Day: May 12, 2025

The Houston Rockets are prepared to make changes to their roster this offseason. Houston knows they need more offensive help to make a deeper playoff run next season.

However, that help may not come in the form of a regularly rumored target. The Rockets no longer have interest in trading for Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns.

Houston still has faith in current shooting guard Jalen Green. The Rockets guard is not only five years younger than Booker, but Green is also on the books for $66 million less salary over the next three seasons. In addition, the Rockets have concerns about Booker, after he struggled at points through last season.

For the first time, Giannis Antetokounmpo is open-minded about leaving the Milwaukee Bucks. Antetokounmpo has made no firm decisions about requesting a trade from the Bucks, but is open to exploring if his best fit could be playing elsewhere.

Rival teams have reached out to Milwaukee over the years, but have always been shut down as to the availability of Antetokounmpo. With all 30 teams gathered in Chicago for the annual NBA Draft Combine, teams are expected to do due diligence around possibly trading for the Bucks superstar.

Antetokounmpo and his representatives are expected to meet with Milwaukee’s leadership to discuss the future. The main concern for the Bucks star is team’s ability to compete for championships, or if that ability is better for him with another team.

The Bucks have Antetokounmpo under contract through at least the 2026-27 season, as his new three-year extension will kick in with this coming season, with a player option for the 2027-28 season. Antetokounmpo is set to be on the book for a projected max salary of $54.1 million for next season.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns appeared to suffer a left hand injury during his team’s Game 3 loss to the Boston Celtics. Towns was injured while going for a rebound during the third quarter of Game 3. He was able to stay in the game, but was spotted grabbing and shaking his left hand repeatedly.

Some believe that Towns was spotted on the broadcast saying “I broke it” while referring to his hand. Postgame, the Knicks All-Star center deflected questions about his injured left hand.

“It is what it is,” Towns said. “I’m gonna keep finding ways to play, so I ain’t tripping.”

When asked if he underwent x-rays for the injury, Towns said that he would let the Knicks handle that communication.

“I’ma let them tell you that,” Towns said when asked about his left hand being examined or x-rayed.

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis has not looked like himself throughout the playoffs. Porzingis was forced to leave Game 1 of the second round against the New York Knicks early due to an illness. Boston then brought Porzingis off the bench for Games 2 and 3 of the series.

This illness is believed to be related to the one that caused the Celtics center to miss several games in March. At that time, doctors were unable to determine exactly what it was that was plaguing Porzingis. Now, he’s had a flare up of similar issues since the start of the second round.

“It’s led to him having energy zaps and stamina ebbs and flows over the last couple of months, and he felt that he had actually turned the corner right as the playoffs started in mid-April,” ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said about Porzingis. “But in his own words, he had a crash right before Game 1 of this series, and he’s tried a lot of different things to try to mitigate the side effects. I’m told he’s been receiving IVs, immune boosters.

“He’s even changed up his sleep patterns to try to get more rest. He’s essentially waking up every day, hoping and praying that he feels better.”

Porzingis was able to play 19 minutes in Boston’s Game 3 victory. He contributed 5 points, four rebounds, two assists and three blocks off the Celtics bench.