RealGM Basketball Wiretap

27 October 2025

• Source Close To Giannis Antetokounmpo: 'Always Got to Hold Ownership's Feet To Fire'

  Giannis Antetokounmpo is approaching a crossroads in his career where he will likely either sign an extension with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2026 offseason or he will be traded. Antetokounmpo has a player option for the 2027-28 season meaning he can become a free agent in 20227.

  Antetokounmpo has applied pressure to the Bucks ahead of his extension decisions in 2020 and 2023, which resulted in him signing long-term after their trades for Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard. Antetokounmpo decided to remain with the Bucks this past offseason following their decision to waive-and-stretch Damian Lillard in order to sign Myles Turner.

  "Always got to hold ownership's feet to the fire," a source close to Antetokounmpo told ESPN.

  The Bucks and New York Knicks engaged in trade talks on Antetokounmpo in August, but those talks didn't progress.

  "I've said this many times: I want to be in a situation that I can win," Antetokounmpo said. "I've communicated with my teammates, communicated with the people I respect and love, that the moment I step on this court or in this facility, I wear this jersey, the rest does not matter. I'm locked into whatever I have in front of me. Now, if in six, seven months I change my mind, I think that's human, too."

  The Bucks, however, insist they are the same page as Antetokounmpo.

  "There's no bigger difference," one team source told ESPN, "than the perception of the outside compared to what's going on in-house."

• Kevin Porter Jr. Out At Least Two Games With Sprained Ankle

  Kevin Porter Jr. suffered a sprained ankle against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, an MRI confirmed on Thursday.

  Porter is set to miss the Bucks' two-game road trip, though the team did not provide further details of his return.

  The 25-year-old averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 30 games with the Bucks last year.

• Kevin Porter Jr. Suffers Sprained Ankle, Set To Undergo MRI

  Kevin Porter Jr. suffered a sprained ankle in the Milwaukee Bucks' 133-120 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

  Porter, who had ten points at the time of the injury, is set to undergo an MRI on Thursday.

  Doc Rivers was pessimistic over the outlook of the injury.

  "It didn't look good," Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. "I'll just say that. Got to hope for the best, but looking at it, it was a pretty bad sprain."

• Bucks Waive Tyler Smith; Andre Jackson Jr. Salary Fully Guaranteed After Making Roster

  Andre Jackson Jr. will have his $2.22 million salary fully guaranteed after making the Milwaukee Bucks roster, sources told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

  Jackson started 43 out of 67 games last year.

  Jackson beat out Tyler Smith for a roster spot, with the Bucks waiving the 20-year-old who was the No. 33 pick in the 2024 draft.

• Giannis Antetokounmpo: We're Not The Favorites But We're Going To Be Dangerous

  The Milwaukee Bucks are currently being given the 15th best odds of winning the 2026 NBA championship despite the presence of perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo on their roster. Antetokounmpo, however, believes in the Bucks' ability to be a challenging team to play against.

  "We're not the favorites," Antetokounmpo said Sunday. "But we're going to be a problem. We're going to be dangerous. The team is set up in a way that is very, very dangerous.

  "We have a lot of shooters. We have a lot of playmakers and ballhandlers. We have a lot of defenders. We can switch. We have an incredible big (Myles Turner) that can space the floor and be a problem defensively. We are set up exactly how you need to make a statement. But our goal is Wednesday. After that, stay healthy and get to the playoffs, be in the playoffs and try to win a playoff series."

  After two seasons with an Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard core, they are retooling around Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner and a collection of shooters.

• Bucks Expected To Waive Tyler Smith

  The Milwaukee Bucks are expected to waive second-year big man Tyler Smith. The Bucks have to clear a spot to keep Amir Coffey on the opening night roster. Coffey made the team after signing with Milwaukee on a training camp contract.

  Smith was not present at the Bucks open practice on Sunday. Milwaukee has until 5 PM ET on Monday to be in regular season roster compliance.

  If the Bucks move forward with waiving Smith, he'll count for $1.9 million in dead money for the 2025-26 season. The final two season of the 6-foot-10 big man's contract are non-guaranteed.

• Amir Coffey Makes Bucks Opening Night Roster

  Veteran wing Amir Coffey will make the Milwaukee Bucks opening night roster. Milwaukee had signed Coffey to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract.

  Coffey making the roster means that Milwaukee will have to trade or waive a player with a partially or fully guaranteed contract. Andre Jackson Jr. has the only partially contract on the roster, as $800,000 of his deal is guaranteed. The remainder becomes fully guaranteed if Jackson is on the roster on opening night.

  The Bucks have also reportedly looked into trading second-year big man Tyler Smith. His contract is fully guaranteed at $1.9 million for this season, with two non-guaranteed seasons following this one.

• Bucks Waive Johnny Davis, Jeremiah Tilmon

  The Milwaukee Bucks have waived Johnny Davis and Jeremiah Tilmon. Both Davis and Tilmon were signed to Exhibit 10 contract. Davis and Tilmon are expected to join the Wisconsin Herd for the upcoming G League season.

  The Bucks roster now stands at 19 players. Amir Coffey remains with the team on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract. Milwaukee will have to get down to 15 players on standard contracts by Monday's deadline.

• Bucks Sign Jeremiah Tilmon; Waive John Butler, Stephen Thompson

  The Milwaukee Bucks have waived John Butler and Stephen Thompson. The Bucks also signed Jeremiah Tilmon. All three players were signed to Exhibit 10 contracts. Butler, Thompson and Tilmon are all expected to join the Wisconsin Herd for the upcoming G League season.

  Tilmon played for teams in China and South Korea last season. The 6-foot-10 big man averaged 5.8 points and 4.4 rebounds in 36 games across all competitions last season.

  The Bucks also completed the previously reported Exhibit 10 signing of veteran guard Johnny Davis.

• Bucks Agree To Deal With Johnny Davis

  The Miwaukee Bucks agreed to a contract with Johnny Davis on Wednesday.

  Davis, who was traded from the Wizards to the Grizzlies last year, finished the season with the Westchester Knicks.

  Davis averaged 2.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in 34 games last season with the Wizards.

  With two roster openings, the Bucks do not need to waive another player to sign Davis.