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The Milwaukee Bucks have once again fallen in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, losing to the Indiana Pacers in a 4-1 gentlemen’s sweep. As Bucks fans look to the future, primarily characterized by the never-ending rumors of Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s time in Milwaukee ending, one Bucks player is set for a big chance to prove himself in the 2025-26 season.
Kevin Porter Jr. Has Had Good Moments for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024-25
The Milwaukee Bucks made several moves during the 2025 NBA trade deadline, and one of them was for combo guard Kevin Porter Jr. Acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers on February 7th, Porter Jr. joined the Bucks and has immediately shown some promise.
In 30 games with Milwaukee, Porter Jr. has averaged 11.3 points per game on above-average efficiency. After beginning the year shooting 24.% from long range with the Clippers, he shot over 40% from long-distance in a Bucks uniform.
Porter Jr. had six 20-point performances for the team, multiple double-doubles, and even a 10-11-14 triple-double against the Dallas Mavericks on March 3rd. He has shown he can be a good rebounder, run some point guard, and get numbers in the scoring column.
In the postseason, Porter Jr. did not have his best overall showing, but this was true for almost the entire team. In Game 1, he had 12 points, 5 boards, and 5 dimes in just under 30 minutes. He went to the free throw line 8 times and made them all as the Bucks lost by 19. Game 2, his minutes dropped to 15 due to three turnovers. Game 3, Porter Jr. went 0-5 from the field with just 1 point, although the Bucks won the game.
Game 4 saw Porter Jr. hit five triples, although the Bucks were down big for most of the contest and lost by 26. Game 5, Porter had probably his best performance. He played almost 48 minutes due to the overtime, had 11 points and 7 assists, and was second-best on the team in plus/minus. However, the Bucks lost the game and the series.
Kevin Porter Jr. Has a Huge Opportunity In Front of Him.
With a player-option for next season, Porter Jr. has the chance to opt in to a 2.5-million-dollar base salary for next year. While it is unclear on whether or not Porter Jr. will want to stay, it would make a lot of sense for him to do so given how much playing time he is likely to get.
With Damian Lillard’s Achilles injury, he will likely miss large portions of next season. Barring a free-agent acquisition, Porter Jr. could try and make one of the starting guard positions his. He only started two games for Milwaukee last year, but the opportunity to be a season-long starter could be on the table if he wanted to stay.
Milwaukee may not be interested in signing Porter Jr. to a bigger, longer-term deal, but if Porter Jr. is content with the player-option money and the prospect of starting for a playoff-caliber team, he could make himself a lot of money on his next deal. If Porter Jr. was able to continue his efficiency, playmaking, and winning ways, he could be in for a big-time contract the following summer, whether that is with Milwaukee or not.
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Sacramento Kings Announce Signing Of Elite 3-Point Shooter
Doug McDermott spent the 2024-25 season with the Sacramento Kings. He had averages of 3.5 points per contest while shooting 42.7% from the field and 43.6% from the three-point range in 42 games. On Tuesday, the Kings officially announced that they had re-signed McDermott. Via Kings.com: "The Sacramento Kings announced today that the team has re-signed forward Doug McDermott. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed." McDermott has been a solid role player over his 11-year NBA career. He was initially the 11th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Creighton. Via ESPN's Shams Charania (on July 21): "Free agent Doug McDermott has agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million deal to return to the Sacramento Kings, Mark Bartelstein and Andy Shiffman of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. McDermott will enter his 12th NBA season after shooting 44% from 3 in 42 Kings games in 2024-25." McDermott has also spent time with the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and OKC Thunder. The 33-year-old has career averages of 8.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per contest while shooting 47.0% from the field and 41.1% from the three-point range in 697 games. Via The Indiana Pacers (on May 27, 2024): "Doug McDermott blocks the shot cashes in with a three " As for the Kings, they finished last season as the ninth seed with a 40-42 record. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the play-in tournament, so they missed the NBA playoffs.
NFL analyst says teams should be 'extremely scared' of this franchise in 2025
While the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders have garnered a lot of attention lately, there is one NFC team that has quietly been flying under the radar. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost a one-score game to the Lions in the divisional round in 2023 and followed that up with another one-score loss to QB Jayden Daniels and the Commanders last season, proving how close they have been to the ultimate prize in the two seasons with Baker Mayfield under center. In an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday morning, analyst and former player Ryan Clark offered high praise for Mayfield and what the Buccaneers are capable of. "Baker Mayfield is a top-10 quarterback in this league," Clark said. "Baker Mayfield is a football player. And when I say that, I know people at home are gonna be like, 'Duh, he gets paid to play football.' No, not all quarterbacks are seen as football players. Not all quarterbacks are embraced in the locker room as one of us." Clark sees the Buccaneers as a team the rest of the league should be paying attention to because of who they have returning and the close calls in the playoffs the last two seasons. "This is a team that's been on the cusp the last two years," Clark said. "Now you think about some of the pieces they've added, the confidence in their quarterback and the way that he plays, and Todd Bowles with another year to understand winning at a high level at the head coach position. This is a team you better be extremely scared of because they're stacked and they're confident." Mayfield has been sensational during his time with the Buccaneers. Although he did throw 16 interceptions, Mayfield accounted for the third-most passing yards (4,500) in the league last season and has thrown the most TD passes (69) in the last two seasons, per StatMuse. To add even more incentive for Mayfield, the team restructured his contract, which is set to expire after the 2026 season, to include $30M in guaranteed salary for that season. The Buccaneers return a lot of production on both sides of the ball, in addition to bringing in first-round draft pick Emeka Egbuka, who topped 1,000 receiving yards twice at Ohio State and accounted for 26 total TDs. While Tampa Bay allowed the 17th-most points per game (22.7) last season, it returns the majority of its defensive production. On top of that, the offseason acquisition of veteran LB and two-time Pro-Bowler Haason Reddick, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal, should be a welcomed addition for a franchise that had some question marks on defense last season. The Buccaneers are projected to have the sixth-easiest schedule in the NFL this season and have the best chance to win the NFC South for the fifth consecutive season, according to ESPN Analytics. If Mayfield can cut back on his turnovers and the defense can create more pressure on opposing QBs, the Buccaneers could be a threat in the NFC once again as they look to put their recent nail-biting losses in the postseason behind them.
Oilers to Acquire a Top-Tier Goalie. An Official Trade Offer Is on the Table in a Blockbuster Deal
The Boston Bruins have been under pressure to retool after a disappointing season, and now a potential blockbuster move could shake the entire NHL. A major trade proposal has surfaced that could send a star goaltender to the Edmonton Oilers, a move that would give them the elite presence they've lacked in net while forcing Boston closer to a rebuild. The deal being floated by multiple outlets would send Edmonton's current starter, Stuart Skinner, along with Matthew Savoie, Beau Akey, and a 2028 first-round pick to Boston, while the Oilers land a goaltender capable of changing their Cup window overnight. Edmonton's push for a franchise goalie could reshape the Western Conference and challenge the Dallas Stars' path to the Cup If this trade goes through, the Oilers would instantly address one of their biggest weaknesses, setting up a showdown with teams like the Dallas Stars, who already see Edmonton as one of their toughest rivals. Boston, on the other hand, would fully commit to a rebuild, pairing Joonas Korpisalo with Skinner in what could be one of the NHL's weakest tandems, likely boosting their draft lottery odds in one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory (NHL.com). An insider noted, "They weren't the only ones who had inquired about Swayman, but yes, I was told they poked around." That comment shows just how wide the interest is for this level of goalie talent (Heavy.com). I think this kind of trade would completely shift the balance of power in the West, making Edmonton even more dangerous for teams like Dallas, who could end up facing a vastly upgraded Oilers team in the playoffs. If Boston truly embraces a rebuild, moving their top goaltender could be the first domino in a massive roster overhaul, something that could shake the market for weeks.
Raiders' Pete Carroll has cryptic comments on bizarre Christian Wilkins situation
There have been a couple of different theories floated about why the Las Vegas Raiders made the shocking decision to cut star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, but head coach Pete Carroll has no interest in sharing the real motive. The Raiders released Wilkins on Thursday, which was barely a year after they signed him to a four-year, $110M contract in free agency. Initial reports suggested Wilkins and the team were at odds over how the 29-year-old's foot injury was being handled, but the story has since taken a bizarre turn. ESPN's Adam Schefter said on Monday that there was an incident between Wilkins and a teammate in the locker room that Wilkins viewed as playful, but his teammate did not take it that way. Tashan Reed of The Athletic reported that the incident took place in a meeting room at the Raiders' facility last week and was investigated by the team's human resources department. On Tuesday, a reporter asked Carroll about the alleged incident. The 73-year-old coach refused to get into it. "I have no comment to make,” Carroll said, via The Athletic. “We made a decision on what we’re doing, and we’re moving with it. We’ll see how that all unveils itself in time.” The last part of Carroll's comment is interesting. Carroll may have been saying time will tell how the decision to cut Wilkins will turn out for the Raiders, or he may have been insinuating that more information will come out at some point. Raiders defensive tackle Adam Nelson was also asked about Wilkins on Tuesday. Nelson responded by encouraging people to seek therapy if they are struggling with something in their life. Wilkins had 17 total tackles and a pair of sacks in five games with the Raiders before he suffered his season-ending foot injury.
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