Milwaukee Bucks point guard Jrue Holiday (heel) has been deemed probable to play in Thursday's game against Miami after departing the season opener due to a heel contusion. George Hill is on hand to serve as his primary backup, and he would stand to see an elevated role if Holiday trends in the wrong direction. But a quick return from Holiday, who averaged 19 PPG last year vs. the Heat, would bode well for Milwaukee's offense picking up where it left off in the first contest, having dropped 127 points. Holiday remains a must-start in all formats when healthy due to his nightly multi-category contributions.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (heel) will not return Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets. Holiday suffered a right heel contusion in the first half which forced him out of the contest. George Hill will likely start the second half while Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton should see more run. The Bucks will likely release more news after the game on the severity of the injury.

Milwaukee Bucks small forward Khris Middleton (hamstring) and point guard Jrue Holiday (knee) will both make their preseason debuts in Sunday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) is slated to make his preseason debut in the game as well. All three players have been dealing with minor injuries and all three are expected to be on an undisclosed minutes limit for Sunday's game. The defending champs have no need to push their veterans this preseason. We should see a good amount of Jordan Nwora, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Sandro Mamukelashvili on the floor for the Bucks once again on Sunday.

Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (knee) and forward Khris Middleton (hamstring) won't play during the preseason outing against Memphis. Both men are expected to be ready in time to begin the regular season. However, in the meantime, they will join Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and Bobby Portis (hamstring) as those who are out against the Grizzlies. As a result, Grayson Allen, George Hill, Jordan Nwora, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo will enter the starting lineup on Tuesday evening.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to trade center Jonas Valanciunas to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for center Steven Adams, guard Eric Bledsoe and a swap of multiple draft choices, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Monday because no trade can become official until Aug. 6. The trade, first reported by ESPN, sends New Orleans' 10th and 40th overall draft choices to Memphis for the Grizzlies' 17th and 51st overall picks this year. Memphis also will receive a protected 2022 first-round choice from New Orleans. The deal comes on the heels of New Orleans' decision to hire Willie Green, their third head coach in three seasons, as the franchise faces mounting pressure to inspire confidence in star forward Zion Williamson after missing the playoffs his first two NBA campaigns. Valanciunas has played nine seasons in the NBA, averaging 12.9 and 9.2 points per game. The 29-year-old center from... [More]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to trade center Jonas Valanciunas to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for center Steven Adams, guard Eric Bledsoe and an exchange of first-round choices in this week's draft, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Monday because no trade can become official until Aug. 6. The trade, first reported by ESPN, sends New Orleans' 10th and 40th overall draft choices to Memphis for the Grizzlies' 17th and 51st overall picks this year. Memphis also will receive a protected 2022 first-round choice from New Orleans. The deal comes on the heels of New Orleans' decision to hired new coach Willie Green and as the franchise faces mounting pressure to inspire confidence in star forward Zion Williamson after missing the playoffs with two different coaches in each of his first two NBA seasons. Valanciunas has played nine seasons in the NBA, averaging 12.9 and 9.2 points per game.... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Thousands of fans lined downtown Milwaukee streets on Thursday to catch a glimpse of their beloved Bucks in a parade to celebrate the city’s first NBA championship in half a century. Six police officers on horseback clopped past cheering fans at the head of a procession that included a hook-and-ladder fire truck, occasionally blaring its horn, and open-air buses and flatbed trucks carrying Bucks stars including Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, as well as the trophy they captured Tuesday night with a Game 6 victory over Phoenix. Fans could be heard chanting, “Bucks in 6," an odd but popular rallying cry with roots in a former Bucks player's fruitless prediction in 2013 that the team would take down the playoffs' top seed at the time. Antetokounmpo held his son, 1-year-old Liam, atop a bus as fans along the route chanted “MVP!” Later, he shot a basketball into the crowd. “Milwaukee, we did it baby! We did it!” Antetokounmpo said to a cheering crowd in the... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Thousands of fans lined downtown Milwaukee streets on Thursday to catch a glimpse of their beloved Bucks in a parade to celebrate the city’s first NBA championship in half a century. Six police officers on horseback clopped past cheering fans at the head of a procession that included a hook-and-ladder fire truck, occasionally blaring its horn, and open-air buses and flatbed trucks carrying Bucks stars including Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, as well as the trophy they captured Tuesday night with a Game 6 victory over Phoenix. Fans could be heard chanting, “Bucks in 6," an odd but popular rallying cry with roots in a former Bucks player's fruitless prediction in 2013 that the team would take down the playoffs' top seed at the time. Antetokounmpo held his son, 1-year-old Liam, atop a bus as fans along the route chanted “MVP!” Later, he shot a basketball into the crowd. “Milwaukee, we did it baby! We did it!” Antetokounmpo said to a cheering crowd in the... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Thousands of fans lined downtown Milwaukee streets on Thursday to catch a glimpse of their beloved Bucks in a parade to celebrate the city’s first NBA championship in half a century. Six police officers on horseback clopped past cheering fans at the head of a procession that included a hook-and-ladder fire truck, occasionally blaring its horn, and open-air buses and flatbed trucks carrying Bucks stars including Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, as well as the trophy they captured Tuesday night with a Game 6 victory over Phoenix. Fans could be heard chanting, “Bucks in 6," an odd but popular rallying cry with roots in a former Bucks player's fruitless prediction in 2013 that the team would take down the playoffs' top seed at the time. Antetokounmpo held his son, 1-year-old Liam, atop a bus as fans along the route chanted “MVP!” Later, he shot a basketball into the crowd. “Milwaukee, we did it baby! We did it!” Antetokounmpo said to a cheering crowd in the... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Thousands of fans lined downtown Milwaukee streets on Thursday to catch a glimpse of their beloved Bucks in a parade to celebrate the city’s first NBA championship in half a century. Six police officers on horseback clopped past cheering fans at the head of a procession that included a hook-and-ladder fire truck, occasionally blaring its horn, and open-air buses and flatbed trucks carrying Bucks stars including Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, as well as the trophy they captured Tuesday night with a Game 6 victory over Phoenix. Fans could be heard chanting, “Bucks in 6," an odd but locally familiar rallying cry with roots in a former Bucks player's fruitless prediction in 2013 that the team would take down the playoffs' top seed at the time. Antetokounmpo held his son, 1-year-old Liam, atop a bus as fans along the route chanted “MVP!” Later, he shot a basketball into the crowd. “Milwaukee, we did it baby! We did it!” Antetokounmpo said to a cheering crowd... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Thousands of fans lined downtown Milwaukee streets on Thursday to catch a glimpse of their beloved Bucks in a parade to celebrate the city’s first NBA championship in half a century. Six police officers on horseback clopped past cheering fans at the head of a procession that included a hook-and-ladder fire truck, occasionally blaring its horn, and open-air buses and flatbed trucks carrying Bucks stars including Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, as well as the trophy they captured Tuesday night with a Game 6 victory over Phoenix. Fans could be heard chanting, “Bucks in 6," an odd but beloved rallying cry with roots in a former Bucks player's fruitless prediction in 2013 that the team would take down the playoffs' top seed at the time. Antetokounmpo held his son, 1-year-old Liam, atop a bus as fans along the route chanted “MVP!” Later, he shot a basketball into the crowd. “Milwaukee, we did it baby! We did it!” Antetokounmpo said to a cheering crowd in the... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Thousands of fans lined downtown Milwaukee streets on Thursday to catch a glimpse of their beloved Bucks in a parade to celebrate the city’s first NBA championship in half a century. Six police officers on horseback clopped past cheering fans at the head of a procession that included a hook-and-ladder fire truck, occasionally blaring its horn, and open-air buses and flatbed trucks carrying Bucks stars including Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, as well as the trophy they captured Tuesday night with a Game 6 victory over Phoenix. Fans could be heard chanting, “Bucks in 6," an odd but beloved rallying cry with roots in a former Bucks player's fruitless prediction in 2013 that the team would take down the playoffs' top seed at the time. “Milwaukee, we did it baby! We did it!” Antetokounmpo said to a cheering crowd in the Deer District, the area outside the Bucks' Fiserv Forum. “This is our city, this is our city, man, we did it! Unbelievable.” Neil and Rachana... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Thousands of fans lined downtown Milwaukee streets on Thursday to catch a glimpse of their beloved Bucks in a parade to celebrate the city’s first NBA championship in half a century. Six police officers on horseback clopped past cheering fans at the head of a procession that included a hook-and-ladder fire truck, occasionally blaring its horn, and open-air buses and flatbed trucks carrying Bucks stars including Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, as well as the trophy they captured Tuesday night with a Game 6 victory over Phoenix. Fans could be heard chanting, “Bucks in 6!," an odd but beloved rallying cry with roots in a former Bucks player's fruitless prediction in 2013 that the team would take down the playoffs' top seed at the time. Neil and Rachana Bhatia, both 34 and from suburban Waukesha, brought 1-month-old son Zain to the Deer District, the area outside Fiserv Forum where the parade was due to finish. The couple said they wanted to give Zain an... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — This could have been the offseason in which Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the free-agent market and perhaps teamed up with another superstar to try winning multiple NBA titles together. Antetokounmpo instead will spend the summer celebrating a championship he won with the team that picked him. Leading the Bucks to their first NBA crown in half century rewarded Antetokounmpo for his December decision to sign a supermax extension with Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5 assists to help the Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the NBA Finals. “I could go to a superteam and just do my part and win a championship,’’ Antetokounmpo said Tuesday as he was flanked by the Larry O’Brien trophy and his NBA Finals MVP trophy. “But this is the hard way to do it and this is the way to do it. And we did it.” Antetokounmpo, 26, stuck with the franchise that had taken a chance on him eight years ago by selecting him with the 15th overall pick in the draft. He... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — This could have been the offseason in which Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the free-agent market and perhaps teamed up with another superstar to try winning multiple NBA titles together. Antetokounmpo instead will spend the summer celebrating a championship he won with the team that picked him. Leading the Bucks to their first NBA crown in half century rewarded Antetokounmpo for his December decision to sign a supermax extension with Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5 assists to help the Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the NBA Finals. “I could go to a superteam and just do my part and win a championship,’’ Antetokounmpo said Tuesday as he was flanked by the Larry O’Brien trophy and his NBA Finals MVP trophy. “But this is the hard way to do it and this is the way to do it. And we did it.” Antetokounmpo, 26, stuck with the franchise that had taken a chance on him eight years ago by selecting him with the 15th overall pick in the draft. He... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — This could have been the offseason in which Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the free-agent market and perhaps teamed up with another superstar to try winning multiple NBA titles together. Antetokounmpo instead will spend the summer celebrating a championship he won with the team that picked him. Leading the Bucks to their first NBA crown in half century rewarded Antetokounmpo for his December decision to sign a supermax extension with Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5 assists to help the Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the NBA Finals. “I could go to a superteam and just do my part and win a championship,’’ Antetokounmpo said Tuesday as he was flanked by the Larry O’Brien trophy and his NBA Finals MVP trophy. “But this is the hard way to do it and this is the way to do it. And we did it.” Antetokounmpo, 26, stuck with the franchise that had taken a chance on him eight years ago by selecting him with the 15th overall pick in the draft. He... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Bobby Portis says he turned down more lucrative offers to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason because he wanted to play for a winner and experience a deep playoff run. The reassurance that he made the right decision came every time a frenzied Fiserv Forum crowd chanted his name Thursday night. Through the first five seasons of his career, Portis appeared in only one playoff series. Now he's a win away from the NBA Finals. “Coming here was one of the best decisions for my career,” Portis said. Portis took injured two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo’s spot in the starting lineup and scored 22 points in a 123-112 Game 5 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. That gave Milwaukee a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. With every big play Portis made, the chants of “Bobby! Bobby!” grew louder. Portis had a simple explanation for why he’s become such a fan favorite his first year in Milwaukee. “It’s a blue-collar city,” Portis said, “and I’m a blue-collar player.” This... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is doubtful for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday after undergoing an MRI on his injured left knee. Bucks officials said the two-time MVP hyperextended his left knee in the third quarter of a 110-88 game 4 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. The Bucks announced Wednesday that an MRI confirmed that diagnosis and said he'd be listed as doubtful for Thursday's game. “We’ll just take it day by day and see how he’s doing," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “When you talk about the range of possibilities, I think where this has landed has to be looked at as a positive," Budenholzer added. “It’s still a really difficult fall." Antetokounmpo was attempting to block a dunk attempt by Atlanta’s Clint Capela when he landed awkwardly. He clutched his knee in obvious pain and remained down for several minutes before walking slowly to the locker room. He briefly went back to the Bucks’ bench and then returned to... [More]

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is doubtful for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday after undergoing an MRI on his injured left knee. Bucks officials said the two-time MVP hyperextended his left knee in the third quarter of a 110-88 game 4 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. The Bucks announced Wednesday that an MRI confirmed that diagnosis and said he'd be listed as doubtful for Thursday's game. “We’ll just take it day by day and see how he’s doing," Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “When you talk about the range of possibilities, I think where this has landed has to be looked at as a positive," Budenholzer added. “It’s still a really difficult fall." Antetokounmpo was attempting to block a dunk attempt by Atlanta’s Clint Capela when he landed awkwardly. He clutched his knee in obvious pain and remained down for several minutes before walking slowly to the locker room. He briefly went back to the Bucks’ bench and then returned to... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — The Milwaukee Bucks suddenly are facing the daunting challenge of possibly having to move forward in their Eastern Conference finals without their two-time MVP. Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained a hyperextension of his left knee and and was forced out of the Bucks' Eastern Conference finals game against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night. “It’s not good,” Bucks forward P.J. Tucker said. “It’s not good losing anybody on your team and losing your best player stinks.” The Hawks won 110-88, evening the best-of-seven series at 2-2. Antetokounmpo’s status for Game 5 at Milwaukee on Thursday night is not known. Antetokounmpo was defending a jam by Hawks center Clint Capela with 7:14 remaining in the third quarter when his left knee appeared to buckle. He fell to the floor in obvious pain, grimacing and clutching his knee. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said the team would learn more about Antetokounmpo's status on Wednesday. “We’ll take everything as it comes," Budenholzer said. "We’ll... [More]