RealGM Basketball Wiretap

28 March 2025

• Damian Lillard Out Indefinitely With Blood Clot In Right Calf, Bucks Optimistic He'll Return This Season

  Damian Lillard has been diagnosed with a blood clot in his right calf and will be out indefinitely. Lillard is on blood thinning medication to treat the issue, which has now been stabilized. According to a source that spoke with The Athletic, there is a great deal of optimism Lillard will return this season.

  Lillard is averaging 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists in his second with the Milwaukee Bucks. Lillard last played on March 18th when the Bucks lost to the Golden State Warriors.

  "Damian's health is our No. 1 priority," said Bucks General Manager Jon Horst. "We will support him as he moves through this weekly process of strict criteria to ensure that it is safe for him to return to play. Doctors have indicated that his situation is very unlikely to occur again. We are thankful that this was identified and medicated quickly, which helps with the recovery."

  The Bucks have been expected to finish as the fourth, fifth or sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee has yet to have their core players healthy for any playoff run since they won the title in 2021.

• Doc Rivers Meets With Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo Following Loss To Warriors

  Doc Rivers called a meeting with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo to address the Milwaukee Bucks' struggles following a 104-93 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, according Chris Haynes.

  The meeting was an "open forum" for Lillard and Antetokounmpo to provide input on how to improve the team.

  "It was a constructive session, with each individual allowed to share their perspectives. This meeting occurred on the heels of the Bucks offense sputtering as of late, and they've dropped five out of their last seven games," said Haynes.

  The Bucks are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, a half game back from the Pacers and a half game up on the Pistons.

  The Bucks have 14 games left in the season.

• Jericho Sims Undergoes Thumb Surgery, Expected To Miss Four Weeks

  Jericho Sims underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb on Monday, the Milwaukee Bucks announced.

  Sims is expected to be out for approximately four weeks.

  Sims suffered the injury during Saturday's game against the Pacers.

  Sims has played in 14 games since getting traded to the Bucks, and is averaging 2.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 15.0 minutes.

• Jericho Sims Playing Through Right Thumb Injury, Surgery In Consideration

  Milwaukee Bucks backup center Jericho Sims is playing through a right thumb injury. The injury is bad enough that Bucks coach Doc Rivers said surgery could be on the table.

  "It's a pretty good injury. Probably decisions will have to be made," Rivers said.

  When asked if that means surgery is possible, Rivers said "Yeah, it's a consideration, for sure."

  In 14 games since the Bucks acquire him at the trade deadline, Sims is averaging 2.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 15 minutes per game. With Bobby Portis suspended, Sims has filled the backup center role behind Brook Lopez.

• Junior Bridgeman Passes Away At 71

  Junior Bridgeman has passed away at the age of 71. Bridgeman suffered a medical emergency during a fundraiser at Galt House, a hotel in Louisville, according to WDRB News and confirmed by the company that runs Galt House. Bridgeman was then taken away in an ambulance by first responders.

  Bridgeman played for Louisville from 1972-1975 before becoming a first-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975. Bridgeman went on to build a business empire first with fast food restaurants and then becoming a Coca-Cola bottling distributor across three states and into Canada. Bridgeman bought a 10 percent stake in the Bucks in 2024.

  "Tough day, just really a tough day," Doc Rivers said. "He is the exact model that the league should use every day when they're talking to our young players."

  Rivers added: "We had a relationship, but I didn't talk to him a lot. And then all of a sudden he's back in (to ownership).... The last conversation I had with Junior was about using him to mentor the young players and trying to figure out a way of doing that and we never got to it, you know, because we thought there was time."

• Giannis Antetokounmpo Hopes Expanding Midrange Extends Career

  Giannis Antetokounmpo has traded his three-point attempts for more midrange jumpers this season. Antetokounmpo is averaging less than one three-point attempt per game, which is his lowest output since 14-15. Antetokounmpo has made 102 midrange shots, which is fourth in the NBA.

  "I've worked on it," Antetokounmpo told ESPN. "Guys are giving it to me. I got to shoot it because it's less toll on my body. I got to shoot it, man."

  Antetokounmpo worked on his jumper with skills coach Drew Hanlen this past offseason to give himself another offensive weapon and avoid excess contact on his body.

  "I'm in my thirties, obviously, [and] I believe that I have four [to] six years, still, of good basketball to give, but I got to be smarter," Antetokounmpo said. "I got to be smarter in the way I play."

  Antetokounmpo is averaging more than 30 points while attempting less than one three-pointer per game, which hasn't been done since Karl Malone in 89-90.

  "Me shooting a bunch of 3s -- which I would love; trust me, I love shooting the ball -- but right now, that's not what my team needs from me," Antetokounmpo said. "I know I'm going to make big 3s, big shots. But that's not my main focus. My main focus is to attack, facilitate, get the 15-footers all day long. If I have 20 of them, I'm going to take all 20 of them."

• Jamaree Bouyea, Bucks Agree To Two-Way Deal

  Jamaree Bouyea and the Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to a Two-Way deal.

  Bouyea appeared in nine games last season with the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.

  Bouyea has averaged 19.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 34.2 minutes over 17 games with the Austin Spurs.

• Bucks Convert Ryan Rollins From Two-Way To Standard NBA Deal

  The Milwaukee Bucks and Ryan Rollins have agreed to a standard NBA contract for the remainder of the season. Rollins was previously on a Two-Way deal and is represented by Mike Silverman and Brandon Grier.

  Rollins is averaging 4.9 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 39 games this season for the Bucks.

• Meyers Leonard Announces Retirement

  Meyers Leonard announced his retirement from basketball on Sunday. The veteran center played 10 seasons in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers, Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks.

  Leonard was fined $50,000 by the NBA and suspended from team activities in 2021 due to making an anti-Semitic comment during a livestream of him playing a video game. The Heat then traded Leonard to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who subsequently waived him.

  Leonard then missed a season to rehab from injury, while working to making amends and to educate himself after making the anti-Semitic comment. He then signed with the Bucks in 2023, in what would be the final season of his career.

• Bucks Waive Liam Robbins

  The Milwaukee Bucks waived Liam Robbins on Thursday, sources told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

  Robbins appeared in 13 games for the Bucks this season.

  The team also signed Pete Nance to a Two-Way contract on Thursday.