Milwaukee, WI
Everything To Know About The Milwaukee Bucks 2024 Offseason
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 26: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 and Damian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee … [+]
The Milwaukee Bucks are heading into the 2024 offseason with high expectations and a myriad of challenges. Fresh off a 49-33 season and a disappointing playoff exit, the Bucks face crucial decisions that will shape their future. Here’s a comprehensive look at what’s at stake for Milwaukee this offseason.
Draft Picks: Adding Fresh Talent
The Bucks are positioned with two semi-valuable picks in the upcoming NBA Draft: No. 23 (via New Orleans) and No. 33 (via Portland). These picks are vital for infusing new, young talent into the roster. Given their salary cap constraints, hitting on these picks could provide much-needed depth and potential future assets for the team or they could set the stage for a bigger trade.
Free Agency: Tough Decisions
Milwaukee’s own free agent’s list includes key players like Malik Beasley, Jae Crowder, Patrick Beverley, Danilo Gallinari, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and TyTy Washington Jr. The Bucks are projected to exceed the luxury tax threshold, with $183 million in committed salary, $12 million over the tax limit. As a second-apron team once they complete their roster, they will face numerous restrictions, making it challenging to attract free agents. How they navigate these waters will be crucial for maintaining their competitive edge.
The potential loss of Beasley, Crowder, and Beverley, who collectively averaged 23.5 points per game, is significant. Milwaukee must decide between signing veterans to minimum deals or developing young talent like AJ Green, MarJon Beauchamp, Chris Livingston, Andre Jackson Jr., and their draft picks. Developing these young players could provide long-term stability but comes with risks of inconsistency.
Evaluating the Roster: Health and Potential
The Bucks’ roster is a blend of high-cost, high-end players whose health has been a concern. Key injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard played a significant role in their early playoff exit. Under new head coach Doc Rivers, the team struggled to find consistency, finishing 17-18 after his midseason appointment. The trio of Antetokounmpo, Lillard, and Khris Middleton played only eight games together, but their on-court synergy showed promise with a +17.5 net rating. Assessing whether this core can stay healthy and gel effectively is a primary focus.
Financial Tightrope: Navigating the Cap
With $152 million committed to just four players (Lillard, Middleton, Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez), the Bucks have limited financial flexibility. Their likely status as a second-apron team restricts their ability to make certain trades and signings, pushing them to be creative in building their roster.
Extension Eligible
Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton are extension eligible this offseason. Portis is eligible for a four-year, $78.9 million extension. He has been instrumental off the bench and would be a valuable long-term asset. Connaughton is another candidate for an extension, providing veteran depth and stability. If they aren’t going to extend either player, a trade is a very plausible scenario.
Biggest Needs: Athleticism and Ball-Handling
Milwaukee’s weaknesses were on full-display on the first round of the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers. The Bucks lacked the necessary athleticism to hang with Indiana throughout the entire series, and enough ball-handlers to get them through individual games. Look for them to address both needs this offseason.
Future Draft Assets: Limited Flexibility
Due to past trades, Milwaukee’s future draft assets are limited. They can trade their 2024 and 2031 first-round picks on draft night, but other picks are encumbered. This limitation necessitates a focus on maximizing the current roster’s potential and making shrewd moves to maintain competitiveness.
Last Word
The Bucks’ 2024 offseason is a balancing act of financial constraints, strategic roster moves, and player development. With Rivers at the helm and key players aiming for a healthy return, the Bucks have the core for another title run. The decisions made this summer will be crucial in determining whether they can capitalize on their championship window. The stakes are high, and the goal is clear: Bring another championship to Milwaukee.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Bucks injury report: Is Giannis playing tonight vs. Celtics?
Porter has helped the Bucks stay afloat; what’s his Milwaukee future?
Kevin Porter Jr. has helped the Milwaukee Bucks stay afloat without an injured Giannis Antetokounmpo; what’s Porter Jr.’s future in Milwaukee?
The Milwaukee Bucks host the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum just over 24 hours after one of their most disappointing losses of the season, when they scored just eight fourth-quarter points and gave up a 39-point swing in the second half in a blowout loss at Chicago on March 1.
Boston comes into town as one of the league’s hottest teams having won eight of its last 10 and after beating Philadelphia on March 1. The Celtics (40-20) are currently the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and are looking to stay in front of New York.
The Bucks (26-33), meanwhile, had been winning games but have dropped two in a row and three of their last five. In those three losses, all to teams currently in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the team failed to score 100 points.
Is Giannis playing?
Yes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo began the day as questionable to play, and was upgraded to available after his pregame workout. It was the first time he had been listed as anything other than “out” since reinjuring his calf on Jan. 23. The game will mark the return of the former two-time MVP, who has missed the last 15 games with a strain of his soleus muscle in his right calf.
What is the Bucks record without Giannis?
11-17.
Milwaukee is 15-15 when Antetokounmpo plays any number of minutes. They are 1-2 when he has exited games early due to injury.
Is Jayson Tatum playing?
No.
Boston’s all-NBA wing is continuing to work his way back from a torn Achilles tendon suffered during the playoffs in May. Tatum has been doing five-on-five work lately.
Boston Celtics injury report
- Jayson Tatum, out (Achilles)
- Jaylen Brown, out (illness)
- Neemias Queta, out (rest)
Taurean Prince, out (neck surgery)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, questionable (right calf strain)
Bucks probable starters
- Guard: AJ Green, Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr.
- Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Center: Myles Turner
What time is the Bucks game?
The game is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CT.
What channel is the Bucks game on?
The game will be broadcast locally on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Lisa Byington, Wesley Matthews and Melanie Ricks on the call. The game was originally supposed to be a national broadcast on Peacock but was moved to NBA TV.
NBA playoff standings
The Bucks are currently out of the postseason picture entirely. Here are the play-in standings in the Eastern Conference heading into game play on March 2:
No. 7: Orlando (31-28): The Bucks and Magic have split the season series 1-1. The Bucks host the Magic on March 8.
No. 8: Miami (32-29): The Bucks and Magic have split the season series 1-1. Milwaukee travels to Miami on March 12.
No. 9: Atlanta (31-31): The Bucks lead the season series 1-0. The Bucks host the Hawks on March 4 and then travel to Atlanta on March 14.
No. 10: Charlotte (30-31): The Bucks own the tiebreaker over the Hornets having won the season series 3-1.
No. 11: Milwaukee (26-33): The Bucks have had better luck against the play-in teams to date, as they are just 5-13 against the top six seeds in the conference.
“We say we didn’t play ourselves out of it,” Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said. “Obviously I’m competitive. I think we should’ve had an even better record. But, not having your best player for that long and staying above .500 is huge for us. It’s funny, when he went out (Jan. 23) the talk around me was ‘being .500’ and I was like we can be better than that. We were. I’ll take it. But, never satisfied.”
The four teams in the play-in will face one another to determine the final two playoff teams (which will face the top two seeds). Teams that hold the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds only have to win one game to advance, teams that hold the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds must win twice to advance
Bucks vs. Celtics odds
Boston is a 7.5-point favorite over Milwaukee with the over/under set at 216.5 points, per BetMGM.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Weather – Frosty and cold morning, sunny day ahead
MILWAUKEE – Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Lisa Michaels
Frosty Monday morning with temps in the teens inland to low 20s near the lake.
Mostly sunny to sunny skies on Monday. Highs in the mid-40s inland, upper 30s near the lake.
A total lunar eclipse will happen Tuesday morning, total eclipse from 5-6am. It may be tough to see due to increasing clouds.
Increasing clouds on Tuesday with highs in the low 40s. Chance of rain and storms possible Wednesday through Friday with warming temperatures.
Today: 39 Lake. Mostly sunny.
High: 44°
Wind: SE 5-10
Tonight: Partly cloudy this evening, mostly clear overnight.
Low: 27°
Wind: SE 5
Tuesday: 39 Lake. Mostly cloudy.
High: 43°
Wind: E 5-10
Wednesday:41 Lake. Chance for scattered showers and t-storms.
AM Low: 32° High: 45°
Wind: E 5-10
Thursday: 39 Lake. Mostly cloudy. Chance storms.
AM Low: 37° High: 42°
Wind: NE 5-10
Friday: Chance for showers and t-storms Warmer. Warming at night.
AM Low: 37° High: 57°
Wind: SE 5-15
Saturday: Mostly cloudy with AM rain showers. Blustery with falling afternoon temperatures.
AM Low: 47° High: 53°
Wind: NE 5-10
6-day planner
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
FOX Weather
Big picture view:
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
Milwaukee, WI
Four new community-powered fridges open on Milwaukee’s North Side
Community members and city leaders celebrated the opening of four new community-powered fridges on the North Side of Milwaukee. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, Feb. 27, at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, 3624 W. North Ave., to mark the occasion.
The effort to fight food scarcity by opening community-powered fridges comes after several grocery stores closed in the area, creating a food desert.
District 15 Ald. Russell W. Stamper II, who saw several grocery stores in his district close over the past few years, served as the event’s emcee.
“We could either complain about the problem, or we could come together to find a solution,” Stamper said.
In July 2025, a Pick ‘n Save on the North Side closed, prompting the opening of a community-powered fridge at Tricklebee Café in the Sherman Park and Uptown area. Since then, several other grocery stores have closed in the area.
This led Stamper, FEED MKE, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and One MKE to open four more community-powered fridges.
Christie Melby-Gibbons, executive director of Tricklebee Café, talked about the organization’s community-powered fridge. About a week ago, the fridge was empty for the first time since its launch, so staff turned to their online community for support.
“Within 20 minutes, a woman came in with bags of food and filled the fridge for less than $100,” Melby-Gibbons said.
The community-powered fridge network is run by residents on a take-what-you-need, leave-what-you-can model. Taking a grassroots approach to solving food insecurity in the area, community members provide fresh produce and other healthy food options to ensure that their neighbors have access to nutritious foods.
“Everybody deserves to eat. I can’t go to sleep at night knowing my neighbors are hungry,” said Melody McCurtis, deputy director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.
Here’s a list of all the community-powered fridges:
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges
3624 W. North Ave.
Rooted & Rising- Washington Park
3940 W. Lisbon Ave.
Sherman Park Community Association
3526 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
Dominican Center
2470 W. Locust St.
Tricklebee Café
4424 W. North Ave.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
-
World5 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts5 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO5 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
News1 week agoWorld reacts as US top court limits Trump’s tariff powers