Milwaukee, WI
Khris Middleton nearing return
This afternoon at 4:30 PM Central, the Bucks submitted their initial injury report for tomorrow evening’s game in Sacramento, and one very notable name is no longer listed as out:
The Bucks have submitted their injury report for Tuesday vs. the Kings.
Probable
Giannis Antetokounmpo (right knee tendinitis)Questionable
MarJon Beauchamp (back spasms)
Khris Middleton (left ankle sprain)— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) March 11, 2024
Ahead of the Lakers game on Friday night, Doc Rivers told assembled media that Middleton could play on Tuesday, and then even suggested that yesterday was a possibility. While that didn’t happen, it seemed likely that Middleton’s return from the left ankle sprain that’s kept him out since February 6th was imminent. Though he hasn’t experienced any setbacks, according to both Doc and Middleton himself, that didn’t stop pessimism about his health in both the near and long term. As expected, that was unfounded.
To be clear, Middleton’s injury was a lot more significant than most people believed. The Bucks are notoriously close-to-the-vest about their players’ injuries, with Middleton perhaps the prime example, so we never got public word about the sprain’s severity. It occurred when he landed on Kevin Durant’s foot, who had come into Middleton’s landing zone in Phoenix just over a month ago; after the game, the Bucks forward was in a walking boot and on crutches.
That seemed to indicate it was a bit more than the type of sprain that might make a player day-to-day and miss a game or three. As we’ve seen both this year and last, Giannis has popped up on the injury report with “ankle sprain” a few times but nevertheless played. Indeed, Rivers told us right out of the All-Star break that not only was Middleton doing well, but if it was the playoffs, he would be playing, suggesting it wasn’t too serious. But a couple weeks have elapsed since.
Late last week, Middleton spoke to the media—including The Athletic’s Eric Nehm—about the recovery process. Notably, he said “I can’t think of an ankle sprain I’ve had this bad like this” while also saying that his swelling was nearly gone, and he was just waiting for the last bit of it to subside, so he could “move freely without pain.” He also related how after he sustained the sprain and attempted to play on it, he went back to the trainer’s room, where his ankle swelled up like a balloon when he removed his shoe.
I’m no physician, but knowing all this and factoring in the crutches, this was probably a grade-two sprain. That’s typically anywhere from a four to six-week injury, and tomorrow would mark five weeks to the day since it occurred. If Middleton does play on Tuesday, that’s a pretty standard recovery time, and given how careful it seemed the Bucks were being throughout this process, he’s probably pain-free. Though he might not say he’s at 100%, especially with how the layoff likely affected his conditioning, he’s probably close enough.
With just over a month left in the regular season, Middleton will have ample time to work back to the workload he undertook prior: he averaged a hair under 30 MPG in January and was over 30 in every game that was not a blowout or the second night of a back-to-back, which he did once. Of course, there are no back-to-backs in the playoffs, but the Bucks do have one coming up next week before two more to begin April.
Moreover, Middleton has played just three games and eight minutes of a fourth since Rivers took over. To that end, the coach said on Friday that he may not have Middleton on much of a minutes restriction—if at all—since he hasn’t played much lately, so the reps will be important for both him and the team. We’ll see how much he plays in the coming games, but he may not be eased in quite as slowly as we saw after last year’s injuries. He also seems likely to rejoin the starting lineup, which is the NBA’s best five-man unit (minimum 300 minutes) with him in it. Yes, better than Denver or Boston’s starters.
Much has been made about Milwaukee’s defensive resurgence since Rivers took over, but also people are talking about the offense’s slip: they’re just thirteenth in offensive rating at 116.9 under Rivers after being top-two under Griffin. All but four of Doc’s nineteen games featured a healthy Middleton, who looked like a key to the Bucks’ success before his injury by the eye test. The advanced stats backed it up, as the offense was a full 4.4 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor this season (the defense happens to be 1.7 points per 100 better too). With his combination of secondary ballhandling, shot creation, and jump shooting, his return will likely make an immediate difference offensively.
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam talks greater involvement, Giannis future
Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam says that he will have a greater involvement with the team and that includes the decision on if to re-sign Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Milwaukee Bucks know their placement in the 2026 NBA Draft, slotted No. 10 for their first lottery pick in a decade. Who are some of the possible selections at that spot when June 23 rolls around?
Check out what the first post-lottery wave of mock drafts has to say, most of them pointing to same prospect, that being Nate Ament of Tennessee, a 6-10 freshman small forward.
Nate Ament, forward, Tennessee
From Spencer Woo of ESPN: “While Ament’s stock has slipped from an early top-five projection, he had productive stretches this season within a tricky team context and has room to help himself in workouts. Although scouts are split on whether he has star potential or projects better as a long-term supporting player, there is still plenty of intrigue around Ament in the lottery. As a tall skill player with shotmaking upside, Ament fits a player archetype that teams often love to swing on. As Milwaukee considers a post-Antetokounmpo future, a malleable upside swing such as Ament could be a fit.”
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo! Sports: “The Bucks should take a swing to jump-start their new era, whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo is part of it. Players who can handle, shoot off the dribble, and stand at 6-foot-10 don’t grow on trees. This physical foundation kept Ament in lottery consideration even after a dreadful start to his freshman season when he struggled to score efficiently and make an impact defensively. But over the second half of the year for Tennessee, he flipped a switch and shots began to fall. He averaged 23.8 points over a six-game stretch in January and February that reminded everyone why he was a top recruit in the country. Then he dealt with an ankle injury that ruined his momentum entering March and he severely struggled during the tournament. Bucks general manager Jon Horst has never been afraid to take risks though. If Ament pans out, it could look like a stroke of genius.”
Gary Parrish of CBS Sports: “Ament had an up-and-down freshman season for the Vols – but the upside isn’t hard to spot. Less than a year ago, the 2025 McDonald’s All-American was considered a possible top-five pick. So getting Ament here would be nice for a Bucks franchise that seems on the verge of rebuilding after presumably trading Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.”
The Ringer: “Barring some transactional magic, this could be Milwaukee’s best bite at the talent apple in the draft for a while. The Bucks don’t currently have control over a first-round pick until 2031. If Giannis Antetokounmpo decides it’s time to move on, this roster will be rudderless and talent-deprived. If Giannis decides not to move on, it’ll have a rudder but still won’t go anywhere. Less than ideal, but that makes this a ‘best player available’ scenario, or rather ‘best wager available.’ There are definitely more stable options in this range, but Ament’s higher possible outcomes justify this pick. Ament fell short of expectations this past season, and he slid from top-five consideration as a result, but the jumbo-sized, smooth-moving ball handler is still a worthy bet here. Handling the ball at 6-foot-10 is an intriguing enough skill to instill some belief that he could develop into a quality asset. And the Bucks can take the risk given their circumstances.
Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports: “Ament is a polarizing prospect with a wide range of outcomes on draft night. A late-blooming 6-foot-10 combo-forward who is fluid, has touch, and skill, he’s also inconsistent and needs to get stronger. While his freshman year was up and down, Ament’s overall arc has been linear, and there’s still glaring potential. That upside makes him a logical choice for a Milwaukee team that has a very uncertain future ahead of them.”
Brian Lewis of New York Post: “After the run on guards, taking an upside swing on a gifted developmental player here seems like a worthy gamble for a Bucks team that could be in full-on rebuild in a post-Giannis era.”
Two other names mentioned
From Eric Nehm of The Athletic: “This was an incredibly difficult pick to make without knowing what the Bucks are going to do with Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the 10-time All-Star forward remains in Milwaukee, it might make more sense to look at someone like Yaxel Lendeborg, who could make an impact right away and give the Bucks more size and skill. Instead, though, I went with Philon, who has a lot of offensive upside and could be protected on the defensive end by Ryan Rollins. Philon is an electrifying offensive player who shot 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3 while averaging 22 points, 3.5 rebounds and five assists per game last season.”
From Kurt Helin of NBC Sports: “The Bucks need all the backcourt help they can get, and Burries may not be flashy, but he does a lot of things well — he can play on and off the ball, can knock down catch-and-shoot jumpers but also attack closeouts, and he gets downhill off screens and has a midrange pull-up game.”
Brad Paisley (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE – Brad Paisley is scheduled to perform at the BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4.
Ticket information
What we know:
The ticket pre-sale for Brad’s fan club members, Paisley Nation, begins on Tuesday, May 12 at 10 am. All tickets available at BradPaisley.com.
The tour will also offer a variety of VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Packages vary but include premium seats, a guided backstage tour, VIP-exclusive gift item, early entry & more. VIP package contents vary depending on the selected offer. For more information, visit VIPnation.com.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by Live Nation.
Billionaire Wes Edens, co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA club, is shown at Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 9, 2015. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday identified Edens as the victim of a billion-dollar extortion plot allegedly hatched by an ex-lover. File Photo by Andrew Gombert/EPA
May 10 (UPI) — Wes Edens, the billionaire co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and an owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, was the target of a billion-dollar extortion scheme allegedly perpetrated by an ex-lover, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
A spokesman for Edens, 64, confirmed to the newspaper that the financier is the unnamed alleged victim in a federal indictment brought against Changli “Sophia” Luo of New York City.
Edens, one of world’s most successful global investment management firm leaders with Fortress, has developed and owned businesses in real estate, transportation, infrastructure, health care, financial services, media and entertainment.
He is also a high-profile sports team owner, including the Bucks and soccer club Aston Villa of the English Premier League. He is credited turning the Bucks from a perennial cellar dweller into a champion squad over a five-year span, culminating in the 2021 NBA championship.
But he also fell victim to a lurid alleged “sextortion” scheme, his spokesman confirmed to the WSJ, admitting the Edens is the unnamed “Victim 1” cited an indictment filed last year in Manhattan federal court against Luo.
The indictment reportedly accuses her of trying to extort Victim 1 of more than $1 billion by threatening to release videos and photos of them engaged in sex. Prosecutors alleged Luo also threatened to contact the victim’s family members and business partners in a threat to destroy his fortune if he did not pay up.
According to the indictment, Luo was arrested June 14 at JFK International Airport as she tried to board a flight to China, the New York Post reported.
“Mr. Edens will be making no comment on the case as the indictment speaks for itself with respect to the charges against the defendant,” his spokesman told the Journal. “Mr. Edens expects to testify under oath at the upcoming trial.”
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