Latest news with #DamianLillard
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Celtics trade Jrue Holiday to Portland. Who will they get in return?
The Portland Trail Blazers are reacquiring two-time All-Star guard Jrue Holiday from the Celtics, sending guard Anfernee Simons and two future second-round draft picks to Boston in return, ESPN reported on Monday night. Holiday, 35, who will earn $32.4 million next season, is owed a total of approximately $72 million in 2026-27 and 2027-28, after which his four-year, $134.4 million contract that he signed with the Celtics in April 2024 expires. Advertisement Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Simons joins the Celtics on an expiring contract. Per ESPN, the deal saves Boston $40 million in luxury tax payments next season. Mar 24, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) dribbles the ball against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson/Imagn Images In 2023, Portland landed Holiday in a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks for Damian Lillard, then sent the 16-year veteran to Boston and acquired a pair of first-round picks. Holiday never played a game for the Blazers. Per the report, the Celtics are actively involved in trade talks involving multiple players on their roster following Jayson Tatum's Achilles tear in the second round of the playoffs. In his first season with the Celtics, Holiday played an instrumental role in the team's run to the NBA title, shooting a career-high 42.9 percent from 3-point range in 2023-24 and earning All-Defensive team honors. Advertisement Holiday was a first-round pick (No. 17 overall) of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2009. He has career averages of 15.8 points, 6.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals with the 76ers (2009-13), New Orleans Pelicans (2013-20), Bucks (2020-23) and Celtics in 1,037 games (956 starts). He won his first NBA title with Milwaukee in 2021 and is a six-time All-Defensive selection. Simons, 26, was also a first-round selection, picked at No. 24 by the Blazers in 2018. In seven seasons with Portland he posted 15.0 points, 3.3 assists and 2.5 rebounds over 389 games (213 starts). He should fit in with the Celtics' offensive approach, as he has averaged nearly nine 3-point attempts per game the last three seasons and is a career 38.1 percent shooter from distance. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Boston Celtics trade Jrue Holiday to Portland for Anfernee Simons
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Adam Silver plans to use Artificial Intelligence after the NBA's injury surge: "Ingest all video of every game a player's played in to see if we can detect some pattern"
Adam Silver plans to use Artificial Intelligence after the NBA's injury surge: "Ingest all video of every game a player's played in to see if we can detect some pattern" originally appeared on Basketball Network. Damian Lillard. Jayson Tatum. And most recently, Tyrese Haliburton. Three All-Stars, three different teams, three different playoff moments, all with the same devastating result: a torn Achilles. Advertisement The 2025 NBA Playoffs were supposed to be a celebration of star power, and for the newly crowned champion Oklahoma City Thunder, they absolutely were. But the sour taste left behind by a wave of devastating Achilles injuries made it hard for the rest of the league to fully enjoy the show. Cuts and bruises aren't new to the league, but the sudden surge of this specific problem this season has everyone — from fans and analysts to coaches and executives — asking the same question: What's going on? The repeating injury trend This specific injury, hitting multiple franchise players in the same postseason, has sparked something deeper. And with his top stars dropping one by one, NBA commissioner Adam Silver is refusing to sit with his hands crossed, not trying to dig deeper. He's bringing every resource to the table, including Artificial Intelligence, to try and get ahead of a problem that's becoming far too familiar. Advertisement "We are looking at it. And, in fact, We've already convened a panel of experts before Tyrese's (Haliburton) Achilles rupture. We had seven this year, and we had zero last year, under the exact same circumstances," Silver said, ready to tackle the issue head-on. "The purpose of convening those experts is to try to figure out what's going on." Around the league, the speculation came quickly. Some pointed to sneaker trends, especially the decline of high-top shoes in favor of low-cuts. Others circled back to the NBA's long, physically demanding season, a 100-plus game marathon for the league's best players, many of whom go all-out every night. However, while those theories might offer partial explanations, Silver isn't convinced that volume is the root cause of the problem. "It is interesting, when we look back at the last 10 years, the majority of Achilles injuries happened before the All-Star break, so it's not clear it's the number of games," NBA Commish said. Advertisement Related: Dwyane Wade believes Westbrook is still the OKC GOAT despite Shai's historic season: "We are talking about a player who went and did something, and people said it will never be done again" Can AI help the NBA with this problem? This isn't just some random injury wave the league can brush off, not when the faces of the NBA are the ones going down one by one. Silver knows that if the NBA wants to keep its top talent on the floor, it has to get smarter and has to do it fast. So now, he's turning to tech. Silver believes AI may be the key to uncovering the invisible wear and tear that builds up before an Achilles gives out. The league is already working with data teams to feed full game footage into machine learning systems, hoping to detect some kind of patterns that human eyes may have missed for years. Advertisement "I'm hopeful, by looking at more data, by looking at patterns… This is one area where AI is going to transform so many eras. The ability with AI to ingest all video of every game a player's played in to see if we can detect some pattern that we didn't realize leads to Achilles injuries… We are taking it very seriously," Silver concluded. The NBA's injury problem doesn't have a simple fix. But for the commissioner, that's not an excuse to keep doing things the same way. Silver's willingness to tap into technology shows a league that isn't afraid to evolve — especially when its best players' futures are on the line. With a little help from the "almighty" Computers, maybe the Association can put an end to this ugly trend. Related: ESPN analyst says Ace Bailey was hoping to avoid Utah at all costs: "This was not one of his preferred destinations" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bucks Predicted to Land All-Star to Help Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bucks Predicted to Land All-Star to Help Giannis Antetokounmpo originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Milwaukee Bucks are entering the offseason with a lot of questions surrounding the roster. After another early playoff exit, Milwaukee has to attempt to form a more well-rounded team around star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Advertisement Antetokounmpo has been in multiple trade rumors, but it seems that he is likely to remain with the team for now. With Antetokounmpo likely returning, the front office has more pressure to build a title-contending squad. But with star guard Damian Lillard likely out for the season due to an Achilles injury, things could be tough. Milwaukee will need to replace him in the lineup, and they will likely target guards this offseason. NBA writer Zach Buckley listed landing spots for some of the free agent guards and had the Bucks picking up an All-Star. That would be veteran D'Angelo Russell, who could help the team fill a role for the season. "Russell, a former All-Star who won't turn 30 until February, could qualify as such. He has put together helpful stat lines in the past; just in 2023-24, he gave the Lakers an efficient 18 points and 6.3 assists per night. Advertisement "Milwaukee also needs someone to run the offense in place of Damian Lillard, who's out indefinitely after tearing his Achilles in April (and could be needed to make the money work if the Bucks go big on the trade market). Russell offers a similar—albeit far less dynamic—blend of scoring, playmaking and perimeter shooting," Buckley wrote. Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell (1) sets the play while being defended by Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) during the first half at Barclays Center. John Jones-Imagn Images Adding Russell on a short deal could benefit the Bucks for next season with Lillard out. Russell is more than capable of running an offense and could help Milwaukee with his floor spacing and shooting ability. Bringing in a veteran guard like Russell could give the Bucks a boost and would allow Antetokounmpo some help. This could be a low-risk, high-reward signing for Milwaukee if it took place. Related: Lakers Make Massive Roster Decision Following Bold Draft Trade This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Milwaukee Bucks And Mark Sears Are A Great Pairing
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Mark Sears #1 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after a ... More three point basket during the second half against the Clemson Tigers in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Arena on March 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by) The Milwaukee Bucks wasted no time after the 2025 NBA Draft wrapped up Thursday night, quickly scooping up Alabama guard Mark Sears on a two-way deal. Earlier in the night, the Bucks used their lone draft pick on Serbian big man Bogoljub Markovic at No. 47 overall—a high-upside swing that's more long game than immediate help, as Markovic will remain overseas next season. That makes Sears the real rookie prize heading into 2025-26. Soon, Milwaukee won't have a healthy point guard under contract. Damian Lillard is rehabbing a torn Achilles that's expected to sideline him for most (if not all) of next year. Kevin Porter Jr. is likely opting out of his player option, and Ryan Rollins is a restricted free agent. Even if they manage to bring back both Porter Jr. and Rollins, adding Sears gives the Bucks a reliable fallback plan. He may be on a two-way contract, but we've seen the Bucks turn those into real opportunities in the very recent past. Sears is no rookie to big moments—he played five seasons of college ball, the first two at Ohio and the last three at Alabama. He was a consensus All-American in both of the last two years and averaged 18.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds as a super senior. Transitioning to the pros should come fairly smooth for him. He already ran an NBA-style offense at Alabama and thrived in it. The biggest knock on his game is his size. Sears stands 6-foot-1, 183 pounds, and never bulked up much during his college run. But he makes up for it with a sharp basketball IQ, tight handles, and elite footwork. He's crafty with the ball, knows how to slice through defenses, and can get to his spots with ease. His elite ball-handling skills allow him to get to anywhere on the court he wants. This gives him an advantage to slice up the defense for his own buckets or create open looks for his teammates. What really sets him apart is his jumper. He's most dangerous off the catch, which could pair beautifully next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, drawing defenders in and kicking it out to Sears for open threes. Defensively, he's not going to lock guys down, but he's no slouch either. He competes, slides his feet reasonably well, and has quick hands that help rack up steals. His effort level will be key on that end of the floor. Milwaukee needed another ball-handler heading into a pivotal offseason, and Sears fits the bill. While Markovic is a long-term investment, Sears has a shot to make noise in Year 1. If he shines during Summer League and camp, that two-way deal could turn into something more permanent before long. For the Bucks and Sears, this feels like a natural pairing—a win-win with room to grow.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Portland Trail Blazers trade Anfernee Simons to Boston: ESPN
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — One day after the conclusion of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Portland Trail Blazers have made a massive trade, according to ESPN. The Blazers have traded Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks for Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday, ESPN insider Shams Charania reported. Advertisement This is technically Holiday's second stint with Portland, although he has never suited up for Portland. The 34-year-old guard was involved in the deal that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee. However, Holiday was traded from the Blazers to the Celtics just days later. Simons was drafted by the Blazers as a 19-year-old in 2018. The shooting guard averaged 15 points per game on 48.7% shooting in his seven years as a Trail Blazer. He was their leading scorer last season and was the longest-tenured member of the team. His best season came in 2023-24 when he averaged a career-high 22.6 ppg to go along with over five assists per game and shot over 38% from behind the arc. Simons also won the slam dunk contest in 2021. Advertisement Holiday is a two-time All-Star who won titles with the Bucks in 2021 and with the Celtics in 2024. The 6-foot-4 guard has been to the NBA all-defensive team six times in his career, most recently in 2023-2024. He averaged nearly 20 points per game for the Bucks in 2022-23, but his scoring outputs have dropped off over the last couple years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
