After the Milwaukee Bucks missed out on Bradley Beal, they re-signed their promising 21-year-old wing Chris Livingston to a one-year deal.
According to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania, Livingston’s deal is worth $2.3 million.
The former Kentucky forward was the Bucks’ second-round pick (58th overall) in 2023. For the past two seasons, Livingston has hardly played, appearing in only 42 games, and averaged 1.3 points, 1.3 rebounds while shooting 40.8% from the field.
Getty Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Chris Livingston of the Milwaukee Bucks battle for the ball.
But Livingston has shown tremendous promise in this year’s NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The 6-foot-6 wing is averaging 20 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field and 37.5% from the 3-point line.
Bucks, Beal Had Mutual Interest But…
The Bucks made a very strong push to sign Beal, who was interested in Milwaukee, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, citing league sources.
The Bucks were one of the six teams that had extensive talks with Beal’s camp, Charania reported. Beal’s other suitors included the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat.
But in the end, the three-time All-Star decided to join the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal, per Charania, after giving up $13.8 million to complete the buyout with the Phoenix Suns.
Clippers star James Harden directly recruited Beal to the Clippers, according to Charania.
“The crux of the decision for Beal and his representation was finding the best basketball situation first and foremost once he was granted permission by the Suns to speak to interested suitors around the NBA, and Bartelstein led an exhaustive process over the last few weeks,” Charania wrote on X.
Beal will start next to Harden in the Clippers’ backcourt, an opening created by trading Norman Powell to the Miami Heat in a three-team deal that brought back forward John Collins.
Bucks Laugh Off Giannis Trade Rumors
Getty Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner are now frontcourt partners after the Milwaukee Bucks stun the NBA with another big gamble.
The Bucks are confident that their superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will not request a trade anytime soon.
“We kind of laugh internally. It’s where we’ve been for ten years,” Bucks president Peter Feigin said on an NBATV Summer League broadcast. “Giannis loves Milwaukee, Milwaukee loves Giannis. We’re in a good place. We feel great about it. It’s business as usual.”
The Bucks revamped Antetokounmpo’s supporting cast this offseason.
After Brook Lopez left in free agency, they replaced the 37-year-old center with a much younger big man by stealing Myles Turner from their bitter rivals Indiana Pacers.
They stunningly waived Damian Lillard and stretched the remaining $113 million on his contract, which will hit their cap room with $22.5 million in dead money for each of the next five seasons, to be able to sign Turner.
Bucks general manager John Horst described their move as “opportunistic.”
“We looked at the opportunity to acquire a highly productive, elite free agent, who is in the prime of his career, and who is an incredible fit next to Giannis, as an opportunity for these next two seasons in particular,” Horst told The Athletic’s Eric Nehm. “Instead of what would have been Dame on our books at a full salary, as really opportunistic, more than anything.”
Lillard suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in the playoffs that will keep him out of next season.
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