Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has filed a lawsuit against a designer who produced a line of "Greek Freak" T-shirts, according to TMZ Sports. 

Antetokounmpo said in the lawsuit he sent Jinder Bhogal, the designer in question, a cease-and-desist letter regarding the T-shirts but that Bhogal never responded.

Antetokounmpo owns the commercial trademark for "Greek Freak," so anybody looking to profit off using the moniker must first receive his permission.

The 24-year-old was one of the NBA's top young talents entering the 2018-19 season and he has since achieved a new level of stardom both on and off the court.

Antetokounmpo was an All-Star for the third straight year and won MVP in a landslide over James Harden. Nike also unveiled his first signature shoe, the Air Zoom Freak 1, in June.

Considering how he needs to carefully manage his image, Antetokounmpo and his representatives will likely be rigorous about monitoring his intellectual property. And this lawsuit is evidence of that.

Forward Nikola Mirotic has signed a three-year contract, which includes an option for a fourth season, with FC Barcelona.

"I grew a lot in the United States, the last two years were the best," Mirotic said of his decision. "I played on good teams, but I missed the competition in Europe, the Endesa League, the EuroLeague, the Copa del Rey. I was looking for stability for my family. I had a chance to participate in a nice project and it was a very good opportunity for me to come here."

The 28-year-old split the 2018-19 season with the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks. He averaged 15.2 points and 7.4 rebounds on 43.9 percent shooting while injuries limited him to 46 games.

While the numbers waned a little during the Bucks' postseason run, Mirotic remained an integral part of the rotation as a floor spacer. 

"He's just a really versatile player, so it's just exciting to think about the different ways we can incorporate him offensively," Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters in February. "I think there's a toughness to him that's maybe underappreciated.

"Defensively, I think he'll stick his nose in. He's shown to be a little better defender than many people give him credit for, so just with he and Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and whether it be Brook [Lopez] or Ersan [Ilyasova] or D.J. [Wilson], there's just a lot of versatility there in how we can use these guys and still be really good on both ends of the court."

Mirotic will play a similar role in Barcelona, likely with more responsibility as a scorer. He reached something of his platonic ideal as a player over the last two seasons, and he should fit in perfectly as a sixth man or in the starting lineup.

His decision to leave for Spain comes as a surprise only because he was expected to draw eight-figure offers on the open market. The Utah Jazz were among the teams expected to be interested. They pivoted quickly to Bojan Bogdanovic.

Mirotic's versatile playing style should make him a EuroLeague standout once again after starting his professional career with Barca's rival Real Madrid. It's possible, perhaps even likely, that we'll never see Mirotic in an NBA game again as he enjoys stardom in Europe.   

Thanasis Antetokounmpo is set to play alongside his brother, reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, after reportedly reaching an agreement with the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-year contract.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported the update Sunday. Charania added the deal is worth $3 million, the veteran minimum.

Antetokounmpo spent the past two seasons with Panathinaikos in the brothers' native Greece. Another brother, Kostas Antetokounmpo, is a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Thanasis averaged 5.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 19 Greek Basket League games along with 4.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 29 Euroleague appearances for Panathinaikos during the 2018-19 season.

The 26-year-old Athens native's only NBA experience came during the 2015-16 campaign when he played six minutes over two games with the New York Knicks.

His signing with the Bucks comes just a few days after the family opened the Antetokounbros Academy in Athens for youth basketball players.

"Our goal is helping others climb to the top," Thanasis wrote Thursday on Instagram. "Working with Nike Basketball, the Onassis Foundation and EuroHoops to start Antetokounbros Academy to teach basketball and life skills in Athens to help kids reach their dreams."

It's unlikely the newest Antetokounmpo on the Bucks plays a significant role since Giannis and Co. are a legitimate championship contender with one of the league's deepest rosters heading into next season.

Thanasis could end up splitting time between the NBA and the G League, providing forward depth during his stints in Milwaukee.

Free-agent guard Wesley Matthews has agreed to a contract with the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"The NBA's Executive of the Year Jon Horst did a tremendous job building out the Bucks bench a summer ago," said Wojnarowski. "Solid addition on a minimum deal here. Several contenders were in pursuit of Matthews, who played his college ball at Marquette."

This is just the latest move for the veteran, as he suited up for three different organizations in 2018-19. Matthews started the season with the Dallas Mavericks but got traded to the New York Knicks in the Kristaps Porzingis deal. New York bought him out a week after acquiring him, leading him to finish out the season with the Indiana Pacers.

All of that came as he finished out a lucrative four-year contract that he signed in 2015.

Through all of the moving around, Matthews continued to produce. He wound up averaging 12.2 points per game and shooting 37.2 percent from three-point range. While averaging 7.0 points per game during a first-round loss to the Boston Celtics, he shot 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from beyond the arc.

He is a career 38.2 percent three-point shooter for his 10-year career.

Between his perimeter shooting and his defense, the 32-year-old Matthews can still contribute on the court. Now, the Bucks are hoping he can be a key part of the rotation after losing point guard Malcolm Brogdon to the Indiana Pacers.

With the Bucks re-signing Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez while bringing in Robin Lopez and now Matthews, Giannis Antetokounmpo has a roster ready to once again compete for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. 

The Milwaukee Bucks reached an agreement Sunday with free-agent center Robin Lopez, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

The deal gives him an opportunity to reunite with his brother Brook Lopez, who agreed to a four-year, $52 million deal with Milwaukee earlier in the day, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Lopez never developed into more than a complementary contributor after the Phoenix Suns selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. That said, he enjoyed a resurgence after the 2019 All-Star break, averaging 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks across 24 appearances.

The 31-year-old Stanford product's best campaign from an advanced-stats viewpoint came in 2013-14 with the Portland Trail Blazers when he ranked 11th among centers in value added, per ESPN.com.

It was actually something of a surprise he carved out a large niche for himself with a young, rebuilding Bulls squad this past season, but his strong play in the second half warranted the playing time. He also served in a veteran leadership role.

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In mid-January, he told Haynes he desired to play for a postseason contender, but he also remained "invested" in the Bulls' rebuild while he stayed on the roster:

"I don't think there's an NBA player that doesn't want to be on a winning team, a playoff team. I feel like I'm kind of smack dab in the middle of the prime of my career. Who doesn't relish playing in playoff situations? That's something very appealing and whether that's something the organization and myself come together and decide, that's something we want to work towards with this team, or whether that's something that's going to happen somewhere else, I'm just going to keep grinding. I think right now we definitely aspire to be a winning team, and I want to help out with that."

Joining a team on which his offensive role will likely be reduced could actually help his value.

Lopez was a positive defensive contributor for the Bulls last season, but he ranked 48th out of 72 qualified centers in offensive real plus-minus (minus-1.98), per ESPN.com.

Joining a Bucks roster featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and others will take a lot of the offensive burden off his shoulders.

Playing a reliable two-way game has always been his calling card. He should return to that role after arriving in Milwaukee, and he should provide valuable depth in the process.

George Hill's journey into free agency didn't last long before the Milwaukee Bucks agreed to bring back the veteran point guard.  

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Hill agreed to a three-year deal worth $29 million to stay in Milwaukee. 

The Bucks waived Hill prior to the start of free agency in a cost-saving maneuver. His previous deal was worth $18 million for 2019-20 but included just $1 million in guaranteed money. 

That move helped Milwaukee reach agreements with two of its key free agents. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Khris Middleton will re-sign for $178 million over five years. 

Wojnarowski also reported the Bucks will give Brook Lopez a four-year, $52 million deal. 

Keeping Hill was likely a priority for Milwaukee after Malcolm Brogdon moved to the Indiana Pacers in a sign-and-trade agreement, per Wojnarowski. 

Hill, 33, had a solid 2018-19 season split between the Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 6.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 47 games off the bench after Milwaukee acquired him in December.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer now has options with his backcourt heading into next season. Hill and Eric Bledsoe could both start, or Hill could be used off the bench with Sterling Brown moving into the starting lineup.  

Khris Middleton agreed to terms on a five-year, $178 million deal Sunday to return to the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The final year will include a player option, per Wojnarowski.

He previously declined a $13 million player option for 2019-20.

A second-round pick in 2012, Middleton spent one season with the Detroit Pistons and has spent the last six years in Milwaukee. 

Middleton, 27, is coming off one of his finest seasons to date, averaging 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists while helping the Bucks win an NBA-high 60 games this past season. That strong performance earned him his first career All-Star selection.

He posted 16.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during the postseason to help Milwaukee win a playoff series for the first time since 2001. The Bucks' season ultimately came to an end in the Eastern Conference Finals in a six-game defeat to the eventual champs, the Toronto Raptors.

Middleton's impressive 2018-19 campaign made opting out of his previous contract a no-brainer, as he was in line for a max contract. Milwaukee held a sizable advantage in that regard, as it could offer him a deal worth $190 million over five seasons. Opposing deals could only offer four years and $141 million.

Re-signing Middleton will allow Milwaukee to keep its core intact as it chases its first title since 1971. Giannis Antetokounmpo has two years remaining on his current deal, and Eric Bledsoe is under club control through 2022-23.

Malcolm Brogdon will be a restricted free agent once the window official opens Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, as the Milwaukee Bucks extended him a qualifying offer, Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported late Saturday.

This move was to be expected. ESPN's Zach Lowe reported Friday that the Bucks are "bracing for a monster Brogdon offer sheet" and added Milwaukee has a "walkaway number somewhere."

Offer sheets could come from any number of interested suitors. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst named the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks as teams that "could consider an offer sheet for Brogdon and test the Bucks."

However, the two reporters hinged the Celtics' interest in Brogdon on their ability to land All-Star free agent point guard Kemba Walker, who ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier Saturday is heading to Boston.

Relevant to Brogdon's viability in the free-agent market is Lowe's note that some interested teams have concern about the 26-year-old reinjuring his foot.

Brogdon was diagnosed with a minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot in March, which held him out for the remainder of the Bucks' regular season. The 6'5", 229-pound guard returned during the postseason—averaging 13.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists in seven games (two starts).

Milwaukee drafted Brogdon out of Virginia in the second round of the 2016 NBA draft. After missing close to half of the 2017-18 season because of a partially torn tendon in his left quadriceps, he posted career-highs in points per game (15.6) and rebounds (4.5) last season.

The Bucks have a tight salary cap entering free agency and decisions to make with Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez both set to become unrestricted free agents.

The Bucks can ill afford to lose Middleton, who was the team's second-leading scorer (18.3 points per game) behind league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (27.7), and as Sporting News' Sean Deveney pointed out at the beginning of this month, Lopez may have "played himself out of Milwaukee's price range" last season.

In other words, it seems all it will take is one team to bet on Brogdon's health and outbid the Bucks to lure him away.

The Milwaukee Bucks' chances of retaining restricted free agent Malcolm Brogdon could be helped by the plantar fascia tear he suffered in March.

Per ESPN's Zach Lowe, some of the teams interested in Brogdon have concerns he will reinjure his right foot. 

Brogdon suffered the injury during a March 15 win over the Miami Heat. He missed the final 13 games of the regular season and first eight playoff games before returning May 8.

The plantar fascia tear came as Brogdon had been dealing with pain in his foot for weeks before it happened.

"It would get sore and get irritated probably a few weeks before the injury happened, and then it basically just tore, which is the best thing for it," Brogdon told Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. "It sort of heals and cures the plantar fasciitis."

Lowe listed the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers as potential suitors.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on June 20 that Brogdon's offer sheet could "be worth as much as $17, $18, maybe even $20 million a season."

Durability has been a problem for Brogdon over the past two seasons, as the 26-year-old missed 30 straight games in 2017-18 with a partially torn left quadriceps tendon.

Milwaukee only has $17.25 million in cap space and has Brogdon, Middleton, Brook Lopez and Nikola Mirotic hitting the market.

Brogdon has leverage coming off the best season of his career; he averaged 15.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and shot 50.5 percent from the field (42.6 percent from three).

Malcolm Brogdon is expected to have a host of potential suitors once free agency begins Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, but at least some of them are reportedly concerned. 

ESPN's Zach Lowe reported Friday that the Milwaukee Bucks are "bracing for a monster Brogdon offer sheet" as the 26-year-old is set to become a restricted free agent. 

"It's unclear where such an offer sheet might come from, though there are a few candidates: Phoenix, Chicago, Dallas, Indiana, and perhaps a couple others," Lowe wrote. "Some of those teams are worried about Brogdon reinjuring his foot, sources say."

The Bucks announced on March 16 that Brogdon had suffered a minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot, and he subsequently missed the remainder of the regular season.

"I was worried it would happen just because that's a risk when you play with plantar fascia and I've seen other guys have it," Brogdon disclosed to Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in April. "It's something where my pain wasn't that bad and it's a chance you take."

Brogdon had been playing through plantar fasciitis in his right foot "for weeks" prior to the tear. The guard was also hampered by a partially torn tendon in his left quadriceps last season.

Once the former second-round pick out of Virginia returned to the court from the foot injury, he averaged 13 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists in seven postseason games (two starts). 

Overall, 2018-19 was Brogdon's best NBA season. He posted career highs in points per game (15.6), rebounds per game (4.5), field-goal percentage (50.5) and three-point percentage (42.6).

Brogdon will hope his performance outweighs any injury concerns. 

Earlier Friday, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst outlined a scenario in which the Bucks could lose out on Brogdon: 

"With the Milwaukee Bucks facing a luxury-tax bill if they re-sign Khris Middleton, as they are expected to do, teams could challenge Milwaukee with a so-called toxic offer sheet for Brogdon. League executives believe a team could construct an offer sheet with the highest salary next season and then descending payments combined with a player option and possible bonuses that the Bucks might have to pay, but a new team might not.

"The Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics (if they don't land Kemba Walker), Phoenix Suns and Mavericks could consider an offer sheet for Brogdon and test the Bucks."

Lowe added that sources have indicated to him that the Bucks "have a walkaway number somewhere." Brogdon (and all restricted free agents) will be allowed to negotiate with teams throughout a moratorium until July 6, which includes the ability to accept the Bucks' qualifying offer or sign an offer sheet with another team.

Should Brogdon sign an offer sheet, the Bucks will have 48 hours to match beginning July 6.