Category: Milwaukee Bucks Blog

Bucks center Larry Sanders is eligible to sign a contract extension before Oct. 31 and there were indications Thursday that the process is moving along.

Sanders sent out two tweets hinting at the talks. The first said: “Well let’s get it done then! #Buck4Life

And the second followed: “I love the city of Milwaukee and I will stay as long as you’ll have me.”

Sanders is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie-scale contract and will be paid about $3 million next season. He is eligible to sign a four-year extension that would run through the 2017-’18 season.

Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Blog)

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed second round draft pick Nate Wolters, General Manager John Hammond announced today.

The Bucks acquired the draft rights to Wolters (6-4, 190) from the Philadelphia 76ers. The guard was originally selected by the Washington Wizards with the 38th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. His rights were subsequently acquired by Philadelphia before being moved to Milwaukee. In exchange for the draft rights to Wolters, the Bucks sent the draft rights to Ricky Ledo, the 43rd overall pick in the draft, and a future second round pick to the Sixers.

Wolters played four years of college basketball at South Dakota State University (2009-13) and left holding school records for scoring (2,353 points), assists (663) and free throws made (644). He is one of only four players in Division I history to leave school with 2,000 points, 600 rebounds and 600 assists, and the only player in South Dakota State history to surpass the 2,000-point mark.

As a senior in 2012-13, Wolters averaged 22.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. He became the first Summit League player ever to earn AP All-American honors when he was named to the Third Team. Wolters also earned First Team All-Summit League honors in addition to being named the 2013 Summit League Player of the Year. He was selected First Team All-Summit League following his sophomore and junior seasons as well. Wolters scored in double figures in 72 consecutive games and in all but 13 of his 128 games as a Jackrabbit – 11 of which were in his freshman year and two in his sophomore season.

The Milwaukee Bucks announced the signings of free-agent guard Gary Neal and rookie forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the team’s first-round draft pick, on Tuesday.

Neal signed a two-year deal worth $6.5 million, while Antetokounmpo will make more than $3.6 million in the first two years of his rookie-scale deal, including about $1.8 million next season…

Neal was a key reserve for the San Antonio Spurs the past three seasons and sank 6 three-pointers in the Spurs’ rout of Miami in Game 3 of the NBA Finals in June…

“I wasn’t really surprised,” Neal said Tuesday. “My family loved San Antonio and I had a great three years. I will be forever grateful to Coach Pop (Gregg Popovich) and (Spurs general manager) R.C. Buford for giving me a chance to live out my dream in the NBA… But it is a business. Milwaukee was the best situation for me and I’m excited.”

Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed first round draft pick guard/forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAHN-iss ahn-teh-toe-KUHN-poe), General Manager John Hammond announced today.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA draft are guaranteed to receive a contract. So, this signing is standard and was expected.

The 15th overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, Antetokounmpo (6-9, 210), joins the Bucks after spending the 2012-13 season with Filathlitikos (Greece) where he averaged 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 26 games. He posted a season-high 23 points vs. Irakleuo Crete and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds vs. GS Laviro.

Most recently, Antetokounmpo represented Greece in the Sportland U20 European Championships, averaging 8.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest. Helping Greece to an 8-2 record and fifth place overall finish, he finished the tournament ranked second in defensive rebounds (7.0) and seventh in blocked shots (1.4).

Larry Sanders put on his No. 43 USA practice jersey and went to work Monday.

The Bucks center, who admitted he never dreamed of having such an opportunity, was part of a group of eight young big men being evaluated by U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski and the rest of his staff. A four-day USA Basketball national team minicamp opened Monday at Mendenhall Center on the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus.

“It was an exciting first day,” Sanders said. “A little jittery, a little jumpy, extra active. But my motor was going so it was good.”

The camp brought together 26 NBA players and two top collegians – Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart and Creighton’s Doug McDermott – in the opening step of preparations for the 2014 World Cup in Spain and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

“The goal is just to perform as best I can and let them worry about the rest,” Sanders said. “They’re waiting for that new wave to come through. It was a good experience, a good start.”

Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Nick Van Exel made his summer-league head coaching debut Friday as the Milwaukee Bucks concluded their weeklong stay in Las Vegas.

Despite another strong effort from rookie point guard Nate Wolters, the Bucks lost, 90-80, to the San Antonio Spurs.

But the bigger picture showed some positive developments for the Bucks (2-3) as they packed their bags and prepared to head home.

Second-year player John Henson proved to be one of the top big men in the NBA Summer League. He sat out Friday’s game with a minor injury but finished with averages of 14.7 points and 13.7 rebounds in three summer games.

Wolters, who scored 20 points Friday, gained confidence with each successive game and showed an impressive ability to get into the lane.

Reported by Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel