NBA Central

Bojan Bogdanović and the Detroit Pistons have agreed to a two-year, $39.1 million contract extension that ties him to the franchise through the 2024-25 campaign, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Bogdanović is making $19.5 million this season, the final year of a four-year, $73 million deal he signed with the Utah Jazz in June 2019.

The Pistons acquired Bogdanović in a trade with the Jazz in September, sending Kelly Olynyk, Saben Lee and cash considerations to Utah in exchange for the veteran.

Bogdanović has appeared in each of Detroit's first six games, starting alongside Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart. He's averaging 23.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 51.7 percent from the floor and 51.1 percent from deep.

The 33-year-old's new contract comes as little surprise after NBA insider Marc Stein reported in September that he was seeking a multiyear extension. In addition, Pistons head coach Dwane Casey has referred to him as a "godsend," so it's clear the franchise values him as both a player and leader.

Cunningham, one of the team's rising stars, also told reporters earlier this week:

“He’s very knowledgeable about the game and he shares his knowledge. He doesn’t hold it to himself. He makes sure all of us are on the same page. He talks to us a lot. It’s fun to play with a guy like that who has such a high IQ and cares about winning so much.”

Bogdanović began his NBA career with the Brooklyn Nets in 2014-15, and he spent two-and-a-half seasons with the franchise before joining the Washington Wizards for the second half of the 2016-17 campaign.

From there, the Croatian spent two seasons with the Indiana Pacers, where he emerged as a key contributor, averaging 16.1 points in 161 games. His best seasons came with the Jazz when he averaged 18.4 points in 204 games (2019-2022).

Bogdanović will now be a key player for the Pistons for the foreseeable future, and he'll try to extend his hot start to the 2022-23 campaign in Sunday's game against the Golden State Warriors.

The Phoenix Suns have reportedly "been engaged in talks" with the Milwaukee Bucks on a potential Jae Crowder trade, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat remain in pursuit of the veteran forward, but Milwaukee has also "registered interest."

Crowder has yet to appear with the Suns this season and has been away from the team since training camp as part of a mutual decision to part ways.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported Heat officials believe Miami is Crowder's "preferred destination" after ending the 2019-20 season with the team. The wing started all 21 playoff games as the squad made a surprising run to the NBA Final.

The experience could make Crowder a quality fit on any contender, however, totaling 107 playoff games during his career.

The 32-year-old has also made deep playoff runs with the Boston Celtics and Suns, but has never won a title.

Crowder has proved he can help in a lot of ways on the court, averaging 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game last season. He started all 67 games he played for the Suns as they posted the best record in the NBA.

The Suns were 5.4 points better per 100 possessions with Crowder on the court last season, tying Chris Paul for second among regular rotation players, per Basketball Reference.

Milwaukee is off to a strong start with wins over the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets, but the squad could use added depth on the wing, especially with Khris Middleton dealing with a wrist injury. Crowder's postseason experience could then help the Bucks get over the top as they try to win their second title in three years.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was initially frustrated and upset the Sacramento Kings traded him last February, but he now says that the move is "probably one of the best things that could happen for my career."

Haliburton made the remarks on SiriusXM NBA Radio:

“Looking back…it’s probably one of the best things that could happen for my career”

Tyrese Haliburton breaks down his original frustrations of getting traded by the Kings last year.@Pacers | #PacersTwitter pic.twitter.com/N1OLmDhMMl

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) October 23, 2022

The Pacers acquired Haliburton, Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson for Domantas Sabonis, Justin Holiday, Jeremy Lamb and a 2023 second-round draft pick.

Parting ways with Haliburton was a surprising move for the Kings, who selected the ex-Iowa State star with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2020 draft. Haliburton excelled for Sacramento when given the chance, averaging 13.6 points and 6.3 assists in 109 career games. He had just posted a 17-assist game before the trade as well.

After the move, he wrote an article for the Players' Tribune, saying he was blindsided by the trade and that he cried his "eyes out" when he learned about it.

But the trade to Indiana has given Haliburton the opportunity to realize his full potential. He is averaging 25.7 points on 50.0 percent shooting (41.2 percent from three-point range), 9.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game through three matchups.

It's early, but the 22-year-old looks like an All-Star right now. He'll look to keep the good vibes rolling when Indiana visits the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.

The Detroit Pistons are reportedly investigating allegations of workplace misconduct levied against assistant general manager Rob Murphy.

On Thursday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Murphy was placed on administrative leave as the team investigates allegations "involving a former female employee."

Murphy has not been with the Pistons organization long.

Wojnarowski pointed out he started as the general manager of the franchise's G League team, the Motor City Cruise, in March 2021. He was then promoted to assistant general manager of the NBA team in June.

Prior to joining the Pistons, Murphy was a collegiate coach with stops as an assistant for Kent State and Syracuse before he was the head coach of Eastern Michigan for 10 seasons from 2011-12 through 2020-21.

Detroit started its 2022-23 season on Wednesday with a victory over the Orlando Magic.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland suffered a left eye injury in Wednesday's season-opener against the Toronto Raptors, but he appears to have avoided a disastrous situation.

The Cavaliers announced that Garland will not need surgery after testing revealed "no structural damage." He will continue to be evaluated in the coming days.

Garland was limited to 13 minutes as the Cavs suffered a 108-105 loss. He scored four points on 2-of-8 shooting with three assists, two steals and five turnovers.

In Garland's absence, Cleveland guard Donovan Mitchell shouldered the offense, scoring a game-high 31 points in his team debut, adding nine assists. Mitchell was acquired in an offseason trade with the Utah Jazz, and the Cavs are hoping he and Garland will be one of the top backcourt duos in the NBA.

A fourth-year point guard out of Vanderbilt, Garland quickly developed into one of the more promising young floor generals in the league. The 22-year-old posted career highs of 21.7 points and 8.6 assists per game in 2021-22 to earn his first selection to the All-Star Game.

After finishing eighth in the Eastern Conference last year, the Cavs were expected to take a step forward this season. Along with Garland and Mitchell, who is a three-time All-Star, Cleveland has a deep, talented roster that includes Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and Kevin Love.

If Garland is forced to miss time, Mitchell could slide over to point guard and be the team's primary ball-handler while Love could be inserted into the starting lineup.

The Cavaliers will be back in action Saturday against the Chicago Bulls.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is an adherent of the Mamba Mentality.

While acknowledging their limited interpersonal connection, Antetokounmpo told The Athletic's Eric Nehm he sees similarities between his mindset and that of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant:

"I will never say this, I will never disrespect the name of the great Kobe. I don’t like mentioning him. I feel like he should be mentioned, should never be forgotten. But I don’t like mentioning his name to bring attention to the conversation that we are about to have. I wasn’t close to him. I wasn’t this with him or that with him. But I would say this, in some areas of his mindset, I think we’re very similar."

Like Michael Jordan before him, Bryant helped to set a template for how NBA stars can approach their craft. His intensity and single-minded focus didn't make him the greatest teammate at times, but it undoubtedly helped him win five championships.

In the case of Antetokounmpo, the dedication to his game is evident in his NBA rise.

Nobody could have foreseen a 19-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo, who averaged 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as a rookie, becoming a two-time MVP and one of the league's 75 greatest players. Over time, the Greek Freak filled out and honed the rougher edges of his game to accentuate his physical gifts.

Now, the 27-year-old is in a position to lead by example, just as Bryant did as a player.

MarJon Beauchamp, the No. 24 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, explained how he watches Antetokounmpo's approach and is "trying to be the same because I’m trying to be a great player."

"He doesn’t talk to anyone," Beauchamp said, per Nehm. "He just stays focused. He has the same habits, the same routine. He’s just locked in, I can tell by his face."

Milwaukee Bucks star Khris Middleton will reportedly miss the first few weeks of the regular season as he recovers from his wrist injury, according to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Adrian Wojnarowski reported in July that Middleton had surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. He was expected to be fully recovered around the start of the regular season.

Despite some hope that Middleton would be on the court for the Bucks' first game, he told reporters Sept. 26 that opening night was off the table. He did note he hopes to return sometime near the beginning of the season, but the team will now have to wait on his season debut.

Injuries were also a problem for Middleton down the stretch last season. The three-time All-Star missed Milwaukee's final 10 playoff games with an MCL injury.

Middleton had been durable in recent seasons. Since missing 53 games because of a hamstring injury in 2016-17, the 31-year-old has sat out a total of 36 regular-season games from 2018-22.

The Bucks still have a talented roster, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, that will allow them to remain near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. A healthy Middleton could be the difference between them losing in the playoffs and winning a title.

Given how important Middleton has been to Milwaukee, the team will likely exercise caution to make sure he's at full strength before bringing him back.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has heard Gilbert Arenas' criticisms, but he's not going to let the words of a "bitter" ex-NBA player bother him.

The Milwaukee Bucks star addressed Arenas' comments during an appearance on Sirius XM NBA Radio's The Starting Lineup on Friday and sent a shot back at the former Washington Wizard.

"Does it bother me? I'm not going to lie, it makes me want to work harder," Antetokounmpo said. "Do I go back home and think about it and I can't sleep? Not necessarily. But at the end of the day, hey, I don't know, when I am 45 years old, 50 years old, I might be, you know, a little bit bitter, too. I might be seeing, you know, this 20-year-old making, signing a three-year, $900 million. ... Maybe, I don't know, but I don't think so.

"Because I'm grateful for everything that God has blessed me with, for my kids, for my brothers, for my family, for my father, you know, for my son and the people I work with. I'm grateful for it. And I don't think I'm going to be like that."

While it was couched in a longer answer, there was one key word there: bitter. Antetokounmpo likely views Arenas as someone with an ax to grind rather than someone who is giving valid criticism.

Arenas recently bashed Giannis during multiple media appearances, saying the two-time MVP "doesn't understand basketball."

"The media says he's the best player in the league. Not even close. Just stop it!" Arenas recently said on the No Chill podcast. "I can look at his game and say he doesn't understand basketball yet. He plays the sport, he won a championship, cool. But he doesn't really understand how to be better, how to train his body."

The lack of objective validity in Arenas' claims makes him easy to dismiss. Antetokounmpo has already accomplished more at age 27 than Arenas did in his entire NBA career; it isn't even particularly close. Giannis has one championship to Arenas' zero; one Finals MVP to Arenas' zero; two MVPs to Arenas' zero; one Defensive Player of the Year to Arenas' zero...OK, you get the point.

Couple that with the fact that Antetokounmpo accomplished all of those feats after having never played at a higher level than Greece's second division before reaching the NBA, and it's easy to see why Giannis sleeps well at night.

Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball has not played in a game since January, and it will likely be awhile before he returns.

Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the 24-year-old is expected to miss "at least a few months" but there is "confidence" he will be able to play during the 2022-23 season after he had surgery on his left knee Wednesday.

Ball told reporters on Tuesday that he was still unable to run or jump without feeling pain in his left knee. He spent the summer rehabbing from a torn meniscus in Los Angeles and seeking opinions from multiple specialists, and he opted to undergo another procedure.

"There was a point where we would warm up and stuff, and I would go through certain days and it would be fine," he said. "Then whenever I got to real basketball activities, I just couldn't do it. Unfortunately, this is what's at hand and has to be dealt with. We feel like surgery, again, is the best option."

The Bulls acquired Ball in a sign-and-trade prior to the 2021-22 season. He immediately found a groove as the team's starting point guard, averaging 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting a career-best 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. However, his knee injury limited him to just 35 games, the fewest in his five-year career.

The 2017 No. 2 overall pick had high expectations coming out of UCLA, and he has developed into a solid player when healthy. He previously underwent surgery on his left knee in 2018 while with the Los Angeles Lakers. He also spent two seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging a career-high 14.6 points in 2020-21.

While Ball is out, the Bulls have options they can deploy at point guard. Chicago signed veteran Goran Dragic this offseason, and Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White will likely see more action. Alex Caruso could see some minutes as the primary ball-handler as well.

After much was made about Kyler Murray's video game habits during the NFL offseason, Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan said most NBA players aren't watching games during the season, either.

Appearing on The Old Man and The Three podcast (starts at 44:45 mark), DeRozan said he's noticed over the past five or six years that there's "not even a lot of guys who watch basketball" in the league now.

"Most of the guys would play video games," he explained. "They would go home, play video games. I remember, one of my coaches, Dwane Casey, we had film one day. We was playing the Boston Celtics, and he asked one of the players—cause the night before, Boston had played, too—and he asked one of the players, 'What color jersey did Boston wear last night?' And the player didn't know. He didn't know."

DeRozan noted he takes it personally when players don't watch games because he needs to "watch every single game" to get a better understanding of tendencies from opposing teams.

There is perhaps a generational divide happening in some sports right now. It's not like video games are a new phenomenon, but the extent to which they play a significant role in an athlete's life could be increasing.

Murray's situation with the Arizona Cardinals became a major talking point after he signed a contract extension in July.

The Cardinals originally included a clause in the deal that mandated Murray does four hours of independent film study each week during the season.

Discussion around the clause got to a point that some online sleuths went back over the course of Murray's career to track how he performed on weekends when Activision offered double experience weekends for Call of Duty.

Murray called an impromptu press conference on July 28 to discuss the situation.

"To think that I can accomplish everything that I’ve accomplished in my career and not be a student of the game and not have that passion and not take this serious, it’s almost…it’s disrespectful and it’s almost a joke,” Murray told reporters.

The Cardinals ultimately eliminated the study clause from Murray's contract because of the firestorm it caused.

In July 2019, Tyler Erzberger of ESPN.com wrote a story about some of the biggest stars in the NBA discussing their love of video games. A lot of the players who spoke to Erzberger were 25 or younger at the time, including Ben Simmons and Lonzo Ball.

Giannis Antetokounmpo told Erzberger he cut back on his gaming after entering the NBA.

DeRozan is certainly within his rights to feel like players could spend time focusing their attention on learning what opposing teams are doing to be better prepared for games. But there's nothing wrong with taking a break on off days to give your mind a rest by turning on the PS5 or Xbox.