Category: Sports News

CHICAGO — The town of Newport, Maine, has a population of about 3,200 people. There’s a bowling alley, a popular local diner that serves breakfast all day, a hunting club and it costs only $6 to license your dog.

It is a quintessential small New England town. It is not known for developing NBA stars.

Cooper Flagg was undeterred.

Flagg played his lone college year at Duke, finished high school in Florida at Montverde Academy and presumably soon will be moving to Dallas to play for the Mavericks, the team that has the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. But he’s still just an 18-year-old from Maine, a small-town kid who says “please” and “thank you” and seems completely unphased by being labeled basketball’s next big thing.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from,” Flagg said at the draft combine. “If you have a goal, if you have a dream and you put your mind to it ... I mean, honestly, for me it wasn’t real until I was in high school, but I always loved the game of basketball. I always put the work in. I always wanted to be the best that I could be.”

The only player who lists Maine as his birthplace and played in the NBA this season is Miami Heat guard Duncan Robinson. There are a couple of players — current Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle among them — who went to the NBA after spending at least some of their college career at the University of Maine. But the basketball history, at least at the NBA level, of the Pine Tree State isn’t exactly rich.

Flagg — who should be a high school senior right now in Newport, then decided to reclassify and go to college early — could soon change that.

“I’m so proud of this guy, what he’s done,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said at the Final Four. “I have to remind myself it’s a year early. He should be graduating high school now. To have the season that he’s had, I think the stats speak for itself. I think how hard he plays, the highlights, all those things speaks for itself. But it’s the person he is every day.”

Flagg is starting to settle into his new reality.

He’s been considered the presumptive No. 1 pick in the NBA draft for some time and now knows that pick is held by the Mavericks — winners of the draft lottery. Flagg was at the lottery along with a handful of other draft picks, all of whom met NBA Commissioner Adam Silver briefly before the event started.

It’s a rare Texas two-step of No. 1 picks for Dallas. The Dallas Wings had the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and took UConn’s Paige Bueckers, and now the Mavericks will follow as holders of a No. 1 pick.

This one-city, two-No. 1-picks double has happened only once before — 2003, when the Cleveland Rockers chose LaToya Thomas and the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted LeBron James two months later.

“I’m grateful to get this opportunity, any opportunity to any team, to be able to hear my name called on draft night and shake Adam Silver’s hand,” Flagg said. “I’m just really excited for this whole opportunity. The environment, just go through this process, not everybody gets to do this, so I just feel really blessed.”

In Dallas, Flagg could join a roster with fellow former Duke players Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II — and be part of a new chapter for the Mavericks, who saw their fan base rocked in February by the decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

“As far as Dallas goes, they’ve got a lot of really good pieces,” Flagg said. “D-Live, coming from Duke, that’s pretty cool. So I think it would be a really cool opportunity.”

Flagg has gone through the rigors of the draft combine, getting height, weight, vertical leap and various sizes measured, along with hitting the court for some shooting, agility and speed drills.

He averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists while leading Duke to the Final Four in his lone college season. He shot 48% from the field, 39% from 3-point range, 84% from the foul line and was The Associated Press’ national player of the year.

He’s done Duke, and Montverde, and Maine proud. He has no plans on stopping now.

“Growing up in Maine, there’s people that told me I would never be able to make it to the next level or play Division I basketball because I’m from Maine and nobody plays up there,” Flagg said. “I think just that message of ‘it doesn’t matter where you’re from,’ as long as you work hard and trust yourself and trust your ability, then you can really accomplish anything.”

While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.

In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.

Today, we’re doing a deep dive on a team whose future is very much in flux after another heartbreaking finish to the season.

Milwaukee Bucks 2024-2025 Season Recap

Record: 48-34 (5th, East)

Offensive Rating: 115.1 (10th)

Defensive Rating: 112.7 (12th)

Net Rating: 2.4 (11th)

Pace: 99.92 (14th)

2025 NBA Draft Picks: 47th pick

Just four short years after winning the title, Milwaukee looks like a team headed to the lottery in the 2026 NBA Draft. Damian Lillard suffered a torn Achilles in the playoffs, and it’s unlikely he plays at all next season. Giannis Antetokounmpo is ready to play for another team, and the Bucks could lose key contributors in the offseason.

Milwaukee will likely be one of the busiest teams of the summer, and this roster could get a complete overhaul in the coming months. With limited cap space and a dearth of future picks, the Bucks' front office will have to get creative with its roster management, and it’s anyone’s guess what the starting five will be on opening night of the 2025-26 campaign.

Let’s recap last season’s fantasy performances and look ahead to 2025-26 (as best as we can).

Fantasy Standout and Revelation: Damian Lillard

There were no revelations on this team outside of Dame, who was also the team’s best player from a fantasy perspective. The Bucks’ roster exemplifies the term “top heavy,” thanks to many unremarkable performances across the board.

Lillard finished his second season in Milwaukee with averages of 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.4 triples while shooting 44.8% from the floor, 92.1% from the charity stripe and 37.6% from downtown.

The superstar guard’s numbers were similar to those he produced in his first season with the Bucks, though he was limited to just 58 games. Lillard missed the final 14 games of the regular season due to a blood clot in his calf, and he tore his left Achilles in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs on April 27.

Lillard will turn 35 this offseason, and he faces an uphill climb to get back on the court following such a severe injury. He could miss the entire 2025-26 campaign, but Lillard will likely stick around in Milwaukee through the end of his current contract. He has a player option for the 2026-27 campaign for a cool $58 million.

Fantasy managers can leave him undrafted in 2025 and keep a close eye on his recovery process throughout the year.

Fantasy Disappointment: Kyle Kuzma

The 2024-25 campaign was among the worst in Kuzma’s career, as he averaged 14.8 points, 5.7 boards, 2.3 assists, 0.9 “stocks,” and 1.5 triples across 29.8 minutes in 65 games.

He was dealt to Milwaukee midseason and appeared in 33 games for the Bucks. His minutes got a bump from 27.7 to 31.8, but his production wasn’t much better with his new team.

There wasn’t much to write home about for Kuzma as a Buck, and the low point of his season came in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Pacers in which he logged the Tony Snell donut special line of straight zeroes across 22 minutes.

Despite a disappointing performance to close out the season, the future could be bright for Kuzma in Milwaukee. With Giannis Antetokounmpo’s sights set on greener pastures and multiple frontcourt options potentially leaving in the offseason, Kuzma could earn a featured role for Bucks in 2025-26.

Keep an eye on the team’s offseason moves. If Kuzma is the proverbially “last man standing” when the dust clears, he’ll be worth a look as a mid-rounder in 25-26 fantasy drafts.

Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads

Giannis Antetokounmpo:

Have we seen the last of the Greek Freak in a Bucks uniform? If so, it’s been a crazy, wild and beautiful ride.

Antetokounmpo finished the 2024-25 season with averages of 20.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.2 swats and 0.2 triples. He logged 34.2 minutes per game across 67 appearances and shot 60.1% from the field, 22.2% from three and a career-low 61.7% from the charity stripe.

Giannis finished 53rd in per-game fantasy hoops value due to his abysmal free-throw percentage and his lofty number of attempts. The huge number of misses at the charity stripe sank his fantasy value, but if you drafted him, you were surely using a punt FT% build. For managers punting Giannis’ worst category, he ranked third on a per-game basis.

The efficiency suffered, but Giannis’ counting stats were off the chart once again, as he averaged at least 27/11/5 for the seventh straight season. He finished with a monster 59/14/7/2/3 line against the Pistons on November 13 for the second-highest point total of his career.

Giannis posted 11 triple-doubles to set a new personal best after posting 10 of them a season ago. On April 3, he demolished the Sixers with a 35/17/20 line to set a new career high in the assist department.

Fit certainly matters, but Giannis will be a fantasy stud wherever he lands this offseason.

Brook Lopez:

Bro Lo defended his title as “Fantasy’s Most Boring Player,” extending a run of monotonous dominance unmatched by any of his peers. The veteran ended his 17th season with averages of 13 points, five rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.9 blocks and 1.7 triples with 50.9/82.6/37.3 shooting splits and just 1.1 turnovers. He ranked 65th in per-game fantasy hoops value.

The big man’s highlight of the season came on November 13 against the Pistons when he went for 29/8 with five blocks and five triples.

In seven seasons with Milwaukee, Lopez has been a steady contributor, posting 12.9 points, 5.1 boards, 1.2 dimes, 0.6 steals, 2.0 swats, 1.7 treys and 1.0 turnovers. He’s logged at least 68 games in six of seven seasons with the Bucks. After playing just 13 games in the 2021-22 season, he’s logged 78, 79 and 80 games across the last three.

Despite turning 37 during the season, Lopez logged his most minutes in nine seasons with 31.8 per game during the 2024-25 campaign. A slow and steady producer throughout his career and especially since joining the Bucks, expect more of the same from Lopez in 2025-26.

He’s set for unrestricted free agency, and the veteran shot-blocker and floor-spacer could look to join a contender in the autumn years of his career.

Bobby Portis:

Big Bobby P logged a career-low 49 games in 2024-25 due in large part to a 25-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. When on the court, however, he was productive as usual.

Portis finished the 2024-25 campaign with averages of 13.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.5 blocks and 1.3 triples across 25.4 minutes per game. He shot a career-best 83.6% from the free throw line to go with a 46.6% mark from the field and a 36.5% mark from beyond the arc. Portis committed just 1.2 turnovers, and his numbers were good for a finish of 106th in per-game fantasy hoops value.

Portis played primarily off the bench this season, but he averaged 22.1 points, 12.9 boards, 4.9 dimes, 1.3 steals, 1.3 swats and 2.3 triples across seven starts.

Portis has proven to be quite durable throughout his career, and the 30-year-old should have plenty of potential suitors if he chooses to decline his $13.4 million player option for 2025-26. He could be a top-100 guy depending on his landing spot.

Gary Trent Jr.:

Trent Jr. signed a one-year deal with Milwaukee last offseason to address spacing and shooting concerns, and he finished the season with 2.4 triples on 41.6% shooting from beyond the arc.

Trent also averaged 11.1 points, 2.3 boards, 1.2 dimes and a steal while committing just 0.6 turnovers. The biggest moments of his season came in Games 3 and 5 of the first-round playoff series with Indiana in which he dropped 37 with nine triples and 33 with eight triples, respectively.

He’ll likely test the waters of free agency this summer. Where he lands will matter, but fantasy managers know what they’re getting from GTJ at this point. He’s a threes and steals specialist whose offense is hot and cold from night to night.

Taurean Prince:

Prince joined the Bucks on a one-year deal, and he played on a third team in as many seasons. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 boards, 1.9 dimes, 1.0 steals and 1.8 triples across 27.1 minutes for Milwaukee in 80 games.

Prince shot a career-high 43.9% from beyond the arc, and he’ll likely be on the hunt for a new team in unrestricted free agency this summer. The elite floor-spacer should have no problem landing a new deal outside of Milwaukee, but he’ll be a better on-court option than fantasy hoops contributor.

Kevin Porter Jr.:

After an arrest in 2023, KPJ missed the entire 2023-24 campaign before landing with the Clippers on a two-year deal last offseason. He was dealt to the Bucks and logged 30 games with Milwaukee to close out the campaign.

In those 30 games, Porter Jr. averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and a triple cross 19.9 minutes. His 49.4/87.1/40.8 shooting splits were the most efficient of his career, and he had some notable moments with Milwaukee.

Porter Jr. logged a 10/11/14 triple-double on March 5 against the Mavericks and a 28/4/5/1 line against the Hawks on March 30. KPJ has a $2.5 million player option for the 2025-26 season, and he could see big minutes if he chooses to stick around in Brew City.

Ryan Rollins:

Rollins was drafted in 2022 by the Warriors, and he’s played for three teams across the last three seasons. He averaged career highs across the board with 6.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 triples while shooting 48.7/80/40.8 splits across 14.6 minutes.

The young guard appeared in 56 games and posted slightly better numbers across 20 starts. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, and the Bucks may choose to bring him back, especially with Lillard set to miss most if not all of next season.

AJ Green:

Green wrapped up his third NBA season with career highs across the board, going for 7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.1 triples across 22.7 minutes in 73 games. He shot 42.9/81.5/42.7 splits, marking the most efficient season of his career from beyond the arc.

Green earned seven regular season starts, and his numbers were similar to the rest of his games. The highlight of his 2024-25 campaign was his final game. Green logged 46 minutes in the closeout Game 5 against Indiana and went for 19/4/1 with a block and six triples.

Heading into Year 4, Green may be in line for a big boost in playing time due to Damian Lillard’s severe injury.

Restricted Free Agents: Ryan Rollins

Unrestricted Free Agents: Stanley Umude, Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, Jericho Sims, Brook Lopez

Club Option: None

Player Option: Pat Connaughton, Kevin Porter Jr., Bobby Portis