The Milwaukee Bucks are on thin ice heading into the 2024-25 NBA season as a team. But that may be more true following a surprising and controversial 2024 NBA Draft. Especially for three certain guys.

Milwaukee had two picks—the 23rd and 33rd overall selections—at their disposal. They could either keep them or try to trade one or both of them along with a player to get back an upgrade. Many fans and analysts expected them to do the latter.

However, the Bucks stood pat at each draft position, selecting AJ Johnson at 23 and Tyler Smith at 33. Both players are interesting selections, as they are 19 years old and have a ways to go before they’re ready to contribute to a championship-contending team.

It’s clear the Bucks swung for the fences. Although we won’t know whether they’re good picks for a couple of years, three guys are immediately on thin ice following the draft.

Tyler Smith could be a long-term replacement for Portis. Smith is a smooth lefty with a solid outside stroke and can either play the four or the five.

Although that will take years to materialize, Portis’s contract situation combined with Smith’s selection should give him cause for concern. The 29-year-old veteran is set to make $12.6 million next season with a player option worth $13.4 million in 2025-26. He’s also extension-eligible.

If Milwaukee doesn’t sign Portis to an extension, it likely signals they’ll try to move on from him this summer. Otherwise, they wouldn’t risk him declining his player option next year and walking in free agency without allowing the Bucks to recuperate assets. With his Bucks’ future up in the air, Portis may be spending his last days as a Buck.

DULUTH, Minn. (Northern News Now) – MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jackson Chourio hit his first career grand slam in the fourth inning, Colin Rea allowed two runs on three hits over 5 1/3 innings and Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Friday night.

The NL-Central-leading Brewers — coming off a three-game sweep of the defending champion Texas Rangers — moved 11 1/2 games ahead of the Cubs.

Rea (7-2) won for the third time in his last four starts. He walked two and struck out a season-high eight. Trevor Megill converted his 17th save in 18 chances.

The Brewers got to Jameson Taillon (4-4) in the fourth when they loaded the bases on a walk, catcher’s interference and Rhys Hoskins’ single off Taillon’s glove. Chourio connected on a 1-2 sweeper, with the ball just making it over the wall in left.

It was the second game in a row that the Brewers went deep with the bases loaded. On Wednesday, Jake Bauers hit his second career grand slam.

Elvis Peguero relieved Rea and got a double play to end the sixth, but then fell into a bases-loaded jam with two outs in the seventh. Jared Koenig came on and retired pinch-hitter Patrick Wisdom on a first-pitch fly to center.

Taillon allowed four runs — three earned — on four hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out five.

Seiya Suzuki lined a 1-0 cutter over the wall in left in the fourth inning for his 10th home run of the season and the 44th of his career. That tied him with Tadihito Iguchi for fifth place on the career home run list by Japanese-born players.

Dansby Swanson made it 2-0 with a run-scoring base hit.

The partisan crowd booed when former Brewers manager Craig Counsell’s picture flashed on the scoreboard during pregame introductions. It’s the same unhappy serenade dished out in late May when the Cubs made their first trip this season to American Family Field.

Trainer’s Room:

Cubs: Rea hit Christopher Morel on his left hand in the fourth inning. He bounced away from the plate in obvious pain, but after attention from the Cubs’ trainer, he jogged to first base. … RHP Keegan Thompson (right rib fracture) landed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 27.

Brewers: 3B Joey Ortiz was out of the lineup with lingering neck stiffness. He is day-to-day after leaving Wednesday in the sixth inning.

Roster Moves

Cubs: RHP Ethan Roberts was recalled from Triple-A Iowa. RHP Vinny Nittoli was designated for assignment. RHP Jorge López’s contract was selected from Iowa.

Brewers: RHP Joel Kuhnel was sent outright to Triple-A Nashville.

UP NEXT

LHP Justin Steele (0-3, 3.38 ERA) was set to start Saturday for the Cubs against RHP Tobias Meyers (5-2, 3.12).

Click here to download the Northern News Now app or our Northern News Now First Alert weather app.

Copyright 2024 Northern News Now. All rights reserved.

While Studio Milwaukee Sessions at The Cooperage are inarguably a brand-new thing for us, Thursday afternoon’s performance by Brigitte Calls Me Baby may have been another landmark moment: most rock-and-roll swagger at a single session.

The boys from Chicago zipped up I-94 for an evening at Summerfest’s Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard but prior to that made the short trip across the water to play a mini-set for Radio Milwaukee members and lucky ticket winners.

Even before playing their first note, Brigitte Calls Me Baby exuded old-school rock vibes the moment they stepped right through the crowd on their way to the stage. From Leavins’ sunglasses-and-pompadour combo to bassist Devin Wessels’ expansive ’do to the CBGB style of guitarists Jack Fluegel and Trevor Lynch, there’s a throwback feel to the group that carries over to their performance.

Leavins’ vocals do a lot of that work, alternating between crooning and crowing while showing off his remarkable range — something that was present throughout the session. If the audience wasn’t won over by the time the band rolled through “Eddie My Love” and “Palm of Your Hand,’ Leavins clinched it when he was asked what he knew about Summerfest and answered, “it’s better than Lollapalooza, some say.”

Whatever holdouts were left couldn’t help but be won over by set finale “Impressively Average,” the single we’ve been spinning with regularity on 88Nine. It’s a “gotta dance” kind of song, and the crowd was happy to move while no doubt making plans to use the free Summerfest ticket they scored to check out the band’s full set later in the evening.

You can listen to the full session using the player at the top of the page, and if you want to catch any of the remaining sessions at The Cooperage, check out our contests. There’s also a way for you to guarantee yourself an invite to all of our Studio Milwaukee Sessions, which you can learn all about on our membership page.

Set list

1. “Eddie My Love”
2. “Palm of Your Hand”
3. “Impressively Average”