Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the Milwaukee Bucks matchup against the Orlando Magic due to back soreness.
Antetokounmpo missed Friday night's game against the Hawks.
"His back is something I guess would be in that category of something we manage and keep our eyes on, and sometimes it flares up," said Mike Budenholzer before Friday's game.
The Bucks are 2-0 this season without Antetokounmpo.
The Utah Jazz are close to agreement on a multi-year deal with Rayjon Tucker.
Tucker was averaging 23.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 33.8 minutes per game in the G League this season for the Wisconsin Herd.
Tucker went undrafted out of Little Rock.
In his first return to play at Milwaukee since joining the Indiana Pacers, Malcolm Brogdon was asked when he first considered leaving the Bucks.
"A few weeks before free agency," Brogdon said. "I had a pretty good inkling that things may not work out and things may not go in the direction that I thought they were going to go in, so I started to change my mindset and started to identify different teams and prepare myself."
"I would've loved to play for this team, if they had wanted me," he continued. "If they had valued me the way the Pacers value me. That's all I gotta say."
The Bucks played a video tribute for Brogdon.
Brogdon has more ballhanding responsibilities with the Pacers.
"That's exactly what it is. It's about a new opportunity, a new challenge," Brogdon said of his desire for a bigger role. "Sort of being a leader of a team now is a totally different role, it's a way bigger role for me, but it's something I've been molded into and something I've prepared myself to do over the past three years.
"This is, I think, something that every respected NBA player wants," he added. "They want a team that they can call theirs, they want a team that they can still win at a high level, but they have the ball more in their hands and they can control more of the game."
The Thursday night game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks averaged 2.8 million viewers on TNT, reported Turner Sports.
It was the most-watched NBA regular-season game on TNT since January 2018, which featured the Warriors playing the Cavs.
The Bucks-Lakers game also represented a 150% increase from last year's game in the same slot between the Rockets and Heat.
The NBA makes $2.6 billion annually from their current television rights between ESPN and Turner.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday in a potential Finals preview. Antetokounmpo spoke about how his path differed from fellow superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
"I think the most important thing is to try to stay humble. When you win MVP and you win 60 games, it's hard," Antetokounmpo said. "You feel like, 'OK, what else?' But at the end of the day, I realize and my family realizes that I'm not supposed to be here."
"I wasn't the No. 1 pick. [Anthony Davis] was. LeBron [James] was. I wasn't supposed to be here," he continued. "I'm not supposed to go against these two beasts, so I'm just happy that I'm here and happy that I'm going through the process, and I always want to be better, do better for my team, and that's what gives me joy."
Mike Budenholzer touted the work ethic of Antetokounmpo.
"I think a lot of players keep working, keep getting better, and it's part of our league, part of being a professional," Budenholzer said. "But what Giannis does in the summer, the amount of time he puts in before practices, after practices, taking care of his body -- but I think everybody, as special as he was last year, I think even opponents and his peers, I think, see and know that he can get better. He's doing it. He's putting the time and effort in, and we just feel fortunate he's ours and excited about him and our future."
The Milwaukee Bucks were purchased by Marc Lasry, Wesley Edens and Jamie Dinan in 2014 and are facing a critical turning point in their franchise as they compete for a title in 19-20 and then head into an offseason in which Giannis Antetokounmpo can sign a supermax contract.
Lasry was asked what the approach and strategy will be on Antetokounmpo and whether they've discussed what going through the situation is like with other owners.
"No," Lasry told Sam Amick of The Athletic. "No. I think the approach is that you have a relationship, and you rely on that relationship. So, you know, at the end of the day, my view is that people are going to do what they think is in their best interests. And I hope their view ends up being the same as our view, right? We’re going to do whatever we can. Others will do whatever they can. It’s fine."
Lasry was also asked if he gets caught up in the rumors about teams pursuing Antetokounmpo.
"That’s great," said Lasry. "Whether it sounds dumb or not, I’m very comfortable with the relationship that we have with everybody on this team. And I think at the end of the day, what players want is stable ownership. They want a culture which is focused on winning. They want a coach who they respect. They want to play in a city that they love. It’s what we all want. Let’s be serious. You just want consistency, and you want to know that what you’re being told is reality. So I think as long as we do what we’re supposed to do, everything is going to be fine."
The Toronto Raptors are expected to preserve their 2021 cap space to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Raptors have Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka in the final seasons of their contracts, while Kyle Lowry expires in 2021.
"I think for Toronto, they look at this season and then they look at the summer of 2021, when like a lot of teams, they want to be in the sweepstakes for Giannis Antetokounmpo," said Adrian Wojnarowski. "You're not going to see them do anything here that's going to compromise their salary cap flexibility for the following year."
Wojnarowski also said the Raptors want to re-sign Fred VanVleet this offseason.
Eric Bledsoe will miss the next two weeks due to a right fibula evulsion fracture, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Bledsoe is averaging 15.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on the season.
The Sacramento Kings and the Milwaukee Bucks will be the first NBA teams to participate in events held at correctional facilities as part of the Play For Justice campaign, reported Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
NBA players and coaches will serve as honorary coaches while facilitating discussions with incarcerated individuals.
The Kings will host the first Play For Justice event this Thursday at a prison in Northern California, with the Bucks hosting an event later this month.
The events will culminate with a game in Milwaukee on February 10th.
The campaign's goal is to bring to light stories of redemption and hope, as well as breaking down the stigma associated with individuals in the criminal justice system.
“We’re proud to be the first participant in the Play for Justice initiative, which is shining a bright light on the unique issues facing incarcerated people in communities around the country. Sports franchises have a unique opportunity to bring about positive change, which is why in the past year, the Kings and the Bucks brought together leaders from across two cities to share best practices and find new solutions to social injustices," said Vivek Ranadivé.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Wednesday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to right quad tendon soreness.
The game will be televised on ESPN and was already set to be played without Zion Williamson.
Antetokounmpo had yet to miss a game this season.
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