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Giannis Antetokounmpo Had No Words for Bucks Teammate After Raptors News

Giannis Antetokounmpo Had No Words for Bucks Teammate After Raptors News

Yahoo2 days ago

Giannis Antetokounmpo Had No Words for Bucks Teammate After Raptors News originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been with the Milwaukee Bucks for 11 seasons, transforming the franchise into a perennial contender and leading them to an NBA championship in 2021. Since emerging into a league and Finals MVP, Antetokounmpo's loyalty and commitment have been unwavering, but recent developments suggest his tenure in Milwaukee might be approaching a crossroads.
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The Bucks' disappointing first-round playoff exit this season, coupled with a significant injury to star point guard Damian Lillard, has intensified speculation about Antetokounmpo's future. Reports have emerged indicating mutual interest between Antetokounmpo and the Toronto Raptors, a team actively seeking a superstar to strengthen their roster (via Doug Smith of the Toronto Star).
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and head coach Doc Rivers.Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
While no formal trade request has been made, the buzz surrounding a potential move has grown louder in recent days.
Following these reports, Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma added a touch of humor to the situation. He posted a photo of himself engaged in an intense training session with a trainer, captioning it, "Me to [Giannis Antetokounmpo] if you leave next year😂😂😂😂"
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Antetokounmpo did not have any words for his teammate, but responded with a series of laughing emojis, indicating his amusement at Kuzma's playful jab.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo responds to his teammate Kyle Kuzma.giannis_an34 / Instagram
Kuzma joined the Bucks in February 2025 as part of a multi-team trade that sent longtime Buck Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards. Since his arrival, Kuzma has been integrating into the Bucks' system, aiming to contribute to the team's success.
In previous years, Antetokounmpo has expressed his desire to remain with the Bucks, emphasizing he wouldn't request a trade. However, the recent string of early playoff exits and the team's current trajectory may lead him to reconsider his stance. He has also alluded that his commitment to the franchise is contingent upon their dedication to winning championships.
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Related: Giannis Antetokounmpo Makes Post After Raptors Trade Report
Related: Raptors Facing Backlash After Pascal Siakam News
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.

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NBA Finals: What to know as OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers battle for title
NBA Finals: What to know as OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers battle for title

CNN

time19 minutes ago

  • CNN

NBA Finals: What to know as OKC Thunder and Indiana Pacers battle for title

The 2025 NBA playoffs have been ones to remember with shock results, historical big comebacks and the traditional heavyweights struggling. And at the end of a thrilling postseason, it is two teams with vastly different stories in the Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will face off in the best-of-seven series for the Larry O'Brien Trophy and the chance to lift aloft a championship banner in their home arena. Both have had grueling journeys to reach this spot, so here's everything you need to know. The NBA Finals begin with Game 1 on Thursday in Oklahoma City with the Thunder having home-court advantage because of their better regular season record. All games will be broadcast on ABC. Here's the full NBA Finals schedule: · Game 1: Pacers @ Thunder, Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 2: Pacers @ Thunder, Sunday at 8 p.m. ET · Game 3: Thunder @ Pacers, June 11 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 4: Thunder @ Pacers, June 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 5 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 6 (if needed): Thunder @ Pacers, June 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET · Game 7 (if needed): Pacers @ Thunder, June 22 at 8 p.m. ET The Thunder's and Pacers' route to the NBA Finals couldn't have been more different. The Thunder spent the majority of the regular season atop the Western Conference standings and were many peoples' picks for the title. They are led by this season's MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and have a deep rotation filled with productive role players who have stepped up in the biggest moments. On the other hand, the Pacers had a good but not great regular season, not challenging for the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference and even having a sub-.500 record in January. Yes, they have two elite players in Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, but causing a stir in the latter stages of the NBA postseason was on nobody's playoffs predictions. But here we are. Both teams had to endure their ups and downs throughout the playoffs. The Thunder went to a Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals and experienced a 42-point blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals before their star-power shone through. The Pacers, meanwhile, have made big comebacks a part of their DNA, shocking the Eastern Conference No. 1 seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the second round in five games before coming through a thrilling Eastern Conference Finals with the New York Knicks which became an all-time classic, such was the level of drama in most games. While the Thunder are many people's favorites to earn their first NBA ring since moving from Seattle, in particular with home-court advantage – they had a league-best 43-7 home record this season – Indiana has made the impossible possible throughout the postseason. And led by head coach Rick Carlisle – who coached the Dallas Mavericks to a shock NBA title victory over the heavily-favored Miami Heat in 2011 – nothing is off the cards. Throughout the postseason, the two Finals contenders have homed in on what makes them successful. For the Thunder, it is their elite defense while for the Pacers, it is their explosive offense. OKC's deep rotation is full of capable defensive players, highlighted by their two All-NBA Defensive team stars – Lu Dort on the first team and Jalen Williams on the second. But even outside of those, they have contributors who have had big moments this playoffs. Chet Holmgren has provided key blocks at certain points and Alex Caruso turned into a key defender of three-time MVP Nikola Jokić in the Nuggets series. On the other side, Indiana has made a high-scoring offense a key part of its game. Most of it revolves around Haliburton, with his pin-point passing able to set up his teammates in good spots while Siakam provides a physical presence inside. Haliburton is averaging 18.8 points, 9.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game this postseason as Indiana has outgunned many of its opponents; in the 2025 postseason so far, the Pacers are 12-0 when they score 114 or more points but 0-4 when they don't hit the mark. 'When you get to this point of the season, it's two teams and it's one goal and so it becomes an all-or-nothing thing,' Carlisle said. 'And we understand the magnitude of the opponent. Oklahoma City has been dominant all year long – with capital letters in the word 'dominant.' 'Defensively, they're historically great and they got all kinds of guys that can score. It's two teams that have similar structures, slightly different styles.' The fate of this year's NBA title might revolve around one end of the court and whether Indiana can break down a stout OKC. The NBA Finals could be defined by the two star guards on display – Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder and Haliburton for the Pacers. Both were traded away from their first teams – Gilgeous-Alexander was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers and Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings – but have blossomed with their new teams. Gilgeous-Alexander is the league's MVP this season, beating out Jokić for his first award, after leading the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game. The 26-year-old is arguably one of the most unstoppable offensive forces in the NBA at the moment, but it has been a long road to get to this point. 'It's been a roller coaster,' Gilgeous-Alexander said earlier this week. 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That doesn't mean he's universally loved around the league though, with The Athletic conducting an anonymous survey of NBA players who voted Haliburton as the league's most overrated player. Though his play and game-winners this postseason have surely changed some of those opinions. For the Thunder or Pacers to have any chance of winning this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy, it will likely rest on their star guards' shoulders to get them to the finish line.

2025 NBA Finals MVP odds: Can Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pull off rare double?
2025 NBA Finals MVP odds: Can Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pull off rare double?

USA Today

time24 minutes ago

  • USA Today

2025 NBA Finals MVP odds: Can Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pull off rare double?

2025 NBA Finals MVP odds: Can Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pull off rare double? Show Caption Hide Caption Thunder's path to the Finals With elite defense and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on their side, are the Thunder poised to dominate the NBA Finals? Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has already won the 2025 NBA MVP award. Is a Finals MVP next for the All-Star guard? Gilgeous-Alexander is the betting favorite to hoist the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player as the Thunder set to face the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. If he's able to accomplish the feat, Gilgeous-Alexander would become the 11th player in NBA history to win the league MVP and Finals MVP in the same season, joining Willis Reed (1969-70), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71), Moses Malone (1982-83), Larry Bird (1983-84, 1985-86), Magic Johnson (1986-87), Michael Jordan (1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98), Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94), Shaquille O'Neal (1999-00), Tim Duncan (2002-03) and LeBron James (2011-12, 2012-13). Here's a look at the latest NBA Finals MVP odds, in addition to the full NBA Finals schedule and how to watch: NBA Finals MVP odds *All odds via BetMGM, as of Wednesday Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-625) Tyrese Haliburton (+700) Pascal Siakam (+1600) Jalen Williams (+3000) Chet Holmgren (+8000) Myles Turner (+25000) Luguentz Dort (+25000) Andrew Nembhard (+35000) Alex Caruso (+50000) How to watch the NBA Finals The 2025 NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers will air on ABC. Fans can stream it on Fubo (offers a free trial) and SlingTV. Watch the NBA Finals with Fubo NBA Finals 2025: Schedule, time, TV channel, live streaming All times Eastern. *-if necessary Game 1, June 5: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 2, June 8: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Game 3, June 11: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 4, June 13 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 5, June 16 : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 6, June 19 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 7, June 22: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m.* The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers: Predictions, picks, odds for 2025 NBA Finals
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers: Predictions, picks, odds for 2025 NBA Finals

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Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers: Predictions, picks, odds for 2025 NBA Finals

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers: Predictions, picks, odds for 2025 NBA Finals Show Caption Hide Caption Pacers and Thunder NBA Finals is better than it's 'small-market' billing USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt breaks down the star-studded NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Sports Pulse Despite the daunting weather challenges of tornado warnings and thunderstorms, the Indiana Pacers arrived in Oklahoma City for the 2025 NBA Finals series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are aiming for their second franchise NBA title (1979 as Seattle SuperSonics) and are led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 29.8 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds for Oklahoma City. Jalen Williams has also made significant contributions to the Thunder's success, recording 20.4 points per game so far this postseason. The Pacers are striving to make history as they pursue their first NBA title. In the postseason, Pascal Siakam has been a standout player for the team, averaging 21.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton has also made significant contributions, recording an average of 18.8 points and 9.8 assists per game during the playoffs. Here are the current predictions, odds and how to watch Thursday's Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. More: Tom Thibodeau didn't cost the Knicks a ring, but firing him makes sense NBA Finals picks: Thunder vs. Pacers predictions USA TODAY: Every expert picks the Thunder All of the NBA experts at USA Today Sports picked the Oklahoma City Thunder to beat the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals Scooby Axson: Thunder in five Thunder in five Cydney Henderson: Thunder in six Thunder in six Jordan Mendoza: Thunder in six Thunder in six Lorenzo Reyes: Thunder in six Thunder in six Heather Tucker: Thunder in five Thunder in five James Williams: Thunder in six Thunder in six Jeff Zillgitt: Thunder in five ESPN: 14 out of 15 experts pick Thunder 14 out of 15 of ESPN's NBA experts pick the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. Every expert picks the Thunder John Schuhman writes, "The Thunder are, simply, the best team in basketball. Their No. 1 defense has been ridiculously good in the playoffs, holding the Grizzlies, Nuggets and Wolves to 19.6, 15.0 and 4.2 fewer points per 100 possessions, respectively, than they scored in the regular season. (Take away the Game 3 blowout and the Wolves' discrepancy would also be in the double-digits.) The Indiana offense vs. Oklahoma City defense could be the best one-end-of-the-floor matchup that we've seen in the Finals in a long time, but the Thunder should have the edge on that end of the floor and the other." NBC Sports: Experts pick Thunder Kurt Helin writes: "Here's Indiana's problem: Tyrese Haliburton is outstanding, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is just better; Indiana's defense is improved and can force turnovers, but OKC's is elite and just better; Myles Turner is good, but Chet Holmgren is just better (especially paired with Isiah Hartenstein); the Pacers bench was good enough for the East, but the Thunder bench is just better. And so it goes down the line. Indiana is a quality team that's about to get overwhelmed." Thunder vs. Pacers NBA Finals Game 1 odds The Oklahoma City Thunder are favorites to take a 1-0 lead over the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals, according to BetMGM (odds as of Wednesday, June 4): Spread : Thunder (-9.5) : Thunder (-9.5) Moneyline : Thunder (-450); Pacers (+340) : Thunder (-450); Pacers (+340) Over/under: 231.5 Thunder vs. Pacers NBA Finals series odds The Oklahoma City Thunder enter Game 1 as the favorite to win the 2025 NBA Finals over the Indiana Pacers, according to BetMGM (odds as of Wednesday, June 4) Series winner: Thunder (-700); Pacers (+500) NBA Finals 2025: Schedule, time, TV channel, live streaming All times Eastern. *-if necessary Game 1, June 5: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 2, June 8: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Game 3, June 11: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 4, June 13 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 5, June 16 : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 6, June 19 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 7, June 22: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m.* Watch the NBA Finals with Fubo

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