2024–25 Milwaukee Bucks season
| 2024–25 Milwaukee Bucks season | |
|---|---|
NBA Cup champions | |
| Head coach | Doc Rivers |
| General manager | Jon Horst |
| Owners | |
| Arena | Fiserv Forum |
| Results | |
| Record | 48–34 (.585) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Central) Conference: 5th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to Pacers 1–4) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin WMLW-TV (5 games) WYTU-LD (5 games in Spanish)[1] |
| Radio | WTMJ |
The 2024–25 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 57th season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They looked to bounce back from the previous season's dysfunctional, disappointing ending following their injury-laden first round exit to the Indiana Pacers. It was the second and final season with Damian Lillard on the roster. The Bucks started out with a rather disappointing 2–8 start to their season before winning 8 of 9 games to reach a 10–9 record near the end of November, including a six-game winning streak near the end of that month.
The Bucks held a perfect record in the NBA Cup, winning the Cup on December 17 by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder. With the Cleveland Cavaliers clinching the Central Division title, this was the first season since the 2017–18 season that the Bucks did not win the division title.
On February 6, long-time Buck Khris Middleton, who was with the franchise for over 10 seasons (including their title-winning season in 2021) was traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kyle Kuzma.[2]
On April 5, the Bucks clinched their ninth-straight playoff berth following the Atlanta Hawks losing to the New York Knicks.[3]
On April 29, the Bucks were eliminated in the first round by the eventual Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers for the second consecutive year, losing the series in five games.[4] Lillard suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in game 4 of the series, which ultimately led to him being waived during the off-season.
Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position(s) | Nationality | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | AJ Johnson | SG |  United States
|
Illawarra Hawks Australia |
| 2 | 33 | Tyler Smith | SF | United States
|
NBA G League Ignite |
The Bucks entered this draft (which was two days instead of one like it had been since the NBA draft was shortened down to two rounds back in 1989) with a late first-round pick and an early second-round pick they had acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers via the Sacramento Kings.[5][6] Near the end of the first night of the draft, the Bucks would surprise draft pundits by selecting shooting guard AJ Johnson (a player who was projected to either be taken late in the second round or go undrafted by most draft boards) from the Illawarra Hawks of Australia's National Basketball League as the 23rd pick of the draft. On the second day of the draft, the Bucks would select what ultimately became the final player drafted from the now-defunct NBA G League Ignite team of the NBA G League (and their third player drafted in four seasons from that team) by selecting the former Overtime Elite forward Tyler Smith with the 33rd pick of the draft.
Roster
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Depth chart
Standings
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Division
| Central Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c – Cleveland Cavaliers | 64 | 18 | .780 | – | 34–7 | 30–11 | 12–4 | 82 |
| x – Indiana Pacers | 50 | 32 | .610 | 14.0 | 29–12 | 21–20 | 10–6 | 82 |
| x – | 48 | 34 | .585 | 16.0 | 28–14 | 20–20 | 9–7 | 82 |
| x – Detroit Pistons | 44 | 38 | .537 | 20.0 | 22–19 | 22–19 | 5–11 | 82 |
| pi – Chicago Bulls | 39 | 43 | .476 | 25.0 | 18–23 | 21–20 | 4–12 | 82 |
Conference
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | c – Cleveland Cavaliers * | 64 | 18 | .780 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y – Boston Celtics * | 61 | 21 | .744 | 3.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x – New York Knicks | 51 | 31 | .622 | 13.0 | 82 |
| 4 | x – Indiana Pacers | 50 | 32 | .610 | 14.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x – | 48 | 34 | .585 | 16.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x – Detroit Pistons | 44 | 38 | .537 | 20.0 | 82 |
| 7 | y – Orlando Magic * | 41 | 41 | .500 | 23.0 | 82 |
| 8 | pi – Atlanta Hawks | 40 | 42 | .488 | 24.0 | 82 |
| 9 | pi – Chicago Bulls | 39 | 43 | .476 | 25.0 | 82 |
| 10 | x – Miami Heat | 37 | 45 | .451 | 27.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Toronto Raptors | 30 | 52 | .366 | 34.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Brooklyn Nets | 26 | 56 | .317 | 38.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Philadelphia 76ers | 24 | 58 | .293 | 40.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Charlotte Hornets | 19 | 63 | .232 | 45.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Washington Wizards | 18 | 64 | .220 | 46.0 | 82 |
Game log
Preseason
During the preseason, the Bucks would play their final games under what was previously named the Bally Sports Wisconsin moniker. Bally Sports would rebrand itself as the FanDuel Sports Network as of October 21, 2024 before the start of the regular season.[7][8]
| 2024 preseason game log Total: 1–3 (Home: 1–1; Road: 0–2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preseason: 1–3 (home: 1–1; road: 0–2)
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| 2024–25 preseason schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
Playoffs
| 2025 playoff game log Total: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Round: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
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| 2025 playoff schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Cup
The groups were revealed during the tournament announcement on July 12, 2024.[10][11]
East Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 462 | 412 | +50 | Advance to knockout stage | |
| 2 | Detroit Pistons | 4 | 3 | 1 | 447 | 440 | +7 | |
| 3 | Miami Heat | 4 | 2 | 2 | 459 | 439 | +20 | |
| 4 | Toronto Raptors | 4 | 1 | 3 | 413 | 430 | −17 | |
| 5 | Indiana Pacers | 4 | 0 | 4 | 445 | 505 | −60 |
Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 67 | 67 | 34.2 | .601 | .222 | .617 | 11.9 | 6.5 | .9 | 1.2 | 30.4 |
| MarJon Beauchamp† | 26 | 0 | 4.7 | .383 | .333 | .750 | 1.2 | .3 | .1 | .0 | 2.0 |
| Jamaree Bouyea | 5 | 1 | 12.3 | .500 | .200 | .667 | 1.0 | 2.0 | .8 | .4 | 3.4 |
| Pat Connaughton | 41 | 1 | 14.7 | .469 | .321 | .774 | 2.7 | 1.7 | .2 | .3 | 5.3 |
| A. J. Green | 73 | 7 | 22.7 | .429 | .427 | .815 | 2.4 | 1.5 | .5 | .1 | 7.4 |
| Andre Jackson Jr. | 67 | 43 | 14.6 | .477 | .395 | .500 | 2.7 | 1.2 | .5 | .2 | 3.4 |
| AJ Johnson† | 7 | 0 | 6.3 | .421 | .600 | .500 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .1 | .0 | 2.9 |
| Kyle Kuzma† | 33 | 32 | 31.8 | .455 | .333 | .663 | 5.6 | 2.2 | .5 | .4 | 14.5 |
| Damian Lillard | 58 | 58 | 36.1 | .448 | .376 | .921 | 4.7 | 7.1 | 1.2 | .2 | 24.9 |
| Chris Livingston | 21 | 1 | 5.0 | .333 | .000 | .750 | 1.7 | .2 | .2 | .0 | 1.4 |
| Brook Lopez | 80 | 80 | 31.8 | .509 | .373 | .826 | 5.0 | 1.8 | .6 | 1.9 | 13.0 |
| Khris Middleton† | 23 | 7 | 23.2 | .512 | .407 | .848 | 3.7 | 4.4 | .7 | .2 | 12.6 |
| Pete Nance† | 6 | 1 | 11.6 | .529 | .417 | 1.8 | 1.2 | .2 | .3 | 3.8 | |
| Kevin Porter Jr.† | 30 | 2 | 19.9 | .494 | .408 | .871 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 1.3 | .1 | 11.7 |
| Bobby Portis | 49 | 7 | 25.4 | .508 | .407 | .790 | 8.4 | 2.1 | .7 | .5 | 13.9 |
| Taurean Prince | 80 | 73 | 27.1 | .457 | .439 | .813 | 3.6 | 1.9 | 1.0 | .2 | 8.2 |
| Liam Robbins | 13 | 0 | 4.4 | .250 | .000 | .500 | .9 | .2 | .2 | .2 | .7 |
| Ryan Rollins | 56 | 19 | 14.6 | .487 | .408 | .800 | 1.9 | 1.9 | .8 | .3 | 6.2 |
| Jericho Sims† | 14 | 0 | 15.0 | .680 | 4.9 | .8 | .1 | .6 | 2.4 | ||
| Tyler Smith | 23 | 0 | 5.3 | .480 | .433 | .750 | 1.1 | .2 | .1 | .2 | 2.9 |
| Gary Trent Jr. | 74 | 9 | 25.6 | .431 | .416 | .848 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.0 | .1 | 11.1 |
| Stanley Umude | 22 | 0 | 3.9 | .192 | .200 | .500 | .8 | .2 | .1 | .3 | .7 |
| Delon Wright† | 26 | 2 | 15.6 | .268 | .245 | .563 | 1.8 | 1.8 | .9 | .3 | 2.5 |
Playoffs
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 5 | 5 | 37.6 | .606 | .200 | .698 | 15.4 | 6.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 33.0 |
| Pat Connaughton | 3 | 0 | 4.6 | .250 | .250 | .500 | .7 | .3 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 |
| A. J. Green | 5 | 1 | 27.0 | .462 | .514 | .500 | 2.8 | 2.0 | .0 | .2 | 11.0 |
| Andre Jackson Jr. | 2 | 0 | 2.5 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Kyle Kuzma | 5 | 4 | 20.4 | .343 | .200 | .500 | 2.2 | .8 | .0 | .2 | 5.8 |
| Damian Lillard | 3 | 3 | 25.0 | .222 | .188 | .857 | 2.7 | 4.7 | .7 | .7 | 7.0 |
| Chris Livingston | 2 | 0 | 2.4 | .000 | .000 | .5 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | |
| Brook Lopez | 5 | 4 | 14.8 | .364 | .267 | 1.000 | 1.6 | .8 | .2 | 1.0 | 5.0 |
| Kevin Porter Jr. | 5 | 1 | 30.2 | .396 | .467 | .846 | 3.6 | 5.4 | .8 | .0 | 11.2 |
| Bobby Portis | 5 | 1 | 31.7 | .441 | .357 | .000 | 8.2 | 1.4 | .4 | .4 | 14.0 |
| Taurean Prince | 5 | 2 | 12.2 | .200 | .222 | 1.0 | 1.6 | .4 | .2 | 1.2 | |
| Ryan Rollins | 3 | 1 | 9.9 | .308 | .286 | .7 | 1.3 | .3 | .0 | 3.3 | |
| Jericho Sims | 5 | 0 | 11.5 | 1.000 | .667 | 4.0 | .2 | .0 | .2 | 2.8 | |
| Gary Trent Jr. | 5 | 3 | 34.2 | .516 | .500 | .800 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.6 | .0 | 18.8 |
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Bucks only.
Transactions
Free agency
Additions
| Date | Player | Contract terms | Former team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 7 | Delon Wright | 1-year minimum | Miami Heat | [12] |
| July 9 | Taurean Prince | 1 year minimum | Los Angeles Lakers | [13] |
| July 9 | Stanley Umude | Two-way contract | Detroit Pistons | [14] |
| July 20 | Gary Trent Jr. | 1 year minimum | Toronto Raptors | [15] |
Subtractions
| Date | Player | Reason left | New team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 11 | Malik Beasley | Free agency | Detroit Pistons | [16] |
| July 16 | Patrick Beverley | Free agency |  Hapoel Tel Aviv
|
[17] |
References
- ^ Winslow, George (November 1, 2024). "Weigel's WMLW to Air Milwaukee Bucks Games". TV Tech. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks Acquire Kyle Kuzma and Jericho Sims in Multi-Team Trade". NBA.com. February 6, 2025. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
- ^ "New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks Apr 5, 2025 Game Summary". NBA.
- ^ "Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers eliminate Milwaukee Bucks". espn.com. April 29, 2025.
- ^ "2024 NBA Draft Order: Picks 1-58". NBA.com. May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- ^ Quinn, Sam (May 13, 2024). "2024 NBA Draft order: Complete list of picks as Atlanta Hawks win No. 1 selection in Lottery". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian (October 18, 2024). "FanDuel Takes Over Naming Rights to Diamond Sports RSNs". Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "Diamond Sports branded as FanDuel in new deal". ESPN.com. October 18, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ https://www.nba.com/news/bucks-pelicans-matchup-in-new-orleans-postponed
- ^ "NBA unveils new logo and game dates for Emirates NBA Cup 2024". NBA.com. July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
- ^ "Emirates NBA Cup 2024: Group Draw Results". NBA.com. July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks Sign Delon Wright". NBA.com. July 7, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks Sign Taurean Prince". NBA.com. July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks Sign Stanley Umude To A Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. July 9, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ "Milwaukee Bucks Sign Gary Trent Jr". NBA.com. July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
- ^ "DETROIT PISTONS SIGN FREE AGENT MALIK BEASLEY". NBA.com. July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ "ברוך הבא, פטריק בברלי!". Hapoeluta.org (in Hebrew). July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.