Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out of his team’s 135-95 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers after he suffered a bruised right shoulder. The power forward was only added to the team’s official injury report two hours before tipoff.

Prior to being sidelined, Antetokounmpo has played in 29 consecutive games, his longest streak since the 2020-21 season when he played 31. Still, the superstar’s absence could be deeply felt against Cleveland, with the team lacking points on the night.

Antetokounmpo is enjoying a stellar season, averaging 31.2 points and 11.4 rebounds. Last month, the power forward set a franchise record by scoring 64 points to lift the Bucks to a 140-126 win over the Indiana Pacers. Despite the loss to the Cavs, the Bucks remain second in the Eastern Conference on 28-13.

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The Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has agreed to a $186 million, three-year extension with the team, his agent, Alex Saratsis, confirmed late on Monday. The deal comes with an option for the 2027-28 NBA season. This will see the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player remain with the Bucks through the contract of guard Damian Lillard while preventing him from entering free agency in 2025.

The Bucks’ general manager Jon Horst traveled to Chicago on Sunday to meet with Saratsis so that the pair could work on a deal that would maximize Antetokounmpo’s earnings throughout the next three years. Because of the Over 38 rule in the CBA, the player will be able to sign another short-term deal with the Bucks in 2026 and another four-year extension in 2028.

Having been drafted out of Greece in 2013 by the Bucks, Antetokounmpo is doubling down on his loyalty to the franchise. With the 2021 NBA Championship and two league MVPs under his belt, the Greek national is on his way to becoming one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

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The Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton underwent surgery on his right knee following his team’s exit from the Eastern Conference playoffs, sources revealed to ESPN. This comes after the 31-year-old player experienced discomfort in his right knee throughout the season.

Middleton first injured his knee during the Bucks’ first-round playoff victory over the Chicago Bulls last season and has since been unable to make a full recovery. He missed all seven games of the Bucks’ loss to the Boston Celtics during the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals.

This season, Middleton has only been able to play 33 regular games as a result of a combination of different issues, including his right knee setback and his recovery from a left wrist injury that he incurred the previous season.

Despite his knee injury, Middleton improved his performance compared to the regular season. Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists during the regular season, before bolstering himself to 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists during his team’s five-game loss to Miami.

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Free agent guard Goran Dragic could be signed by the Milwaukee Bucks as soon as Friday, multiple sources revealed to ESPN. This comes after Dragic cleared waivers on Thursday.

The 36-year-old player is scheduled to meet with Bucks officials in Milwaukee on Friday, during which time the terms of the deal are expected to be discussed. Dragic previously considered signing for the Bucks a year ago, however, he ended up going with the Brooklyn Nets. This time, however, he remains intent on joining the Bucks now that his contract with the Chicago Bulls has been waived.

Emerging as one of the league’s best guards during his formative seasons with Phoenix, Houston, and Miami, Dragic has become a prime target for the Bucks due to his on-court leadership qualities and his versatile abilities. Milwaukee believes that Dragic can provide them with the edge they need to win the NBA Championship.

Currently on a 16 game winning streak, the Bucks have overtaken the Boston Celtics for the best record in the Eastern Conference, putting themselves in poll position for the conference title as well as a prime playoff spot.

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The Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry has agreed to sell his stake in the team to Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam for a fee of $3.5 billion. The completion of the deal is pending league approval.

Upon completion, this would be the second-highest valuation ever for an NBA team, only to be surpassed by the $4 billion valuation of the Phoenix Suns earlier this month, with Mat Ishbia purchasing a portion of the team from Robert Sarver. Furthermore, it would be the third highest overall for any professional American sports team, also trailing the $4.65 billion that the Denver Broncos were sold for in June 2022.

Lasry purchased the Bucks in 2014 for $550 million alongside fellow New York hedge fund financier Wes Edens. Since then, the Bucks have emerged as one of the strongest NBA franchises, with the team winning the 2021 NBA Championship. Since Lasry’s takeover, the Bucks amassed the fifth most wins of any NBA franchise, while star player Giannis Antetokounmpo won two NBA Most Valuable Player accolades.

Following his departure from Bucks ownership, Lasry is reportedly setting out to establish a sports investment firm within his existing investment firm.

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Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam are in the process of expanding their investment portfolio by foraying into NBA ownership. The pair are currently in talks to purchase a 25% stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.

No strangers to seeking sports investment opportunities outside of Ohio, the Haslams are looking to acquire the share of the Bucks that is currently owned by Marc Lasry. This comes after the Haslams previously approached the Minnesota Timberwolves regarding an investment opportunity.

In 2014, New York investment firm executives Lasry and Wesley Edens purchased the Bucks from former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl for a price of approximately $550 million in an effort to keep the team in Milwaukee. The Haslams purchased the Browns in 2014 from Randy Lerner in a deal worth $1.05 billion. They also own the Columbus Crew MLS team and have an active role in managing the stadiums for both sports franchises.

Under the Haslams’ ownership, the Browns have gone 60-119-1, managing a single playoff appearance in 11 seasons.

The post Browns Owners Look to Buy Stake in NBA’s Bucks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

As exciting as it’s been to follow the wheelings and dealings behind the scenes, the free agent signings, the draft lottery, the blockbuster trades, and all of the above, it’s time to finally get down to playing some basketball. Or, watching it, we should say more accurately. Because there’s nothing more exciting than watching our favorite NBA players compete, and thankfully the new season is right around the corner. So who’s going to win the title this year? Here’s how we have it ranked.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

Although Giannis truly impressed us all last summer, we don’t believe he’ll repeat—at least not this year. We’re not counting him out completely, and that’s why his team is ranked third, but his competition will be tougher than ever.

2. Brooklyn Nets

People keep talking about Kyrie possibly missing games, but the fact of the matter is, Brooklyn still has Kevin Durant and James Harden on their team. Their team is an offensive juggernaut, but we still think they’ll fall short to the following team.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

That’s right, the Los Angeles Lakers. Look for LeBron to come out with a vengeance this season as critics say that he (and his team) is too old. Together with Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, we predict this squad to remain standing when all is said and done.

The post Who Will Win the NBA Title This Season? appeared first on SportzBonanza.

En route to last year’s NBA Finals, the Miami Heat embarrassed the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and handed them a gentlemen’s sweep in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. This year, however, the Bucks are proving themselves to be a much tougher opponent.

The 2020-21 playoffs matched up the Heat and the Bucks once again, this time in the first round, and things aren’t going well for Miami so far. After getting edged out in Game 1 in overtime, the Heat also suffered a 98-132 blowout on Monday night.

The Bucks were dominant straight from the bat, pouring in 46 points in the first quarter alone, and were already 26 points ahead when the second period started. From that point on, Milwaukee kept adding to their lead while disrupting Miami’s comeback attempts with some excellent defense.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was the best player on the court, scoring 31 points and grabbing 13 boards in just 31 minutes. Jrue Holiday dished 15 assists, while the Bucks also got great production from Bryn Forbes, who scored 22 off the bench.

The Heat, on the other hand, struggled to put points on the board the whole night. They didn’t have any player with more than 19 points, while their All-Star forward Jimmy Butler finished with just 10 points, four assists, and two rebounds.

The Heat will have a chance to respond on Thursday when the series travels to Miami.

The Western Conference part of the playoffs also saw a blowout. The Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-109 and tied the series 1-1 thanks to a monster night from their All-Star center Nikola Jokic.

Jokic also played 31 minutes but managed to do even more damage. He finished the night with 38 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Michael Porter Jr. and Paul Millsap added 18 points, respectively.

Damian Lillard tried to keep the Blazers in the game as much as possible, but even his 42 points and 10 assists were not enough to make it close. The two teams will meet again on Thursday in Portland.

The post Bucks Get 2-0 Lead vs. Miami, Nuggets Tie Series Against Blazers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Milwaukee Bucks won’t have a second-round selection in the 2022 NBA Draft after the NBA decided to penalize the team for a failed trade that involved shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic. 

The decision comes after a recent investigation showed that the Bucks made contact with Bogdanovic and the player’s agent before the free-agency discussions were allowed, thus violating the league’s tampering rules. 

The initial deal saw Milwaukee making a deal with the Sacramento Kings to acquire Bogdanovic in a sign-and-trade for Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson, and Ersan Ilyasova. However, the trade fell through several days later after the 28-year-old Serbian decided he wanted to explore free agency.

Since the Bucks were cooperative and there was no evidence that they made a formal contract offer to Bogdanovic, the franchise only lost their second-rounder instead of receiving a harsher penalty.

“We were intentional and fully compliant and cooperative with the NBA from the get,” said Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst in a statement. “The decision’s been made, and we’re moving on. We’re really excited about the season starting tomorrow, and we’ll kind of take it from there.”

Bogdan Bogdanovic ended up with the Atlanta Hawks, signing a four-year, $72 million sheet offer that the Kings declined to match.

The post Bucks Lose Second-Round Pick in 2022 Because of Failed Bogdan Bogdanovic Trade appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Miami Heat seem to have Milwaukee Bucks’ number. Heat faced the Bucks on Monday night and captured a convincing 105-89 victory. With this win, Miami handed out Milwaukee only their ninth defeat of the season and became the only team to beat them twice in 2019/20.

The Heat was led by All-Star Bam Adebayo, who had a well-rounded game and finished the night with 14 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. But his arguably most impactful effort came on the defensive end of the ball.

Adebayo played some stellar defense on Bucks’ superstar and MVP frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo, holding him to just 13 points and forcing him to take a number of bad shots. Antetokounmpo finished the night shooting 1 out of 10 when guarded by Adebayo.

“[Antetokounmpo is] a handful when he’s running at you full speed,” said Adebayo. “I feel like we did a good job containing him in transition. I feel like that’s where he gets his flow in when he gets in transition, and I thank my teammates for not leaving me one-on-one.”

Besides containing Antetokounmpo, Miami also profited from a high percentage of made 3-pointers, making 18 threes compared to Milwaukee’s’ seven. Six of Heat’s players finished in double digits, including Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder, who each scored 18.

Bucks, on the other side, saw Brook Lopez score 21 while no other of their players managed to get past 13-points mark.

Milwaukee Bucks still remain first in the East, having the league’s best 52-9 record. Miami Heat have a 39-22 record, enough for the fourth seed.

The post Heat Become the Only Team in NBA to Beat the Bucks Twice This Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out of his team’s 135-95 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers after he suffered a bruised right shoulder. The power forward was only added to the team’s official injury report two hours before tipoff.

Prior to being sidelined, Antetokounmpo has played in 29 consecutive games, his longest streak since the 2020-21 season when he played 31. Still, the superstar’s absence could be deeply felt against Cleveland, with the team lacking points on the night.

Antetokounmpo is enjoying a stellar season, averaging 31.2 points and 11.4 rebounds. Last month, the power forward set a franchise record by scoring 64 points to lift the Bucks to a 140-126 win over the Indiana Pacers. Despite the loss to the Cavs, the Bucks remain second in the Eastern Conference on 28-13.

The post Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Misses Cavs Defeat Through Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has agreed to a $186 million, three-year extension with the team, his agent, Alex Saratsis, confirmed late on Monday. The deal comes with an option for the 2027-28 NBA season. This will see the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player remain with the Bucks through the contract of guard Damian Lillard while preventing him from entering free agency in 2025.

The Bucks’ general manager Jon Horst traveled to Chicago on Sunday to meet with Saratsis so that the pair could work on a deal that would maximize Antetokounmpo’s earnings throughout the next three years. Because of the Over 38 rule in the CBA, the player will be able to sign another short-term deal with the Bucks in 2026 and another four-year extension in 2028.

Having been drafted out of Greece in 2013 by the Bucks, Antetokounmpo is doubling down on his loyalty to the franchise. With the 2021 NBA Championship and two league MVPs under his belt, the Greek national is on his way to becoming one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Agrees to Three-Year Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton underwent surgery on his right knee following his team’s exit from the Eastern Conference playoffs, sources revealed to ESPN. This comes after the 31-year-old player experienced discomfort in his right knee throughout the season.

Middleton first injured his knee during the Bucks’ first-round playoff victory over the Chicago Bulls last season and has since been unable to make a full recovery. He missed all seven games of the Bucks’ loss to the Boston Celtics during the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals.

This season, Middleton has only been able to play 33 regular games as a result of a combination of different issues, including his right knee setback and his recovery from a left wrist injury that he incurred the previous season.

Despite his knee injury, Middleton improved his performance compared to the regular season. Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists during the regular season, before bolstering himself to 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists during his team’s five-game loss to Miami.

The post Bucks’ Middleton Undergoes Knee Surgery appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Free agent guard Goran Dragic could be signed by the Milwaukee Bucks as soon as Friday, multiple sources revealed to ESPN. This comes after Dragic cleared waivers on Thursday.

The 36-year-old player is scheduled to meet with Bucks officials in Milwaukee on Friday, during which time the terms of the deal are expected to be discussed. Dragic previously considered signing for the Bucks a year ago, however, he ended up going with the Brooklyn Nets. This time, however, he remains intent on joining the Bucks now that his contract with the Chicago Bulls has been waived.

Emerging as one of the league’s best guards during his formative seasons with Phoenix, Houston, and Miami, Dragic has become a prime target for the Bucks due to his on-court leadership qualities and his versatile abilities. Milwaukee believes that Dragic can provide them with the edge they need to win the NBA Championship.

Currently on a 16 game winning streak, the Bucks have overtaken the Boston Celtics for the best record in the Eastern Conference, putting themselves in poll position for the conference title as well as a prime playoff spot.

The post Bucks Could Sign Dragic as Soon as Friday appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry has agreed to sell his stake in the team to Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam for a fee of $3.5 billion. The completion of the deal is pending league approval.

Upon completion, this would be the second-highest valuation ever for an NBA team, only to be surpassed by the $4 billion valuation of the Phoenix Suns earlier this month, with Mat Ishbia purchasing a portion of the team from Robert Sarver. Furthermore, it would be the third highest overall for any professional American sports team, also trailing the $4.65 billion that the Denver Broncos were sold for in June 2022.

Lasry purchased the Bucks in 2014 for $550 million alongside fellow New York hedge fund financier Wes Edens. Since then, the Bucks have emerged as one of the strongest NBA franchises, with the team winning the 2021 NBA Championship. Since Lasry’s takeover, the Bucks amassed the fifth most wins of any NBA franchise, while star player Giannis Antetokounmpo won two NBA Most Valuable Player accolades.

Following his departure from Bucks ownership, Lasry is reportedly setting out to establish a sports investment firm within his existing investment firm.

The post Marc Lasry to Sell Stake in Milwaukee Bucks to Haslams appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam are in the process of expanding their investment portfolio by foraying into NBA ownership. The pair are currently in talks to purchase a 25% stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.

No strangers to seeking sports investment opportunities outside of Ohio, the Haslams are looking to acquire the share of the Bucks that is currently owned by Marc Lasry. This comes after the Haslams previously approached the Minnesota Timberwolves regarding an investment opportunity.

In 2014, New York investment firm executives Lasry and Wesley Edens purchased the Bucks from former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl for a price of approximately $550 million in an effort to keep the team in Milwaukee. The Haslams purchased the Browns in 2014 from Randy Lerner in a deal worth $1.05 billion. They also own the Columbus Crew MLS team and have an active role in managing the stadiums for both sports franchises.

Under the Haslams’ ownership, the Browns have gone 60-119-1, managing a single playoff appearance in 11 seasons.

The post Browns Owners Look to Buy Stake in NBA’s Bucks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

As exciting as it’s been to follow the wheelings and dealings behind the scenes, the free agent signings, the draft lottery, the blockbuster trades, and all of the above, it’s time to finally get down to playing some basketball. Or, watching it, we should say more accurately. Because there’s nothing more exciting than watching our favorite NBA players compete, and thankfully the new season is right around the corner. So who’s going to win the title this year? Here’s how we have it ranked.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

Although Giannis truly impressed us all last summer, we don’t believe he’ll repeat—at least not this year. We’re not counting him out completely, and that’s why his team is ranked third, but his competition will be tougher than ever.

2. Brooklyn Nets

People keep talking about Kyrie possibly missing games, but the fact of the matter is, Brooklyn still has Kevin Durant and James Harden on their team. Their team is an offensive juggernaut, but we still think they’ll fall short to the following team.

1. Los Angeles Lakers

That’s right, the Los Angeles Lakers. Look for LeBron to come out with a vengeance this season as critics say that he (and his team) is too old. Together with Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, we predict this squad to remain standing when all is said and done.

The post Who Will Win the NBA Title This Season? appeared first on SportzBonanza.

En route to last year’s NBA Finals, the Miami Heat embarrassed the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and handed them a gentlemen’s sweep in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. This year, however, the Bucks are proving themselves to be a much tougher opponent.

The 2020-21 playoffs matched up the Heat and the Bucks once again, this time in the first round, and things aren’t going well for Miami so far. After getting edged out in Game 1 in overtime, the Heat also suffered a 98-132 blowout on Monday night.

The Bucks were dominant straight from the bat, pouring in 46 points in the first quarter alone, and were already 26 points ahead when the second period started. From that point on, Milwaukee kept adding to their lead while disrupting Miami’s comeback attempts with some excellent defense.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was the best player on the court, scoring 31 points and grabbing 13 boards in just 31 minutes. Jrue Holiday dished 15 assists, while the Bucks also got great production from Bryn Forbes, who scored 22 off the bench.

The Heat, on the other hand, struggled to put points on the board the whole night. They didn’t have any player with more than 19 points, while their All-Star forward Jimmy Butler finished with just 10 points, four assists, and two rebounds.

The Heat will have a chance to respond on Thursday when the series travels to Miami.

The Western Conference part of the playoffs also saw a blowout. The Denver Nuggets beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-109 and tied the series 1-1 thanks to a monster night from their All-Star center Nikola Jokic.

Jokic also played 31 minutes but managed to do even more damage. He finished the night with 38 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Michael Porter Jr. and Paul Millsap added 18 points, respectively.

Damian Lillard tried to keep the Blazers in the game as much as possible, but even his 42 points and 10 assists were not enough to make it close. The two teams will meet again on Thursday in Portland.

The post Bucks Get 2-0 Lead vs. Miami, Nuggets Tie Series Against Blazers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Milwaukee Bucks won’t have a second-round selection in the 2022 NBA Draft after the NBA decided to penalize the team for a failed trade that involved shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic. 

The decision comes after a recent investigation showed that the Bucks made contact with Bogdanovic and the player’s agent before the free-agency discussions were allowed, thus violating the league’s tampering rules. 

The initial deal saw Milwaukee making a deal with the Sacramento Kings to acquire Bogdanovic in a sign-and-trade for Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson, and Ersan Ilyasova. However, the trade fell through several days later after the 28-year-old Serbian decided he wanted to explore free agency.

Since the Bucks were cooperative and there was no evidence that they made a formal contract offer to Bogdanovic, the franchise only lost their second-rounder instead of receiving a harsher penalty.

“We were intentional and fully compliant and cooperative with the NBA from the get,” said Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst in a statement. “The decision’s been made, and we’re moving on. We’re really excited about the season starting tomorrow, and we’ll kind of take it from there.”

Bogdan Bogdanovic ended up with the Atlanta Hawks, signing a four-year, $72 million sheet offer that the Kings declined to match.

The post Bucks Lose Second-Round Pick in 2022 Because of Failed Bogdan Bogdanovic Trade appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Miami Heat seem to have Milwaukee Bucks’ number. Heat faced the Bucks on Monday night and captured a convincing 105-89 victory. With this win, Miami handed out Milwaukee only their ninth defeat of the season and became the only team to beat them twice in 2019/20.

The Heat was led by All-Star Bam Adebayo, who had a well-rounded game and finished the night with 14 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. But his arguably most impactful effort came on the defensive end of the ball.

Adebayo played some stellar defense on Bucks’ superstar and MVP frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo, holding him to just 13 points and forcing him to take a number of bad shots. Antetokounmpo finished the night shooting 1 out of 10 when guarded by Adebayo.

“[Antetokounmpo is] a handful when he’s running at you full speed,” said Adebayo. “I feel like we did a good job containing him in transition. I feel like that’s where he gets his flow in when he gets in transition, and I thank my teammates for not leaving me one-on-one.”

Besides containing Antetokounmpo, Miami also profited from a high percentage of made 3-pointers, making 18 threes compared to Milwaukee’s’ seven. Six of Heat’s players finished in double digits, including Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder, who each scored 18.

Bucks, on the other side, saw Brook Lopez score 21 while no other of their players managed to get past 13-points mark.

Milwaukee Bucks still remain first in the East, having the league’s best 52-9 record. Miami Heat have a 39-22 record, enough for the fourth seed.

The post Heat Become the Only Team in NBA to Beat the Bucks Twice This Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.