Sports
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks at impasse as Grizzlies visit
Apr 3, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson (45) handles the ball as Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) defends during the third quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images With five regular-season games left, there won’t be a postseason for the struggling Milwaukee Bucks, but that doesn’t mean the team’s star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, wants to sit out the remaining games.
The Bucks (30-47) host the Memphis Grizzlies (25-52) on Sunday afternoon.
Antetokounmpo, who has missed the past 10 games with a left knee injury, said Friday he was healthy enough to play but is being held out. According to multiple reports, the NBA is investigating the matter.
Antetokounmpo made his position clear before Friday’s home game with Boston, which the Celtics won 133-101. He spoke with reporters an hour before tipoff.
“You know who you are dealing with,” Antetokounmpo said. “So for somebody to come and tell me to not play or not to compete, it’s like a slap in my face. So, I don’t know where the relationship goes from there.”
Antetokounmpo has spent his 13-year NBA career with the Bucks.
The National Basketball Players Association issued a statement March 24 stating Antetokounmpo was healthy and should be on the court but was being held out as part of a tanking effort by Milwaukee. The Bucks were eliminated from playoff contention March 28 in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Antetokounmpo hyperextended his left knee in the team’s March 15 win over the Indiana Pacers and has been listed as out on the injury report for the past 10 games with a bone bruise. He went through warmups Friday and said he was available but didn’t play.
“The tough part about this is that I’m in the middle and I have nothing to do with it,” said Bucks coach Doc Rivers. “Coaches don’t decide any of this. I don’t like when it’s this he-said, she-said stuff. It’s not good.”
Without Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have lost two straight and six of their last seven.
Memphis is in a more drastic tailspin. The Grizzlies have lost their last three — against Phoenix, New York and Toronto — by an average of 23. The Raptors beat the injury-decimated Grizzlies by 32 (128-96) on Friday.
Overall, Memphis has lost eight of nine and 16 of 18.
One of the few key rotation players available for Memphis, GG Jackson, scored a season-high 30 points against the Raptors and rookie Cedric Coward, another starter, had 15 points.
The Grizzlies played with a roster that included four 10-day contract players — including two signed Thursday — and three two-way players. With so many new players, Memphis has struggled to find any kind of rhythm on the court as the season winds down.
“I thought the effort level was great, but It takes more than one shootaround,” said Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo of the difficulty of melding newcomers quickly into the rotation.
Watching Jackson develop into what could become an integral part of next season has been encouraging. An athletic, 6-foot-9 power forward, he played point guard late in the game.
“He’s improved so much as a finisher just getting to the rim and bullying guys and still finishing with a high level of accuracy,” Iisalo said. “That’s a rare combination.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nets sign C Moritz Wagner to multi-year contract
May 3, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Orlando Magic forward Moritz Wagner (21) celebrates a three point basket in the first half against the Detroit Pistons during game seven of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images The Brooklyn Nets signed veteran center Moritz Wagner to a multi-year contract on Friday.
Terms were not released, but ESPN reported the deal was for two years and $19 million.
Wagner, 29, spent the past five-plus seasons with the Orlando Magic. The Nets are his fifth NBA team.
The 6-foot-11 Germany native averaged 6.9 points and 3.2 rebounds in 36 games off the Magic bench in 2025-26.
Wagner has career averages of 9.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 16.2 minutes in 399 games (57 starts) with the Los Angeles Lakers (2018-19), Washington Wizards (2019-21), Boston Celtics (2021) and Magic (2021-26).
He has shot 51.8% from the field and 80.8% from the free-throw line since being drafted by the Lakers in the first round (25th overall) out of Michigan in 2018.
Younger brother Franz Wagner has been with the Magic since they selected him with the No. 8 overall draft pick in 2021.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sam Leavitt Faces Massive Expectations at LSU
Last season was a disaster in Baton Rouge. LSU took a risk by poaching Brian Kelly from Notre Dame in 2021, but he was unable to replicate the success Ed Orgeron had achieved as head coach. It wasn’t all low lights for Kelly, as he did have multiple 10-win seasons and Bowl wins over his Tigers’ career.
Unfortunately, 10 win seasons and bowl game victories don’t do much for the LSU faithful. The Tigers went big game hunting and landed the most coveted coach in the cycle, Lane Kiffin. Whether you love or hate Kiffin, he’s firmly established himself as one of the better coaches and recruiters in the sport — and he was going to need to overhaul what was a very flawed LSU roster.
Kiffin’s biggest move this offseason was bringing in Sam Leavitt, a redshirt junior transfer from Arizona State. Leavitt was the number-one player in the portal this offseason and reportedly signed a $6 million deal to move to Louisiana.
Injuries derailed portions of Leavitt’s 2025 season, and that may have led to some regression last season, but I’m not entirely sure he’s going to be worth the massive deal he signed this offseason.
Leavitt was dealing with foot issues even when he was on the field last year, but I never came away super impressed with him. During his surprise playoff run during the 2024-25 season, it always felt like Cam Skatteboo’s team, not his. When given full control of the Sun Devil’s offense, he struggled at points, like his 10/22, 82-yard, two-interception performance against 5-7 Mississippi State.
The SEC will be a massive step up in talent for Leavitt, but also a massive step up in responsibility. Kiffin’s offenses will heavily rely on Leavitt to be the engineer on offense, and I’m just not sure that’s in his wheelhouse.
I personally see Leavitt as more of a game manager and not a game changer, and I don’t even think a QB whisperer as great as Kiffin can fix that. Most importantly, how healthy is Leavitt going to be heading into the season?
He missed all of the winter and spring recovering from his Lisfranc fracture and is only now getting up to speed. I don’t love my starting quarterback missing that much time, especially when he has to learn a new offense and build chemistry with a brand-new group of receivers.
The SEC doesn’t have the same level of depth as in previous years, but there’s still enough talent at the top to cause issues in year one under Kiffin. I would be shocked to see LSU as a playoff contender right away. I think it’s far more likely that Kiffin’s ex at Ole Miss will be playing in January.
Sports
Pens sign F Tommy Novak to 3-year, $13.95M extension
Mar 8, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Tommy Novak (18) reacts after scoring the game winning goal in overtime against Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images The Pittsburgh Penguins signed forward Tommy Novak to a three-year, $13.95 million contract extension on Friday.
Novak, 29, posted 42 points (16 goals, 26 assists) in 82 games in his first full season with the Penguins in 2025-26.
Acquired in a trade with Nashville in March 2025, Novak has 159 points (65 goals, 94 assists) in 285 career games.
The Predators drafted the St. Paul, Minn., native in the third round in 2015 and he made his NHL debut in 2021.
Novak, who would have been a free agent after the 2026-27 season, will earn an average annual salary of $4.65 million. The extension will run through the 2029-30 season.
–Field Level Media
Nets sign C Moritz Wagner to multi-year contract
Sam Leavitt Faces Massive Expectations at LSU
