Sports
No trade aftershocks for Bucks as they host Pacers
Feb 4, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during warmups prior to the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Following a day of waiting to see if their superstar would be heading out the door, the Milwaukee Bucks will have Giannis Antetokounmpo still on the roster when they host the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
It was reported well before the deadline that the Bucks would be keeping Antetokounmpo through the trade deadline and begin to make other trades.
That speculation did not amount to much despite rumors of additions to the team. Milwaukee did make one transaction, sending guard Cole Anthony and wing Amir Coffey to Phoenix in a three-team deal including Chicago that sends forwards Ousmane Dieng and Nigel Hayes-Davis to the Bucks.
Indiana, meanwhile, who comes in tied for last place in the Eastern Conference with superstar Tyrese Haliburton out for the year, acquired center Ivica Zubac and forward Kobe Brown from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and three draft picks.
Zubac, under contract for two more seasons beyond this one, effectively becomes the replacement for former Pacer and current Buck Myles Turner, who left Indiana for Milwaukee in free agency last July.
This will be Turner’s third time playing his former team, and the first in which he will not face boos from the Pacers crowd. He hasn’t quite had the impact in Milwaukee as he did in Indiana, averaging 13 points and 5.6 rebounds on 43.9% shooting from the floor on the season.
However, his play has improved with Antetokounmpo off the floor with his calf strain, and he’s averaging 18 points and seven boards in the last five games, including 31-point and 14-rebound performances.
Milwaukee will continue to play without Antetokounmpo, though it did get Kevin Porter Jr. (oblique) back from injury in its 141-137 overtime win over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday as he scored 18 points with nine assists, six boards and five steals.
“(Porter) was fantastic, having him and Ryan (Rollins) on the floor gave us two playmakers and I thought it showed how good that it for us,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said.
Bobby Portis (hip) missed Wednesday’s game and is listed as day-to-day while Gary Harris (hamstring) is still listed as out.
Indiana meanwhile, coming in off two straight losses to Houston and Utah at home, also is dealing with injuries.
Obi Toppin (foot) remains out and Micah Potter (hip) is still ailing. The quartet of Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell all were out due to rest in Indiana’s 131-122 home loss to Utah on Tuesday.
“We did score 122 points which is saying something, but we gave up too many,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in the postgame press conference. “Our guys did play better. This is amazing experience, they’re going to learn a lot from this.”
Milwaukee has won three in a row over the team that has become their fiercest rival. The first matchup of this season was one of the better moments for Milwaukee on the season as Antetokounmpo hit a game-winning jump shot at the final buzzer on Nov. 3.
Should Milwaukee win its third in a row this season over Indiana, it would also notably mark the first time it has won three consecutive games this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant stay put as deadline passes
Dec 15, 2022; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (left) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) shake hands after the game at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images Two of the biggest names rumored to be on the move remained with their teams as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant did not change uniforms before the NBA trade deadline expired Tuesday.
While Antetokounmpo did not express a desire for a trade publicly, and the Milwaukee Bucks did not say they were shopping for a new home for their star, there were plenty of interested suitors reported as the deadline neared.
Morant, whose relationship with the Memphis Grizzlies has reportedly been strained, also was rumored to be on the move but now stays with his original team for the time being.
Teams reported to be interested in acquiring Antetokounmpo, a 10-time All-Star and two-time MVP, included the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Miami Heat.
None could come up with a reported steep asking price that included elite young talent, multiple first-round picks, or both.
Antetokounmpo, 31, remains on top of his game in his 13th NBA season, all with the Bucks, scoring 28.0 points with 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 30 games this season. In 889 career games (824 starts), he is scoring 24.0 points with 9.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
In each of the past nine seasons, Antetokounmpo has finished at least in the top seven of MVP voting.
Multiple reports indicated that as of three hours before the deadline, the Bucks were no longer taking offers for their top player.
Teams with reported interest in Morant, a two-time All-Star, included the Sacramento Kings, Timberwolves and Heat, with the Kings and Heat reportedly showing heavy interest as recently as Wednesday. According to an ESPN report, no team made what was deemed to be a “serious offer.”
Morant, 26, is currently out of action through the upcoming All-Star break with an elbow injury. He has played in just 20 games this season, scoring 19.5 points with 8.1 assists.
In seven seasons with the Grizzlies, Morant has scored 22.4 points with 7.4 assists in 327 games (325 starts).
By not making a move at the deadline, both the Bucks and Grizzlies will be the center of attention for potential offseason trades of their stars.
Antetokounmpo is making $54.1 million in the first season of a three-year, $175.4 million contract, while Morant is making $39.4 million in the third season of a five-year $197.2 million deal.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Knicks G Miles 'Deuce' McBride out indefinitely
Jan 27, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) reacts during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images New York Knicks guard Miles “Deuce” McBride is slated to undergo core muscle surgery on Friday and could be out until the playoffs, The Athletic reported.
McBride reportedly underwent an MRI exam last week to determine the severity.
It’s not known when the injury occurred. McBride has missed the past five games with the team citing “left ankle injury management” as the reason for those absences.
The Knicks took a step to plug the loss on Thursday by acquiring point guard Jose Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans before the trade deadline. The fifth-year pro and New York native has career averages of 8.1 points, 3.1 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 20.3 minutes in 268 regular-season games (34 starts) over five seasons with the Pelicans.
McBride, 25, is averaging a career-best 12.9 points in 35 games (14 starts). He has made a career-high 42.0% of his 3-point attempts and has a total of 102 treys, just 13 shy of his career high.
In five NBA seasons with New York, McBride is averaging 7.1 points in 271 games (42 starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ski Jumping: WADA on lookout over alleged penis-enhancement claims
Jan 9, 2026; Livigno, ITALY; A drone view shows the big ski jump in the Livigno Snow Park, which will host all Snowboard and Freestyle Skiing events, including disciplines like Halfpipe, Slopestyle, Big Air, Ski Cross, Snowboard Cross, Moguls, Aerials, and Parallel Giant Slalom in preparation for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Mandatory Credit: Yara Nardi/Reuters via Imagn Images MILAN, Feb 5 (Reuters) — Winter Olympic doping chiefs say they will be on the lookout for any evidence male ski jumpers are artificially enlarging their penises in a bid to manipulate one of the sport’s rules and gain an aerodynamic advantage.
WADA Director General Olivier Niggli, speaking at a press conference in Milan ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, said the World Anti Doping Agency would explore whether the alleged practice constitutes doping.
Niggli was responding to questions following a report in German newspaper Bild which raised fears of some male ski jumpers attempting to manipulate the 3D body-scanning measurements used to size competition suits by temporarily enlarging their penises.
Ski jumpers undergo a full body scan to ensure their skin-tight suits do not have extra material which would give them more lift as they soar through the air. The crotch of a ski jumper’s suit is allowed to run to the bottom of the athlete’s genitals, meaning an enlarged penis would give them more potentially performance-enhancing material.
The Bild report said the newspaper had discovered insider talk of athletes injecting hyaluronic acid into their penis to alter their suit measurement point, thereby securing a larger, more aerodynamic suit for the duration of the season.
Niggli said WADA had no indication the alleged practices were taking place and stressed WADA only intervenes when a method of cheating falls within the definition of doping.
“I am not aware of the details of ski jumping and how this can improve (the performance), but if any sign was to come to the surface, we will look at it. I haven’t heard about that until you mention it,” he told reporters in Milan.
“If it is actually doping related — we don’t do other means of enhancing performance — but our committee (annually reviewing banned substances) will certainly look to whether it falls into this category,” he added.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) did not respond to a request for comment.
The issue has drawn attention partly because suit manipulation has previously led to sanctions in the sport.
Two of Norway’s Olympic medalists, Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, were suspended for three months last year after their team was found to have secretly adjusted seams around the crotch area of their suits at the 2025 World Ski Championships.
Three members of the coaching staff were also banned.
WADA President Witold Banka, asked about the reports on Thursday, responded with a smile, saying ski jumping was very popular in his native Poland and that he would look into the matter.
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
