Category: Milwaukee Bucks Blog

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Bucks add DeMarre Carroll to coaching staff

The Milwaukee Bucks yesterday made the following updates to Mike Budenholzer’s coaching staff:

Charles Lee, who has served as an assistant coach with the Bucks the past four seasons, has been promoted to associate head coach. The 2022-23 season will mark Lee’s ninth on Budenholzer’s staff after he joined the Atlanta Hawks as an assistant coach in 2014. In addition to winning the 2021 NBA Championship with the Bucks, Lee has made the playoffs in seven of his eight seasons with Budenholzer in Atlanta and Milwaukee, including three Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

A native of Gaithersburg, Maryland, Lee got his start in coaching at his alma mater, Bucknell, where he served as an assistant coach for two seasons. As a player with the Bison, Lee was the 2006 Patriot League Player of the Year and won two Patriot League championships. After his playing career at Bucknell, Lee played professionally in Israel, Belgium and Germany.

Vince Legarza, who most recently served as an assistant coach with the Utah Jazz the past four seasons, has been hired as an assistant coach. Prior to his stint in Utah, he spent three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves in their Player Development department. Legarza got his start in the NBA with the Hawks where he served two seasons in the team’s Basketball Operations and Player Development departments. The San Francisco native is a graduate of Miami University (OH) where he spent five seasons playing on the men’s basketball team, including three years as a captain.

Blaine Mueller, who is entering his fifth season with the Bucks, has been promoted to assistant coach. Mueller, a Watertown, Wisconsin native and University of Wisconsin graduate, spent the last three seasons as the Bucks head video coordinator. He started with the Bucks in 2018 as a video and player development assistant before being promoted to head video coordinator prior to the 2019-20 season. Before joining the Bucks, Mueller spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Lindenwood University.

DeMarre Carroll, an 11-year NBA veteran who appeared in 578 career games with Memphis, Houston, Denver, Utah, Atlanta, Toronto, Brooklyn and San Antonio, has also joined Budenholzer’s staff as an assistant coach. A former first round pick out of Missouri, Carroll most recently played with the Spurs and Rockets during the 2019-20 season. The Birmingham, Alabama native played under Budenholzer in Atlanta for two seasons from 2013-15, including the 2014-15 season when the Hawks won 60 games and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Sidney Dobner has been promoted to head video coordinator. Dobner is entering her fifth season with the Bucks organization, serving most recently as assistant video coordinator last season. After a collegiate and professional playing career, the Newbury Park, California native got her start with the Wisconsin Herd in 2018 as a video assistant/coaching associate before joining the Bucks Basketball Operations department for the 2019-20 season and then transitioning to a video and player development assistant for the 2020-21 season.

Bulls forward Patrick Williams has big defensive role against Bucks in playoffs

Young Patrick Williams has a big role on the Chicago Bulls as they face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs. Via the Chicago Tribune:

Patrick Williams is well aware that guarding two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is a difficult task.

Williams is seven years younger, four inches shorter, 30 pounds lighter, and four inches shorter than Milwaukee Bucks star Nikola Mirotic. He has never participated in the NBA playoffs and missed the entire regular season with the Chicago Bulls due to a wrist injury.

But the Bulls forward can not let uncertainty enter in if he wants to slow down one of the league’s top players.

“I feel like a lot of people in this league are scared or nervous to guard guys like that,” Williams said Wednesday ahead of Game 2. “Obviously (Antetokounmpo) is good. He’s a two-time MVP. But he puts his pants on the same way I do. He is good, but he’s not God.”

Despite his youth, Williams is a perfect match for Antetokounmpo’s defense. Williams is long enough to hinder Antetokounmpo’s shot around the rim while also being quick enough to disrupt his straight-line drives to the rim. [But] no one expected to slow Antetokounmpo down in a one-on-one matchup.

Game 2 of the series is tonight in Milwaukee at 9:30 PM ET on TNT TV.

Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley and Bucks guard George Hill fined by NBA

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley has been fined $20,000 and Milwaukee Bucks guard George Hill has been fined $15,000 for their roles in an on-court altercation, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations.

Following a free throw attempt, Minnesota’s Taurean Prince and Milwaukee’s Serge Ibaka became entangled while jockeying for rebounding position. Beverley entered and escalated the altercation by shoving Ibaka from behind. Hill then continued the altercation by shoving Beverley.

The incident, for which Beverley and Hill each received a technical foul and were ejected, occurred with 2:11 remaining in the first quarter of the Timberwolves’ 138-119 victory over the Bucks on March 19 at Target Center.

Milwaukee Bucks sign forward DeAndre’ Bembry

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed forward DeAndre’ Bembry.

A 6-5, 210-pound forward, Bembry appeared in 48 games (20 starts) with the Brooklyn Nets this season before being waived on Feb. 10.

Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Bembry was waived by the Nets on Thursday in order to accommodate their acquisition of Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond from Philadelphia. ”

With the Nets, Bembry averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steal in 19.8 minutes per game while shooting a career-high 56.8% from the field and a career-best 41.7% from three.

In his sixth season in the NBA, Bembry was originally selected out of Saint Joseph’s with the 21st overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He went on to play in 189 games with the Hawks over four seasons before spending last season with the Raptors. In his career, Bembry holds averages of 6.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steal across 288 games (55 starts) with the Hawks, Raptors and Nets.

Milwaukee’s roster now stands at 15 players.

Bucks guard Pat Connaughton out after surgery

Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton underwent surgery Monday to repair the fractured fourth metacarpal on his right hand. Connaughton injured his hand in the Bucks game at Phoenix on Feb. 10.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Connaughton is expected to be sidelined for approximately four weeks.

Per ESPN.com, “losing him will be a significant blow to a Bucks team that has increasingly relied on his productivity this season.”

In 54 games (18 starts) this season, Connaughton is averaging a career-best 10.1 points with 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in a career-high 27.0 minutes per game.

Four-team NBA trade sends Donte DiVincenzo to Kings, Marvin Bagley III to Pistons

The Sacramento Kings have acquired guard Donte DiVincenzo (DEE-vin-chen-zo) from the Milwaukee Bucks, forward Josh Jackson and forward Trey Lyles from the Detroit Pistons as part of a four-team trade that will send Marvin Bagley III to Detroit.

“We are pleased to bring Donte, Josh and Trey here to Sacramento,” said Kings General Manager Monte McNair. “Adding shooting, defense and versatility to our team are very valuable as we continue to build. We would also like to thank Marvin Bagley III and wish him all the best in the future.”

In his fourth season out of Villanova, DiVincenzo has accrued career averages of 8.8 points (.424 FG%, .343 3pt%, .745 FT%), 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 23.2 minutes per game in 176 games (90 starts) for the Milwaukee Bucks (2018-22) and was a member of the 2021 NBA Championship team.

A University of Kansas product, Jackson has averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 23.6 minutes per game in 279 career games (92 starts) in five seasons with the Phoenix Suns (2017-19), Memphis Grizzlies (2019-20) and Detroit Pistons (2020-22).

During the 2021-22 season, Lyles is posting a career-high 10.4 points (.456 FG%, .784 FT%) to go along with 4.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 19.4 minutes per game in 51 games and three starts for Detroit. A six-year veteran out of Kentucky, Lyles has garnered a career average of 7.6 points (.438 FG%, .336 3pt%, .726 FT%), 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 425 games (106 starts) with four teams: Utah Jazz (2015-16), Denver Nuggets (2017-19), San Antonio Spurs (2019-21) and Detroit (2021-22).

In subsequent moves, the Kings have requested waivers on Jahmi’us Ramsey and Robert Woodard II.

Four-team NBA trade sends Serge Ibaka to Bucks

The LA Clippers have completed a four-team trade with the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings. As part of the deal, the Clippers acquired Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye from Milwaukee, as well as the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic from Sacramento. Milwaukee received Serge Ibaka and cash considerations from the Clippers. The Kings received the draft rights to David Michineau from the Clippers.

Ibaka, 32, appeared in 35 games this season for the Clippers, averaging 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds. The 6-foot-10 center has appeared in 884 games and owns career averages of 12.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 13 NBA seasons with the Clippers, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder. Prior to the NBA, he played professionally in Spain for three seasons (2006-09).

“Serge is one of the best rim protectors of his era and we are grateful to have had him with us for the past two seasons,” said Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. “We all saw the tremendous amount of work he put into his recovery from back surgery. He was determined to contribute this season, and he did, providing valuable shooting and defense.”

Hood, 29, appeared in 39 games for the Bucks this season, averaging 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 14.9 minutes. Originally selected with the 23rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Duke University, Hood has appeared in 435 career games with the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, Raptors and Bucks, averaging 10.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists. The Meridian, Miss., native has also played in 44 postseason contests, averaging 7.9 points and 2.2 rebounds.

Ojeleye, 27, has played in 20 games for the Bucks this season, averaging 2.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.4 minutes. The Overland Park, Kans., native has appeared in 274 career games with the Boston Celtics and Bucks, averaging 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds. The 37th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, he was the AAC Player of the Year from Southern Methodist University in 2017.

Bucks sign Greg Monroe to 10-day contract

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed center Greg Monroe to a 10-day contract.

A 10-year NBA veteran who appeared in 165 games with the Bucks between 2015-17, Monroe most recently played in five games earlier this season with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards while on two 10-day contracts. In those five games, Monroe shot 59.1% from the field and averaged 5.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 block in 16.2 minutes per game.

Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “they got me out here (Friday) night to Portland and finalized everything this morning — I’m here and I’m ready to play,” Monroe said after shootaround at the Moda Center. “They’re just trying to get me up to speed so far.” Monroe has remained in game shape, as he’s played in 12 games for the Capital City Go-Go of the G League along with two other 10-day NBA contracts. He said he’s expecting to play anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes against the Trail Blazers.”

A 6-11, 265-pound center, Monroe has appeared in 637 games (417 starts) throughout his NBA career with Detroit, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Boston, Toronto, Philadelphia, Minnesota and Washington and holds averages of 13.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. In his three seasons with the Bucks, the Georgetown product averaged 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists across 165 regular season games (67 starts) while shooting 52.6% from the field.

Monroe will wear number 15 with the Bucks. Milwaukee’s roster now stands at 17 players.

Bucks’ Grayson Allen suspended for flagrant foul on Bulls’ Alex Caruso

Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen has been suspended one game without pay for having made unnecessary and excessive contact against Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso, resulting in substantial injury to Caruso, it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations.

The incident, for which Allen was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected, occurred with 5:45 remaining in the third quarter of the Bucks’ 94-90 win over the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 21 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

Allen will serve his suspension on Wednesday, Jan. 26 when the Bucks face the Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, OH.