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Forbes
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Milwaukee Bucks Shooting Guard Depth Chart After Free Agency
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 05: AJ Green #20 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots over Gary Trent Jr. #33 ... More of the Toronto Raptors during a game at Fiserv Forum on April 05, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Shooting guard might just be the biggest question mark on the Milwaukee Bucks' roster right now. They've got some solid dudes in the mix—guys who can fill roles and knock down shots—but nobody who is elite. It's a group with upside, sure, but also some clear limitations. That said, a few of these guys had promising runs last season, and there's real potential for growth heading into 2025-26. So let's break it down and see where things stand at the 2-guard spot: 1. Gary Trent Jr. Trent Jr. went out swinging last season. He had some monster playoff performances against the Pacers—dropping 37 points with nine threes in Game 3, then putting up 33 in the elimination game while draining eight more from deep. But it ended on a sour note. In overtime of Game 5, he let a pass slide right through his legs and out of bounds, helping spark the Pacers' wild comeback run that took them all the way to Game 7 of the Finals. Still, the Bucks were lucky to bring him back on a super team-friendly one-year deal worth $3.7 million (plus a player option for 2026-27). At 26, he's smack in the middle of his prime, and he should be in the mix for a starting spot depending on how Doc Rivers wants to roll with the first unit. 2. AJ Green If there's one thing the Bucks clearly love, it's gunners. And AJ Green fits the bill to a T. He's got one of the quickest releases in the league—and it's high and smooth, too. Give him an inch, and the ball's already in the air. The former undrafted kid out of Northern Iowa has climbed his way up from a two-way deal and turned himself into a legit rotation piece. At just 25, there's more growth to come, and if he keeps lighting it up from deep, he might force his way into a bigger role. He's also eligible for an extension, but if the Bucks don't get something done this offseason, he's gonna be playing for a bag next year. 3. Gary Harris Harris's numbers have fallen off a cliff over the last few seasons. He went from averaging 11.1 points back in 2021-22 to just 3.0 last year. And yeah, the minutes took a hit too. At this point, he's more of a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option off the bench. If Doc wants a little energy or some veteran presence in a pinch, Harris is there. He can still shoot—career 37 percent from deep—but the bounce is mostly gone, and he struggles to stay in front of guys defensively. He might still find a few minutes here and there, but he's more of a depth piece than anything else. Final Word The Bucks have a bunch of shooting guards who can shoot the hell out of the ball. What they're missing is that do-it-all guy who can create their own shot and lock down on D. Maybe one of these dudes takes the leap this year—or maybe that search continues. Either way, the position battle at camp should be worth keeping an eye on.
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How Jordan Clarkson fits with Knicks
The Lakers appear to have their starting center. Meanwhile, the Knicks are nearing a deal for Tom Thibodeau's replacement. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Brad Penner / Imagn Jordan Clarkson is a worthwhile low-risk, solid-reward signing for the Knicks, who were pressed for scoring off their bench during this past spring's playoff run. Clarkson has struggled over the past two seasons in Utah, but he should receive easier looks inside what was a top-five Knicks offense last season. If it works, the Knicks hit a home run, considering the likely low price. An affordable rotation player is especially valuable in the two-apron era. Clarkson can play alongside Miles "Deuce" McBride, who the Knicks consider a point guard defensively but use more like a small wing on offense, deploying him to space the court and cut instead of running the offense. Clarkson can guard off the ball but handle it more on the other end. If it doesn't work — if Clarkson continues to trend downward as he enters his mid-30s — there isn't much financial risk, and New York can move elsewhere without much of a bump. Congratulations to the Bucks on playing salary cap bingo today. They made moves on the margins with a veteran minimum contract, a biannual exception deal and a non-Bird free agent signing in the same day. The Bucks had no Bird rights on any of the three players reported to have new deals to re-up with the Bucks today — Taurean Prince, Gary Trent, Jr. and Kevin Porter, Jr. — yet re-signed all of them without using a cent of their nontaxpayer midlevel exception. Porter's deal is for the rarely used biannual exception, something only two of the league's 30 teams took advantage of a year ago. That deal is two years and will pay him the full biannual exception of $5,390,700 in 2025-26, with the maximum allowed 5-percent raise to $5,660,235 in 2026-27. Trent's deal is as a non-Bird free agent, which can be for up to a 20 percent raise on his old salary. However, because he was on a minimum deal, it's actually a 20 percent raise on his minimum for this year, which takes his number for hits season up to $3,697,100. With the maximum allowable 5 percent raise, he'll make $3,881,955 in 2026-27. Finally, Prince's deal is for the veteran minimum, but because it is for multiple seasons, it doesn't count for the cap-friendly $2.3 million like one-year vet minimum deals do. Instead, Prince is on the books at $3,303,770 for 2025-26 as a nine-year veteran, and for next year at an estimated $3.89 million if he picks up his player option. Milwaukee is still $12.7 million below the luxury tax line and $18.9 million below the first apron — where they are hard-capped due to Porter's contract — with at least two roster spots left to fill. The Bucks have their entire $14.1 million nontaxpayer midlevel exception remaining, as well as early Bird rights on restricted free agent guard Ryan Rollins. The Bucks could also create an additional roster spot and $2.2 million in room by waiving Chris Livingston's non-guaranteed deal, although that money would go right back to another minimum contract to fill the roster spot. Jesse Johnson / Imagn One of the primary reasons the Wolves chose big guys Naz Reid and Julius Randle over Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the depth behind him. They believe Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark and Rob Dillingham are ready for more minutes in the backcourt and on the wing, and now coach Chris Finch has an extra 25.3 minutes per game to spread around. The most recent collective bargaining agreement forces those kinds of choices on teams. With little to no spending power for free agents, the Wolves are determined to run back most of last year's team to see if another year together will get them one step further. They will return nine of their top 10 players and are in the market for another ballhandler or a more traditional center behind Rudy Gobert, team and league sources said. They do have a $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception, but given how close they are to the second-apron threshold of $207.8 million, they will only use it if they think the player they get will make a significant impact on next season, those sources said. GO FURTHER Wolves lose Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luka Garza, retain Joe Ingles as NBA free agency opens With the Bucks' roster next season increasingly looking like "running it back minus Brook Lopez," that Pelicans draft-day trade with the Hawks to move up 10 spots to draft Derik Queen is looking even worse. The Pelicans surrendered an unprotected 2026 first-round pick that is the most favorable of their selection and Milwaukee's. In other words, the Pelicans could (somehow) be awesome next year and STILL hand over a lottery pick to Atlanta if the Bucks also miss the playoffs. Considering the Bucks' roster beyond Giannis Antetokounmpo, New Orleans better hope a) it fares far better than most expect in the deep West next season AND b) Milwaukee's star doesn't gets hurt or traded. Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Gary Trent plans to re-sign with the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-year, $7.5 million deal with a player option for the second season, a league source confirmed. Trent came to Milwaukee last offseason on a minimum deal, hoping to prove himself as the Bucks' starting shooting guard. Things didn't work out like that, as an early season injury contributed to a shooting slump that saw him get moved out of the starting lineup after missing a few games. In his final 65 games, Trent averaged 11.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25.8 minutes off the bench and knocked down 43.5 percent from the 3-point line. In the postseason, Trent became one of Giannis Anteotkounmpo's most trusted teammates. When coach Doc Rivers moved Trent into the starting lineup for Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers, Trent responded by scoring 37 points while knocking down 9-of-12 from behind the 3-point line. In a do-or-die Game 5, the 26-year-old shooting guard hit multiple clutch shots on his way to 33 points, but ultimately had the ball slip through his hands at the end of the game, which set up Tyrese Haliburton's first heroic shot of the postseason. Trent should be a good value for the Bucks next season as they try to figure out their path forward around Antetokounmpo. Matthew Stockman / Getty Images This is how you use your cap space in today's NBA. The Nets having Michael Porter Jr. on their rebuilding roster is a perfect fit. He's going to be a scorer to help dazzle fans on nights of bad team play. This Nets team is not trying to win basketball games. Brooklyn is just accumulating assets and trying to maximize its best chance at getting a superstar via the NBA draft lottery in the next two years. Now, the Nets will also have a unprotected 2032 first-round pick from Denver thanks to this trade. The Nets don't add any future money from this deal beyond how Cam Johnson's contract impacted them, so they're just eating up some of their existing cap space. And they're hoping that another pick in their treasure chest of draft assets will yield players or leverage in a future trade. Read more on why I gave the Nets an A for this trade. GO FURTHER Trade grades: Can Michael Porter Jr. help Nets' rebuilding efforts? It appears forward Guerschon Yabusele will not return to the Philadelphia 76ers next season, league sources tell The Athletic. Yabusele, 29, averaged 11 points per game last season. Jordan Clarkson isn't a perfect player, but the Knicks getting a microwave scorer of his level off waivers is a home run. Clarkson is a low-risk, high upside addition for a bench that doesn't have much shot creation. Vincent Carchietta / Imagn The Philadelphia 76ers are signing Trendon Watford to a 2 year deal worth 5.3 million, league sources tell The Athletic. ESPN was first to report a deal. Watford, 24, is a real versatile piece for the Sixers. The Swiss Army knife-type averaged 10.2 points per game for the Nets last season. Christopher Creveling / Imagn Jordan Clarkson intends to sign with the New York Knicks once he clears waivers, a league source said. The Utah Jazz bought out his contract earlier today. Clarkson, 33, has long held an interest in living in New York and playing at the Garden, with his buzzy, boundary-pushing style sense (think Willis Reed in a fur coat). The former Sixth Man of the Year award winner averaged 16.2 points per game for the Jazz last season. He must clear waivers before the Knicks can sign him. Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn The Cam Johnson-Michael Porter Jr. trade is a massive win for the Nuggets from a roster-building standpoint. Porter was owed $78 million over the next two seasons, and Johnson is due $44 million in that same timeframe. For $17 million less per season, Johnson is a similar on-court fit to Porter. This deal takes the Nuggets far away from the dreaded second apron and now gives them a lot of breathing room for fleshing out what was a top-heavy roster in the last two seasons. Johnson is one of the NBA's best 3-point shooters and gives the Nuggets plenty of versatility at either forward position. He's a career 39.2-percent 3-point shooter on more than 2,000 attempts. The 29-year-old is as consistent and reliable as it gets when it comes to being an effective off-ball shooter. He's been this kind of shooter playing on a Brooklyn team that didn't have stars to create gravity for him, leaving him to provide that gravity for the team. That won't be the case with Denver. Why? He's on Nikola Jokić's team now. Read more on why I gave Denver an A- for this deal. GO FURTHER Trade grades: Can Michael Porter Jr. help Nets' rebuilding efforts? Taurean Prince spent much of last season in the Bucks' starting lineup. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1 steal in 27.1 minutes per game and knocked down 43.9 percent from behind the 3-point line on 4.2 attempts per game. After the All-Star break, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers assigned him the toughest defensive assignments, and Prince did his best to make it work. He was durable and dependable for the Bucks this past season, but saw his time on the floor shrink during the postseason, never seeing above 20 minutes in any of the Bucks' five first-round games against the Indiana Pacers and playing less than five minutes in two of the three games. He will return to the Bucks. Mitchell Leff / Getty Images Taurean Prince will return to the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-year, $7.1 million contract, a league source said. The second year is a player option. Prince, 31, averaged 8.2 points per game while making nearly 44 percent of his 3s. Ken Blaze / Imagn The Cavaliers' original offseason plan had them re-signing Sam Merrill AND Ty Jerome, to similar contracts, two league sources said. While Merrill was thrilled to accept a four-year, $38 million deal, those sources said, Jerome sought more. The Cavs, already with one of the most expensive rosters in the league, chose to trade for Lonzo Ball instead of paying Jerome above market value — and they were right about that. Jerome ended up with a three-year, $28 million deal with the Grizzlies, a difference of about $200,000. The Charlotte Hornets will sign Mason Plumlee to a one-year minimum deal, league sources told The Athletic. Alika Jenner / Getty Images PORTLAND, Ore. — Inside the office of Chauncey Billups, in bold letters, reads a saying the Portland coach holds dear, an adage that he wants to be at the root of the Trail Blazers' rebuild. 'You can have bad plays,'' the maxim reads, 'but not bad ways.' The quote is from Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, whom Billups played for in Detroit and now considers a mentor. It's a quote that goes a long way in explaining why the Trail Blazers parted ways with center Deandre Ayton, whom they waived after negotiating a contract buyout, this week. Read more on how Ayton wore out his welcome in Portland. GO FURTHER Deandre Ayton accepts Trail Blazers contract buyout, will become free agent: Sources Petre Thomas / Imagn Free agent guard Luke Kennard will sign a one-year, $11 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks, a league source confirmed. He will join Nickeil Alexander-Walker as a new acquisition in Atlanta's backcourt. Page 2
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Milwaukee Bucks Work Magic To Re-Sign Players On Day 1 Of Free Agency
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 18: Gary Trent Jr. #5 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives to the basket ... More for a layup over Jimmy Butler III #10 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on March 18, 2025 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) The Milwaukee Bucks pulled a rabbit out of their hat on Day 1 of NBA free agency, re-signing three of their own while somehow keeping their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception stashed away for another spell. Heading into Monday, the Bucks had their work cut out for them. The roster had some glaring holes, and with a limited bag of tricks to fix it, they needed some front-office wizardry. They started building the puzzle a day early, locking in Bobby Portis on a multi-year deal. That gave them a sturdy piece up front—but they still had a whole magical menagerie of free agents to address: Kevin Porter Jr., Brook Lopez, Gary Trent Jr., Ryan Rollins, Taurean Prince, and Jericho Sims all floating in the ether. Rollins is a restricted free agent and likely sticking around—no sleight of hand needed there. But one big name slipped away. Brook Lopez packed his bags and headed west, signing with the Los Angeles Clippers and ending his spellbinding six-year run in Milwaukee. Lopez was summoned from NBA obscurity back in 2018. The Bucks snagged him on a bargain bin deal, helped him reinvent his game, and watched him become one of the most unique big men in the league. Now, at 37, he's still cashing in—inking a two-year, $18 million deal in L.A. The Bucks could've matched that, sure, but it's clear they're turning the page at center. A new chapter—and likely a new big man—is coming soon. But here's where it gets magical. Milwaukee managed to re-sign Porter Jr., Prince, and Trent Jr. all on Day 1—without burning even one enchanted dollar of their $14.1 million mid-level exception. Porter Jr. was first through the door. He came back via the bi-annual exception—inking a deal worth $5.39 million this season, with a player option for $5.66 million in 2026. Solid value for a sparkplug scorer. Next came Taurean Prince, locked in on a vet-min deal: one year guaranteed with—you guessed it—a player option for year two. He'll count just $3.3 million against the cap this year and $3.89 million the next, if he opts in. Jon Horst, Milwaukee's GM, clearly loves a good player option. Then came the real stunner: Gary Trent Jr. Most folks thought Milwaukee would have to dip deep into their mid-level exception for him. But Horst waved his wand and re-signed Trent using non-Bird rights—keeping his deal at just $3.69 million for 2025-26, with (say it with us) a $3.88 million player option in 2026-27. That's three key rotational guys back in the fold—and the Bucks still have their full mid-level exception, a $7.2 million trade exception, and the trusty vet-min tool at their disposal. Even after all that hocus pocus, they're still nearly $19 million below the first apron which they're hard-capped at. Of course, there's more work to be done. Retaining talent is great, but it won't get Milwaukee out of the first round. They've now been bounced early three straight years, and this team needs more juice if it wants to make another Finals run. Still, we've got to tip our cap to Jon Horst. On Day 1 of free agency, when most thought the Bucks were boxed in, he opened the trap door and pulled off a clean escape. Now we wait to see what other tricks he's got up his sleeve. The summer's just getting started.
Reuters
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Reports: Bucks retain Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr., Tauren Prince
July 1 - Three veteran free agents agreed to two-year contracts to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks, according to multiple media reports on Monday. Kevin Porter Jr.'s deal reportedly is worth $11 million, with Gary Trent Jr. to get $7.5 million and Taurean Prince to receive $7.1 million. Milwaukee did lose one player on Monday, as big man Brook Lopez and the Los Angeles Clippers agreed to a two-year, $18 million contract, per multiple media reports. Porter, 25, joined the Bucks in a February trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. He ended the season averaging 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists, down from his career norms of 13.9, 4.1 and 4.6 respectively, in 271 games (150 starts). He previously played for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2019-20) and Houston Rockets (2020-21 to 2022-23). Trent, 26, just completed his first season with the Bucks, averaging 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists. In 415 career NBA games, including 210 starts, with the Portland Trail Blazers (2018-19 to 2020-21), Toronto Raptors (2020-21 to 2023-24) and Milwaukee, Trent has averages of 13.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Prince, 31, also has spent only one season in Milwaukee, producing 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Overall in 582 games (344 starts) with the Atlanta Hawks (2016-17 to 2018-19), Brooklyn Nets (2019-20 to 2020-21), Cavaliers (2020-21), Minnesota Timberwolves (2021-22 to 2022-23), Los Angeles Lakers (2023-24) and the Bucks, Prince contributes 9.9 points, 3.6 boards and 1.7 assists. --Field Level Media
Forbes
30-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
4 Tools Milwaukee Bucks Have To Improve Their Team In Free Agency
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 16: Gary Trent Jr. #5 of the Milwaukee Bucks takes a three point shot ... More during the second half of a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Fiserv Forum on March 16, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) The Milwaukee Bucks will have to pull off some salary cap gymnastics this offseason if they want to keep their title window open while staying under the first apron. Let's start with the basics. Milwaukee is already over the salary cap with just six players on guaranteed deals: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, Kyle Kuzma, and Tyler Smith. Those six alone combine for $156.1 million—already $1.5 million over the 2025-26 cap. And that's not even counting the non-guaranteed salaries of AJ Green, Andre Jackson Jr., and Chris Livingston, who together make up $6.7 million. It's safe to assume Livingston will be waived before his guarantee date on July 15. The real number the Bucks need to keep an eye on is the first apron, which sits at $196 million. As long as they stay under that, they'll have access to a few key tools that can help them reshape the roster. Here are four they can use this summer—just note, using any of them will hard cap the team under the first apron. Non-Taxpayer Midlevel Exception ($14.1 Million) This is the Bucks' biggest and most flexible tool. They can use the full $14.1 million on one player or divide it among multiple signings. It can go toward re-signing one of their own free agents (who they don't have bird rights for), like Gary Trent Jr. or Kevin Porter Jr., or to bring in new talent from outside. Trent Jr. remains the top priority, but recent developments may complicate that path. Over the weekend, reports surfaced that Malik Beasley is under investigation for betting on NBA games—news that could pull a key name off the market and make Trent Jr. more in-demand. Milwaukee has to read the market carefully and decide if retaining Trent Jr. at a higher price is worth it, or if they should pivot and use the exception elsewhere. Whatever the case, maximizing this money will be critical in building around Giannis. Bi-Annual Exception ($5.1 Million) Smaller but still valuable, the Bi-Annual Exception works much like the midlevel exception—Milwaukee can use it on one of their own free agents (again, without bird rights) or bring in someone from the outside. This could be a sneaky way to bring back Porter Jr., who just declined his $2.5 million player option. Doubling that with the Bi-Annual Exception might get the job done and give the Bucks some stability at point guard while Lillard rehabs his Achilles. Veteran Minimum Contracts These are always in play and often how the Bucks fill out their bench. Over the years, they've had some hits on minimum contracts and misses, but with limited money to spend, veteran minimum deals will again be essential. Whether or not Milwaukee remains an attractive destination for ring-chasing vets is another story. They've bowed out in the first round three years in a row, and the shine of a guaranteed deep playoff run has faded. Still, with Giannis leading the charge, they'll stay on most players' radar. Trade Exception ($7.2 Million) The final tool in the Bucks' belt is a $7.2 million trade exception created in the Khris Middleton-for-Kyle Kuzma swap. This allows them to absorb a contract of up to $7.2 million without having to send one out in return. This won't land them a star, but it's a useful mechanism to grab a solid rotation piece from a team looking to shed salary. What Comes Next? With free agency tipping off on June 30, general manager Jon Horst and the Bucks' front office are on the clock. The Bucks need to rebuild their depth, plan around Lillard's absence, and potentially replace Brook Lopez if he walks. They don't have a ton of wiggle room—but with these four tools, some sharp decisions, and a little creativity, they can still piece together a roster that keeps Giannis and company in the hunt.
