aggressive pushes all summer to sign" Haliburton. In the end, Puma convinced the 2024 NBA assists leader to join the company.

DePaula's note that Haliburton will be the "future face" of Puma is interesting, as it was previously expected that Charlotte Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball would fill that role. Ball, who had the fourth installment of his signature shoe released last month, has dealt with back-to-back injury-shortened seasons, hindering his career progress.

Puma also made a significant investment in Portland Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson, who was given a signature shoe as a rookie in 2023 and unveiled the second edition at media day. Henderson endured a disappointing rookie season that had many questioning if he was prepared for life in the NBA.

There aren't many questions surrounding Haliburton, as he's helped establish the Pacers as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference. Fans will be anxiously awaiting the brand's first installment of his signature line.

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball is growing increasingly comfortable as he prepares to return to the court ahead of the 2024-25 season.

"I feel good," Ball told reporters on Friday.

"I've been able to do everything, pretty much," he added.

A Lonzo Ball update. He says today is the best day he’s felt in his comeback attempt. pic.twitter.com/rKqBj2dtpl

— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) October 4, 2024

Ball hasn't appeared in a game since the 2021-22 season due to left knee issues that have required three separate surgeries, including a cartilage transplant procedure in March 2023.

The 26-year-old has been progressing through his rehab throughout the offseason, revealing that he started 5-on-5 activities in August.

Bulls president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas told the media on Monday that the "plan" is for Ball to be ready for the team's season-opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 23.

AK on Lonzo Ball:

"Going into camp, we’ll have to bring him up slowly. He’s already played 5-on-5 but we haven't seen him go through camp so there will be lot of learning... it will take time."

On if Zo will be ready for Opening Night: “That’s the plan." pic.twitter.com/GgtfNbktwd

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 30, 2024

The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft acknowledged that managing his knee throughout the year will be crucial for his long-term availability.

"I pretty much have a brand new knee," Ball explained on Monday, per Field Level Media (h/t ESPN). "So it's always going to be a little bit different than what God gave me to start off with. But I'm feeling good, I'm feeling healthy enough to play. So that's all that really matters, just managing it throughout the year and being available."

When he returns to the lineup, he'll be joining a Bulls rotation that will look vastly different compared to his last time on the court. DeMar DeRozan joined the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade agreement, while Alex Caruso was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Josh Giddey.

Given Ball's defensive acumen, head coach Billy Donovan could choose to ease him back into action instead of handing him a starting job right away. While he's seemingly feeling better with each day of training camp, he's also careful not to rush his recovery.

As Doc Rivers prepares for his second season as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, he has one of his former players at training camp helping him.

Per ESPN's Baxter Holmes, Rajon Rondo has been with the Bucks as a guest coach for their training camp at UC Irvine. Rivers also said that Rondo will be with the team during the season in an unspecified role.

"You'll see him a lot," Rivers said. "That's all I'll say."

Rondo played under Rivers early in his career for the Boston Celtics, where the two won a championship together in 2008. When the three-time assists leader officially announced his retirement from basketball in April, he said he "absolutely" wanted to be an NBA coach, according to Holmes.

Just a few months later, he has his first chance to serve on an NBA staff.

"There's a lot of factors that go into coaching," Rondo said. "You just can't say, I'm going to be a coach, and then everything works out and that's how it happens. So certain personalities have to mesh, [and there's] a lot of sacrifice. There are certain things that I'm learning. The morning meetings, the amount of hours you're spending watching film, it's a lot."

Rondo's basketball IQ was evident throughout his career as he made impossible passes look easy and directed his teammates all over the court. Rivers recognized that IQ when he coached Rondo.

"He's the smartest player I've ever coached -- and not just smart," Rivers said. "He knows when to and when not to say stuff. He's a great team builder. It's just fun, and it's great to have him around."

While the common trajectory for former players to become coaches has been retiring, joining a staff as an assistant and eventually becoming a head coach, Rondo recognized that there's no linear path to a coaching career and right now he just wants to "seek as much information as possible."

His first step is learning from an all-time great in Rivers, and he could eventually be leading a team of his own someday.

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard says he is making changes to his diet and workout routine after going through what he called "probably the toughest year of my life" during the 2023-24 season, according to Fox Sports' Melissa Rohlin.

Lillard's trade from the Portland Trail Blazers last fall, which took place after the preseason had already begun, led Lillard to move away from his three children while negotiating a divorce, he told Rohlin.

His production subsequently dipped from a career-high 32.2 points per game in Portland to 24.3 points per contest with the Bucks.

"When a lot is weighing on you, your best foot forward is not what it is when you're your more clear, free self," Lillard told Rohlin. "I think that's what kind of year it was for me. But everything comes to pass. I think those times have passed."

Lillard responded this offseason by working out with a former Navy SEAL and changing his diet to include no dairy, no gluten and no processed food, he told Rohlin.

The Bucks star told Rohlin that he would travel with his own pre-prepared, frozen food when leaving town after starting the diet, which he said took "a lot of responsibility and discipline."

"It was hard in the beginning... but I was able to sustain it," Lillard told Rohlin.

His offseason workouts meanwhile involved endurance athlete and former SEAL David Goggins, who has experience with ultra-marathons and ultra-triathlons and in 2013 set a world record by doing 4,030 pull-ups in just over 17 hours.

Lillard has shared footage of his workouts with Goggins throughout the offseason.

Lillard recently discussed these workouts with Nabil Karim for Bleacher Report, during which he said his offseason routine has involved collaboration with a nutritionist, chef, strength and conditioning coach, speed and agility coach, physical therapist and basketball trainer in addition to Goggins.

"It was more of a mental challenge than anything else, and I think that's my greatest takeaway from it," Lillard said about training with Goggins. "The mental strength, you realize it's a lot more there when you think, even when you're tired, and you're kind of just dying in the middle of it.

"So to come out the other end of it after spending time with him, it really did something for me mentally."

The Bucks entered the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the East during Lillard's first campaign with the team, but were not able to overcome injuries to both him and Giannis Antetokounmpo while losing to the Indiana Pacers in six games of the first round.

Lillard will now hope his new offseason routine could lead to better results as the Bucks work to enter the 2024-25 season as title contenders, starting on Oct. 23 with a season-opening away game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Zach LaVine made it clear during Monday's media day session that he's committed to helping the Chicago Bulls be successful this season, but the team is going to keep the door open for a trade involving the two-time All-Star.

Per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls are continuing to "actively" explore deals involving LaVine.

This comes after LaVine said he is fully healthy and ready to do all that he can for the Bulls as long as he is playing for them.

Before reporters asked Media Day questions, Zach LaVine gave this thoughtful opening statement that is very much worth listening to. pic.twitter.com/kDnSwWITyl

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 30, 2024

The Los Angeles Lakers are the team that has been most frequently connected to LaVine in trade speculation, but there is no indication that a deal has ever been close to happening.

It was virtually impossible for a LaVine trade to happen last season because a foot injury limited him to 25 games. He had season-ending surgery on Feb. 8 with a four- to six-month recovery timetable.

There is still a high degree of difficulty for a LaVine trade to become a reality. He has two more guaranteed years and $89 million remaining on his contract, plus a $49 million player option for 2026-27.

Given the restrictions teams face with the new apron rules, there may not be a big market for a player like LaVine. He's an effective scorer with five straight seasons of at least 20 points per game from 2018-19 to 2022-23, but he's a ball-dominant player who doesn't pass much.

Some metrics show that LaVine can be an adequate defensive player with the right support system around him, but that's never going to be a strength of his game.

The Bulls have every reason to explore the market for LaVine. They traded Alex Caruso and let DeMar DeRozan leave in free agency, so expectations are already low for a team that has missed the playoffs six times in the past seven seasons.

If the Bulls could find a deal that gives them anything of long-term value for LaVine, they should probably jump at the opportunity. He could be useful as the No. 2 scoring option for a playoff contender that needs more help on offense.

LaVine has averaged 20.5 points on 38.2 percent three-point shooting in 580 career games over 10 seasons in the NBA.

The Chicago Bulls are aiming to have veteran guard Lonzo Ball on the court when they open the 2024-25 NBA season.

"Going into camp, we'll have to bring him up slowly," executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas said Monday. "He's already played five-on-five but we haven't seen him go through camp so there will be lot of learning... it will take time."

AK on Lonzo Ball:

"Going into camp, we’ll have to bring him up slowly. He’s already played 5-on-5 but we haven't seen him go through camp so there will be lot of learning... it will take time."

On if Zo will be ready for Opening Night: “That’s the plan." pic.twitter.com/GgtfNbktwd

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 30, 2024

Karnišovas nonetheless confirmed the Bulls are for now operating under the assumption Ball will be available when they hit the road to play the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 23.

The 26-year-old hasn't played since January 2022. Since then, he has experienced persistent knee problems that required three different surgeries.

The Bulls ran out to the best record in the Eastern Conference when they had Ball healthy to start the 2021-22 season. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals through 35 games, giving Chicago a dynamic two-way threat in the backcourt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTc5ELVtPOc

It's not a total coincidence things steadily unraveled from the moment he got hurt and that the Bulls failed to reach similar heights in the two subsequent seasons. They simply didn't have another player who could replicate his playmaking and defending together.

Now, Ball is rejoining the team as it pivots toward a rebuild. DeMar DeRozan left in a sign-and-trade and Chicago got much younger by swapping Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey. Acquiring Giddey, whose offensive skill set overlaps a bit with Ball, led some to also wonder whether there was a level of organizational pessimism about Lonzo long term.

Playing in NBA games again would obviously be a massive step for Ball. Recent comments by head coach Billy Donovan on 670 The Score's Mully & Haugh Show underscore that many variables are still at play.

"The thing that Arturas mentioned, which is critical, is we don't know how he's going to respond after games, after practices," Donovan said. "Because we haven't seen it. That's where we first got to start off with. Is it something where he plays 15 to 20 minutes and now he's got to take the next day off? Can he play 25 to 30 minutes? How does he respond? The back-to-backs, we don't know any of those things. So we're going to wait to find out."

Donovan added the Bulls "also have a responsibility to make sure that he's in a position where he can play after this season."

Assuming Ball is ready to go on opening night, Chicago may ease him into the rotation over time rather than have him immediately assume the kind of role he occupied before his knee injuries.

Khris Middleton will need some additional time before he is cleared for full action.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that the Milwaukee Bucks forward has not yet been cleared for five-on-five play with training camp a few days away.

Sources: Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton (procedures on both ankles) has not been cleared for five-on-five action with training camp commencing Oct. 1. He’s progressing nicely, but team is taking a cautious approach as he’s expected to take part in most of camp activities. pic.twitter.com/e04WOux4os

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 28, 2024

Haynes reported that Middleton is "progressing nicely" from a procedure on both of his ankles but that the team is using a "cautious approach" to his recovery.

Middleton underwent arthroscopic surgeries on his ankles in the offseason, with the injuries being linked to ones he suffered during the 2023-24 season.

Haynes reported that the Bucks expect him to participate in most training camp activities, though he's now likely on track for something of a ramp-up period

The Bucks will need Middleton to be healthy as soon as possible given how crucial he is to the team's success.

The 33-year-old averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 55 games a year ago. While getting him to full strength is the best-case scenario, having him start slow will put more pressure on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard while the team hopes to jump out to a strong start.

Looking to drum up excitement for the 2024-25 season, the Detroit Pistons called in the services of hip-hop star Big Sean to reveal their jerseys with a StockX patch.

The Pistons posted an image of Big Sean wearing the jersey with the patch on the left side of the chest, along with a video highlight package spotlighting their presenting sponsor.

Cut from a different cloth. @BigSean | @stockx pic.twitter.com/MNRyYw0fbc

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) September 25, 2024

New patch partner just got verified.#DetroitBasketball × @stockx pic.twitter.com/664sdQOKKt

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) September 25, 2024

The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov reported on Wednesday the Pistons and StockX agreed to a multiyear partnership deal starting with the upcoming season.

StockX is an online marketplace that allows consumers to buy and sell items, primarily clothing and sneakers for men, women and children. The E-commerce store was co-founded in 2015 by a group of four people, including Cleveland Cavaliers governor Dan Gilbert.

Actor Mark Wahlberg and Grammy-winning rapper Eminem are among the people who invested in the startup back in 2017. The business headquarters are located in Detroit.

Big Sean, whose family moved to Detroit soon after he was born, was hired by the Pistons as creative director of innovation in December 2020. His responsibilities include providing creative counsel and guidance on various off-court initiatives for the franchise.

The Pistons added Big Sean's "Don Life" logo to their practice jerseys as part of the deal.

Imagine being from Detroit n having the Pistons put yo logo on the jerseys like this!! Lets gooo my boyz! #DonLife 🌍 pic.twitter.com/ldIdpl5G2w

— Sean Don (@BigSean) August 27, 2022

The Pistons are entering into a new era under first-year head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. They have been in complete disarray recently with 23 or fewer wins in each of the past five seasons, including a franchise-worst 14-68 record last season.

Bickerstaff is taking over after a successful five-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He posted winning records in each of the past three seasons, with back-to-back playoff appearances in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

The Pistons will hold their first media day of the 2024-25 season on Monday before tipping off the preseason against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 6. They will open the regular season on Oct. 23 against the Indiana Pacers at Little Caesar's Arena.

Donovan Mitchell appeared on Wave Sports + Entertainment's 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony & The Kid Mero on Tuesday and was asked which offensive players keep him up at night when he'll have to guard them.

"I would say, Book [Devin Booker], Ant [Anthony Edwards]," Mitchell responded (15:40 mark). "I'd say JB [Jaylen Brown] but put all the Celtics in there. I have so much respect for them. Steph [Curry], because you got to run with that motherf--ker. You know Steph is just running around nonstop. I can't say the KD's [Kevin Durant], the Bron's [LeBron James] because I don't guard them, you know what I'm saying? I give respect to Jalen Brunson here in New York. That motherf--ker, he's nice."

That's a pretty good list right there, and one Mitchell would probably be on for other players around the league. The 28-year-old shooting guard was an All-Star for the fifth straight season in the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 26.6 points, 6.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three.

He's traditionally been a problem for opponents in the postseason as well, averaging an impressive 28.1 points per game in seven playoff appearances (54 games). So Mitchell is surely keeping a few defenders up at night himself.

The Chicago Bulls and Coby White reportedly have different views about his best role on offense and his playmaking upside.

According to Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, "An off-ball role is not the one White coveted. He's long said he views himself as a point guard."

But Mayberry added that there is "belief within Bulls leadership that White operates best without the added dimension of navigating playmaking responsibilities. In other words, despite his improvement over the years at orchestrating the offense, White is free to be a scorer."

Offseason acquisition Josh Giddey is expected to serve as the primary point guard this season for the Bulls, freeing White to play off the ball. He showed his upside as a scorer last season in a breakout campaign, averaging a career-high 19.1 points

Giddey, meanwhile, has averaged 5.7 assists per game in his three-year career. White has offered a more paltry 3.7 dimes per contest across his five seasons. Whether Chicago's change in role for White works remains to be seen, but it's easy enough to see the reasoning behind the change.