RealGM Basketball Wiretap

25 November 2025

• Giannis Antetokounmpo Nears Return After Pregame Workout Before Portland Loss

  Giannis Antetokounmpo completed a pregame workout before the Milwaukee Bucks' 115-103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, signaling his return from a left adductor strain is imminent. The Bucks have dropped five consecutive games and three straight without their star forward on the floor.

  Doc Rivers told reporters both Antetokounmpo and point guard Kevin Porter Jr. are "pretty close" to returning. However, both players were ruled out Sunday afternoon for Monday's game against the Trail Blazers.

  Portland dominated Milwaukee despite playing on the second night of a back-to-back. The Trail Blazers led by as many as 33 points in the fourth quarter before the final margin settled at 12.

  Milwaukee's offense has cratered during Antetokounmpo's absence. The Bucks have plummeted to 26th in offensive rating over the last three games at 108.6 points per 100 possessions, down from 16th through the first 15 games.

  Defenses have focused on neutralizing Ryan Rollins, Milwaukee's breakout performer early this season. Portland assigned 6-foot-8 All-Defensive Second Team guard Toumani Camara to pressure Rollins full court.

  "They're taking Ryan out of it," Rivers said after Monday's loss. "We don't have the ability right now to get into anything else when he doesn't have it."

  Rollins finished with 10 points, five rebounds and seven assists but never established rhythm. Milwaukee's offensive rebounding has dropped to 17.8 percent over three games without Antetokounmpo, down from an already league-worst 23.9 percent.

• Kevin Porter Jr On Track For December Return

  Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. is on track for a return to the court next month. Porter suffered a right meniscus injury in Milwaukee's opening night game. Bucks coach Doc Rivers confirmed that Porter is looking good as he's started ramping up his activity.

  "Yeah, I think right on track," Rivers said about Porter. "He looks good. He ran skeleton today and he looked good."

  Porter himself confirmed that he feels like he's turning a corner. He's still limited, but starting to move around more has the veteran guard moving in the right direction.

  "Just stationary shots, moving shots," Porter said of what he's done so far. "I did a lot of moving today. Today was the best day, I would say, as far as movement and cardio and things like that, but I think now I'm at the place where I'm trying to get my body back active."

• Giannis Antetokounmpo Out 1-2 Weeks With Low-Grade Left Groin Strain

  Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained a low-grade left groin strain and will miss one to two weeks. The diagnosis is an encouraging one for the Milwaukee Bucks, who are 8-7 this season and 1-1 when Antetokounmpo has been out of the lineup.

  Doc Rivers said Antetokounmpo began favoring his groin as early as the first quarter in Monday's game.

  Antetokounmpo is averaging 32.6 points on 63% shooting with 11.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists in his first 12 games this season.

• Giannis Antetokounmpo To Undergo MRI After Leaving Loss To Cavs With Groin Injury

  Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a left groin injury in the second quarter of the Milwaukee Bucks' 118-106 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Antetokounmpo fell to the ground when attempting a shot in the post and hobbled back on defense before committing a foul to exit the game.

  Antetokounmpo was ruled out of the game after halftime and will undergo an MRI.

  Antetokounmpo scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting with 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 13 minutes in the first half. Doc Rivers said postgame that Antetokounmpo was bothered by the groin in the first quarter.

• Taurean Prince Out Indefinitely With Herniated Disk In Neck

  Taurean Prince underwent an MRI last week that revealed a herniated disk in his neck. Prince will be sidelined indefinitely as the team's medical staff and external specialists determine the best treatment plan.

  In eight games this season, Prince is averaging 6.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 21.1 minutes per contest, while shooting 44.7% from the field and 42.9% from the arc.

  Prince is in Year 1 of a two-year, $7.1 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks.

• Myles Turner Says Pacers' Three-Year, $66M Offer Made Free Agency Decision 'Easy'

  Myles Turner said the Indiana Pacers made his free agency decision easy after offering only $22 million annually over three years. The Milwaukee Bucks presented a four-year, $107 million contract that Turner signed in July.

  Negotiations between Turner's agent and the Pacers stalled quickly after Indiana reached the NBA Finals in June. The Pacers never extended an offer beyond $66 million over three years.

  Milwaukee created cap space by waiving and stretching Damian Lillard's remaining $113 million over five years. The Bucks offered Turner approximately $27 million annually with a player option for the final year.

  "I've always been told when I was in trade rumors, this is a business," Turner said. "It's a $40 million difference at the end of the day."

  Pacers president Kevin Pritchard said he learned of Turner's decision through social media. He believed negotiations were still ongoing and thought Indiana was near an acceptable number.

  "Herb Simon and Steven Rales and the Simon family were fully prepared to go deep into the tax to keep him," Pritchard said in July. "We were negotiating in good faith."

  Turner spent 10 seasons with Indiana after being drafted in 2015. He was the longest-tenured player on last season's Finals team.

  "[Indiana] made it very clear how they valued me," Turner said. "And so did the Milwaukee Bucks."

  Turner will face the Pacers for the first time Monday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Bucks are 4-1 while Indiana has started 0-5.

  "There's going to be some cheers. There's going to be some boos," Turner said. "There's going to be a blend of emotions, for sure."

  Turner is averaging 9.8 points on 39.3 percent shooting through five games with Milwaukee.

• Kevin Porter Jr. Out At Least 4 Weeks With Knee Injury

  Kevin Porter Jr. was diagnosed with a right meniscus injury and will miss at least the next four weeks, according to the Milwaukee Bucks.

  The injury will require a minor orthopedic procedure.

  Porter, who was rehabbing a sprained left ankle suffered on opening night, hurt his knee during a workout on Thursday.

  The 25-year-old started the season as the Bucks' starting point guard.

• Chris Livingston, Cavaliers Sign Two-Way Deal

  Chris Livingston and the Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to a Two-Way contract. Livingston is represented by Brandon Cavanaugh and Rich Paul.

  Livingston was the No. 58 overall pick in the 2023 draft and has appeared in 42 games with the Milwaukee Bucks. Livingston was waived by the Bucks due to a roster crunch.

  Livingston appeared in 21 games with the Bucks last season, averaging 1.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 5.0 minutes. Livingston appeared in two preseason games where he averaged 8.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.8 minutes.

• Giannis Antetokounmpo Sits Bucks' Win Over Warriors With Left Knee Soreness

  Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the Milwaukee Bucks' 120-110 win over the Golden State Warriors with left knee soreness.

  Antetokounmpo was listed as questionable leading up to the game but was scratched following his pregame routine. It is the first game that Antetokounmpo has missed this season.

  Doc Rivers had no updates on Antetokounmpo's status following the game.

  The Bucks' victory was lead by Ryan Rollins, who finished with a career-high 32 points in the win.

  "I won't say we knew it, but we realized that first couple of days of training camp... we have a lot of people that can put the ball in the hoop," Rollins said after the game. "A lot of people that are dogs, they compete, play fast, play the right way, and that's just big for us."

• Myles Turner Says Pacers 'Changed Their Mind' About Re-Signing Him

  Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner was a recent guest with Thanasis Antetokounmpo' Thanalysis Show. One of the topics discussed was why Turner left the Indiana Pacers for the Bucks this offseason. Turner said he was originally told the Pacers would take care of him when he became a free agent.

  "Pascal was in a contract year. T.J. McConnell was in a contract year. Aaron Nesmith was in a contract year. I could go down the list, but you go through that, and we had a great run. Everybody got taken care of. Everybody got paid because we won," Turner said. "Then, the next year, we surpassed what we did, we went to the Finals. And all everybody told me was, 'Myles, just keep your head down. Keep your head down and work. You're going to get taken care of.'"

  Turner said Indiana's front office then changed their minds after the team made the NBA Finals. In the wake of the Tyrese Haliburton injury, the Pacers chose to go in a different direction from the longtime starting center.

  "Then, the unfortunate situation happens in the Finals with Tyrese, and I guess the front office and ownership just changed their mind," Turner told Antetokounmpo. "It was like, 'Yeah... we told you all those things. And yeah... you helped us get to the Eastern Conference Finals and the Finals... but... we had to pivot.' That was basically the sentiment. And we were just very far apart on what we thought the future should be."

  Turner signed with Milwaukee on a four-year, $108.8 million contract. This came after the Bucks cleared cap space in part by waiving-and-stretching Damian Lillard's salary.