NBA Central

Zach LaVine will be a veteran on a youthful Chicago Bulls lineup following a flurry of offseason moves, but he's reportedly confirmed to the team that he won't block the development of young players during the 2024-25 season.

Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic revealed that LaVine met with members of the organization to discuss the matter.

"Now, there are legitimate questions of how LaVine fits on a team with young talent emerging," Mayberry reported. "But in offseason conversations with Bulls leadership, including coach Billy Donovan, LaVine has vowed not to overstep or stunt the development of younger players, according to a team source."

The two-time All-Star averaged just 19.5 points per game in 25 appearances during his 2023-24 campaign, his lowest scoring average since 2018.

LaVine isn't letting it impact his approach to training camp, though.

Per Mayberry, the shooting guard has been a "willing participant" in team activities leading up to the preseason and joined several teammates in August for a player-organized minicamp.

The Bulls parted ways with multiple veteran contributors over the summer, trading defensive-minded guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for 21-year-old Josh Giddey. DeMar DeRozan, Chicago's leading scorer last season, joined the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade agreement on July 6.

LaVine was reportedly offered to opposing teams in trade talks by the Bulls throughout the offseason, but no deal materialized. He still has three years remaining on a five-year, $215.16 million contract that includes a player option worth just over $48.9 million during the 2026-27 season.

While Chicago may be more focused on developing young players such as Giddey and Coby White compared to competing for a playoff spot entering the season, LaVine seems to be embracing the Bulls' youth movement.

ESPN's Zach Lowe says "it's hard to find people who are optimistic" about the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season.

"It's very easy to find people around the league who are like, it's over. Just move on," Lowe said on Thursday's episode of The Lowe Post podcast (17:09 mark.) "Like start thinking about the next steps of the Bucks franchise, whatever, transition."

The Bucks are preparing to begin their second campaign led by star duo Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard after last season's title hopes ended with a six-game first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Milwaukee hoped adding Lillard to the lineup could push Antetokounmpo's team past the second round for the first time since the franchise's title run in 2021.

But with Antetokounmpo sidelined with a calf strain and Lillard sitting out multiple games with an Achilles injury, the Bucks depth was not able to carry the shorthanded team past the Pacers.

After losing Malik Beasley, who started 77 games for Milwaukee last season, in free agency, the Bucks have had a relatively quiet offseason since their first-round exit highlighted by the signings of Taurean Prince, Delon Wright and Gary Trent Jr.

Khris Middleton, who was limited to 55 games last season, will need to recover from multiple offseason ankle surgeries in order to return to his spot in the starting lineup this fall.

"I think the ifs, and the age, just pile up to the point that it's too big of a hill for a lot of the skeptics to climb," Lowe said.

Other than choosing a shooting guard successor to Beasley and the questions surrounding Middleton's health at small forward, the Bucks seem to largely be planning on running back last year's lineup centered around Antetokounmpo, Lillard, and center Brook Lopez.

Lopez was the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, although Bucks general manager Jon Horst downplayed the reports in July.

Milwaukee is hoping a healthier version of the same core from 2023-24 can take them on a deeper run next spring, even if NBA insiders are reportedly expressing doubt about their title chances.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro was the last player to be the subject of a breaking news report by ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski reported on Okoro's three-year, $38 million extension with the Cavaliers four days before announcing his retirement from ESPN.

"Last Woj bomb," Okoro wrote alongside a shrugging emoji following Wojnarowski's Wednesday retirement.

Isaac Okoro is the last player in NBA history to get Woj Bomb’d 🤯💣 pic.twitter.com/HV1XQprhGW

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 18, 2024

Wojnarowski will now become the general manager of the men's college basketball program of his alma mater, St. Bonaventure.

Wojnarowski's final breaking news blast was shared with him by Okoro's agents, according to a report written by ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

Cavaliers president of basketball ops Koby Altman officially announced Okoro's re-signing three days after Wojnarowski's post.

Okoro, the No. 5 pick of the 2020 draft, is heading into his fifth season in Cleveland. This fall he will likely slot into the Cavaliers' lineup as a backup for Max Strus.

Last season, Okoro established himself as a key perimeter defender for Cavaliers, as he made 69 regular-season appearances, including 42 starts. He averaged 9.4 points and shot a career-best 39.1 percent from the three-point range on his way to earning an extension.

By securing Okoro, the Cavs secured bench depth behind a starting lineup featuring a newly re-signed Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. In doing so, the Cavaliers, who will be coached by former Golden State Warriors head coach Kenny Atkinson, are hoping to follow up last season's trip to the conference semifinals with a deeper playoff run next spring.

The former NBA insider's responsibilities with St. Bonaventure will include NIL deal management and collective relationships alongside management of the transfer portal, recruiting and fundraising, according to the school. The A10 college said in a statement that Wojnarowski's "global network of connections in the basketball world will be an invaluable asset for the program."

The Cleveland Cavaliers brought back restricted free agent Isaac Okoro on a new three-year contract worth $38 million, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Saturday.

Restricted free agent F Isaac Okoro has agreed on a three-year, $38 million deal to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Michael Tellem, Jeff Schwartz and Marcus Monk of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. Okoro — the fifth overall pick in 2020 — averaged 9.4 points a season ago. pic.twitter.com/dFInx3QoMS

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 14, 2024

The Cavaliers extended a one-year qualifying offer worth $11.83 million to Okoro on June 29.

The 23-year-old didn't accept the offer, which was set to expire on Oct. 1, before signing a new deal with Cleveland (via ESPN's Bobby Marks). Per Marks, the Cavaliers were $10.4 million below the luxury tax before singing Okoro on Saturday.

Updated Cleveland roster pic.twitter.com/atSxxehI7h

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) September 14, 2024

Okoro was drafted by the Cavaliers with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. The former Auburn standout is primarily known for his defense, able to remain effective while guarding multiple positions.

His offensive progression hasn't been linear, as he's averaged just 8.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per game throughout his career. Still, it's worth noting that he connected on a career-high 39.1 percent of his three-point attempts during the 2023-24 season.

Mitchell no-look ➡️ Allen extra pass ➡️ Okoro 3-pointer 👌#NBAParis | Live on NBA TV
📲 https://t.co/RrPDbIQWsd pic.twitter.com/w2WmccOSUi

— NBA (@NBA) January 11, 2024

Okoro also showcased his versatility last season, helping the Cavaliers mitigate the loss of Evan Mobley once the shot-blocking forward missed roughly six weeks due to left knee surgery. Okoro spent 16 percent of his minutes at the power forward spot during his 2023-24 campaign after spending just 2 percent of his minutes in the role throughout his first three years in the association (via Basketball Reference).

It's been a busy offseason for the Cavaliers, hiring former Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson as head coach after J.B. Bickerstaff was fired. Cleveland signed All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to a massive three-year, $150.3 million extension on July 7.

Team president Koby Altman wasn't done just yet, handing Mobley a five-year contract worth $224 million less than two weeks later.

Okoro is now set to return to a Cavaliers team that is looking to build upon a promising second-round playoff appearance, losing to the Boston Celtics in five games.

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton played down his recruiting efforts during the 2024 Summer Olympics to some degree but made his pitch on behalf of the franchise during an interview Wednesday on The Pat McAfee Show.

"The story about me recruiting players to Indiana got blown out of proportion. They made it seem like I was the only one doing it, but everyone was recruiting," he said. "I just play in the smallest market, so when I do it, it gets magnified. That's fine, though. Indiana is a great market. It's a basketball state. We've got a good thing going here, so if anyone wants to play with me, they'll have to come to Indiana. I'm not going anywhere."

The United States national team roster for the Paris Games was filled with a bevy of All-Stars and future Hall of Famers. In the aftermath of Team USA's gold medal victory, Haliburton quipped he "recruited every guy on that team basically."

This is not a new tactic since the Olympics present a rare opportunity to bring many of the NBA's best players together outside of the season. The seeds of the Miami Heat's Big Three era were planted in 2008 when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all competed on the national team.

The Pacers have never been a draw for marquee talent outside of the organization, and people around the NBA have used the city of Indianapolis' "Naptown" nickname derisively to say there isn't much to do.

Perhaps Haliburton, who's already a two-time All-Star, can help to change that perception. Getting Pascal Siakam to sign a $189 million extension was a bit a coup for the Pacers and he may not be the last notable name to sign on to the organization's long-term vision.

Tristan Thompson is returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Cavaliers are finalizing a one-year deal with the 13-year veteran.

Free agent C Tristan Thompson is finalizing a one-year deal to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources tell ESPN. Thompson has played 10 of his 13 seasons with the Cavs. President Koby Altman and Klutch CEO Rich Paul are finishing up an agreement. pic.twitter.com/XrgJLPNWIx

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 6, 2024

Thompson has spent 10 of his 13 seasons with the franchise, with the first nine coming from 2011-12 to 2019-20. He re-signed with the team last year 2023-24 and will reportedly continue with the franchise for at least one more season.

Thompson averaged 3.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and one assist in 49 games last season. He was deployed in a bench role for a Cavaliers team that went 48-34 and reached the Eastern Conference semifinals.

As the Cavaliers look to improve in the East, having a stable bench option like Thompson with plenty of experience who remains a vocal leader in the locker room certainly can't hurt, especially on a one-year deal.

Cleveland will open the 2024-25 season on Oct. 25 against the Detroit Pistons.

Tyrese Haliburton joked about recruiting his Olympic teammates to join him on the Indiana Pacers during the 2024 Paris Games.

"I recruited every guy on that team basically," Haliburton said, per Justin Marville of the Oshkosh Northwestern. "Anyone that wants to come join us in Indiana, I'm all for it."

The star point guard was behind Stephen Curry and Jrue Holiday on Team USA's depth chart, appearing in just three of the United States' six Olympic contests.

Haliburton averaged 2.7 points in 8.8 minutes per game, although he shot 3-5 from the field and 2-4 from behind the arc. He didn't take his lack of playing time too seriously, as he poked fun at himself while showcasing his gold medal on social media afterwards.

When you ain’t do nun on the group project and still get an A🏅 pic.twitter.com/xpshYZhMyA

— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) August 10, 2024

While Haliburton joked about asking his U.S. teammates to join him in Indiana, stars joining forces after playing alongside each other at the Olympics isn't unheard of.

LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade were all part of the United States men's national team that won gold at the 2008 Olympics. Two years later, they teamed up on the Miami Heat and won two championships while making four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.

Haliburton already has some experience with attracting star teammates, as the Pacers added Pascal Siakam in a deal with the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 17. Siakam averaged 21.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game following the trade, helping Indiana make a surprise appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Pascal Siakam from deep for 26 PTS 🎯

Indy looks to even the series 1-1 in Game 2 of the East Finals on ESPN pic.twitter.com/kMO3sYOgaS

— NBA (@NBA) May 24, 2024

Even though the Pacers were ultimately swept by the Boston Celtics, the two-time All-Star still returned to the organization on a four-year contract worth $189.5 million in the offseason.

If Indiana is able to build upon its playoff run during the upcoming 2024-25 season, it's not difficult to imagine disgruntled stars wanting to switch teams and play with Haliburton in the future.

Damian Lillard doesn't feel as though he gets enough credit for being one of the best players in the NBA over the course of his career.

"They definitely don't talk about it," Lillard said on the Club 520 podcast. "They act like I don't be doing what I've been doing. This is going to be my 13th season... My time in the league, when I think about how many people have been very good over that time, it ain't been that many people that have been here the whole time, since I've been in the league, that just been doing it, like over and over and over. But I think people just get bored with consistency. And I ain't loud, but I've been doing it that long and winning."

Damian Lillard feels like he doesn’t get the credit he deserves on the Club 520 podcast. what y’all think ? pic.twitter.com/5KbCkTQtnI

— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) August 19, 2024

Lillard, 34, has seemingly earned plenty of respect during his NBA career.

He's an eight-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection (one time on the first team, four times on the second team, two times on the third team) and was selected to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, meaning voters selected him as one of the 75 best players in league history.

He earned that honor despite never winning a championship, and was one of just 11 active players at the time named to the team, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.

Part of Lillard's point seemed to be that he doesn't always get credit for being one of the elite shooters in basketball. Part of that may be era-specific—Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter in NBA history, while players like Klay Thompson and James Harden helped usher in the age of volume three-point shooting.

On the list of most three-pointers made in a season, Curry has recorded seven of the top-12 totals in league history, while Harden has two top-10 appearances and Thompson one. Lillard's best season in terms of volume came in the 2020-21 season, when he recorded 275 triples, ranking 18th in NBA history. It was one of two appearances on the top 25.

Now, he would argue that many of his triples come off the dribble, a more difficult shot than the catch-and-shoot offerings that Thompson often took. But Lillard's penchant for dramatic, clutch three-pointers late in games is well-recorded—it doesn't feel like he's particularly overlooked in the shooting department, either.

Athletes often motivate themselves by focusing on outward critics, or outright fabricating narratives that they aren't respected. Lillard's recent comments feel a bit like one of those moments.

Going into his second season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Damian Lillard insists he's not feeling the effects of aging.

Speaking to Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Lillard explained he's "not a player that's breaking down" coming off a disappointing debut season in Milwaukee.

"I live a clean, good, healthy life, so I can do it. I can do the same (expletive) I did two, three years ago. I can do it right now," Lillard added.

Expectations were high for the Bucks after acquiring Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers in September 2023. Things really never came together for the group for several reasons, including injuries and a mid-season coaching change after a 30-13 start under Adrian Griffin.

Given how late in the offseason Lillard was traded, his chemistry with Giannis Antetokounmpo really didn't develop until the final month of the regular season.

Even before the Bucks started to figure things out with their two stars, Lillard was having a down season by his standards. He was still named to the All-Star team and averaged 24.3 points with 7.0 assists per game, but his field-goal percentage (42.4) and three-point percentage (35.4) were his second-lowest since 2016-17.

Lillard played 73 games in the regular season, but missed two first-round playoff games against the Indiana Pacers due to an Achilles injury.

In his final two seasons with the Blazers, Lillard only played in 87 out of a possible 164 games. He underwent abdominal surgery prior to the start of the 2021-22 campaign that continued to flare up throughout the year before he was shut down.

This is going to be a crucial season for the Bucks because of the price they paid to get Lillard. They don't have a first-round draft pick until 2031 and are over the second apron, so their ability to make moves that upgrade the roster is extremely limited.

A healthy Lillard and Antetokounmpo—he missed the entire postseason series vs. the Pacers due to a calf injury—is the best chance the Bucks have to be a title contender. They will face stiff competition in the Eastern Conference from the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks with Mikal Bridges and Philadelphia 76ers with Paul George.

Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton could be taking their rivalry on the court into the wrestling ring.

The New York Knicks star hinted at the possibility of him and the Indiana Pacers point guard squaring off in a WWE match.

"I'm never going to say never," Brunson said. "But maybe we can speak it into existence."

https://twitter.com/WrestleOps/status/1824602442509467871

A potential matchup between Brunson and Haliburton was sparked back in June when the two stars faced off at WWE Smackdown at Madison Square Garden.

Tyrese Haliburton vs. Jalen Brunson 🤯@NBA #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/UKqEjXRHCy

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) June 29, 2024

They even went as far as to get in the ring together, where Brunson taunted Haliburton with a chair.

THIS IS AWESOME#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/lrQPRRmqb9

— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) June 29, 2024

There was no wrestling match then, but Brunson isn't ruling out the idea of squaring off in the future.

In the meantime, the two will continue exciting fans on the basketball court after having career years last season. Brunson put up 28.7 points and 6.7 assists per game while Haliburton dropped 20.1 points and led the league in assists with 10.9 per game.

New York and Indiana gave fans a thrilling seven-game battle in the playoffs with Haliburton's Pacers ultimately coming out on top to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

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