Hooped Up

The NBA is changing by the day and, it seems, it always affects the Cavaliers. In a move that was considered shocking in corners Monday, the Milwaukee Bucks decided not to offer young free-agent power forward Charlie Villanueva a qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent. He now will be unrestricted, which makes him significantly easier to sign because the Bucks will not have matching rights. According to sources, Villanueva now will be one of the Cavs’ free-agent targets when teams are allowed to speak with them Wednesday.

Cleveland Plain Dealer

I haven’t been interested in anything Joe Budden has said since his hit song “Pump It Up” came out in 1312 B.C. and after this “leaked” phone conversation of Budden talking to his buddy Brandon Jennings who ends up dissing players and organizations, my interest level hasn’t changed.

Of course all the fuss is about what Jennings said about the Knicks, Ricky Rubio and Chris Duhon. But come on! Were we meant to hear this conversation in the first place? No. So why are people trippin’ that dude was speaking real talk with his supposed boy, who sold him out? This conversation was never meant for the public so, of course we’re going to hear all types of stuff Jennings would never say to the media and everybody should relax.

Let me break it down for you why. If we had a wire tap on Michael Jordan or Reggie Miller’s phone back in the day they would be saying f*ck the Knicks to somebody before each game too. Especially Miller! As a matter of fact, I bet  before and after Kobe Bryant dropped 61 on the Knicks, he said the same thing to Vanessa too.

Anyway, the transcribed conversation is after the jump and if you want to listen to the video it’s NSFW, unless you work at Def Jam and you want to see and hear Joe Budden make an @ss out of himself. BTW, Good call Hova.

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The Milwaukee Bucks select 10th overall in the 2009 NBA draft. Listen to who Fantasy Sports Girl Lina So thinks the Bucks are picking and then check out her selections vitals, strengths, 08-09 stats and draft demo reel after the jump.

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Two league sources confirm that Milwaukee and San Antonio have agreed to the framework of a deal that would send Richard Jeffersonto San Antonio for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas andFabricio Oberto. A source said the two sides are working toward setting up a trade call with the NBA for late Tuesday.

The Bucks are sending Jefferson away less than a year after acquiring the scoring forward in a draft day trade last season for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. Jefferson’s contract has two years and $29.2 million remaining on it.

Bowen, Thomas and Oberto give the Bucks a veteran group and financial flexibility. None are signed beyond the upcoming season.

ESPN

Luke Ridnour some how got 1,039,902 votes beating out eventual All-Star reserves selections Joe Johnson by 619, 692 and Jameer Nelson by 685,129. So news of him being out of action for a month is guaranteed to send shock waves through the world of basketball and probably the underground Internet fighting community.

“The Milwaukee Bucks injury problems continued on Friday, as starting point guard Luke Ridnour will miss approximately four weeks of action due to a fractured right thumb.

Ridnour suffered the injury in practice on Thursday.”

Via Seattle Post Intelligencer 

The Milwaukee Bucks confirmed Wednesday that centre Andrew Bogut will be sidelined at least eight weeks because of a stress fracture in his back.A series of tests revealed the injury, which has bothered him since he began experiencing back spasms on Dec. 17.

He will require rest and rehabilitation, but not surgery. Bogut, 24, played less than 17 minutes in each of his last two outings and sat out Tuesday’s 95-88 loss to the New Jersey Nets.

He is shooting a career-high 57.7 per cent clip this season, averaging 31.2 11.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 blocked shots and 31.2 minutes in 36 games, including 33 starts.

Via Bloomberg

If you’re a Bucks fan, with playoff aspirations for your team today you can officially start your “sad feelings” with the news out of the doctors office in Milwaukee regarding Micheal Redd leaving yesterdays game with injury.

“The Milwaukee Bucks announced that Michael Redd will miss the remainder of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee.  Redd suffered the injury in the third quarter of Milwaukee’s 106-104 victory over the Sacramento Kings last night. 

“I’m deeply disappointed but everything in life happens for a reason and this is God’s plan for me,” Redd said in a statement issued by the team.

Redd was averaging a team-high 21.2 points. 

Via Newsradio 620

The Memphis Grizzlies have struggled mightily at the point guard spot all season long and the trade winds could come a blowin’.

“The latest rumor to surface is the Bucks possibly trading backup point guard Ramon Sessions and forward Joe Alexander, who was the eighth overall selection in last June’s NBA draft, to the Memphis Grizzlies. In return, the Bucks would obtain point guard Michael Conley Jr., who was the No. 4 overall selection in the 2007 draft.” 

Racine Journal Times

With the added twist of a rookie being voted in to this years Slam Dunk contest. Potential candidates Rudy Fernandez, Russell Westbrook and Joe Alexander are doing whatever it takes to get your vote. Rudy Fernandez Shares a Bilingual Dunk Ballad, Russell Westbrook Shares His Get-Out-And-Vote Song, and Joe Alexander Tells You Why He’s the Flying Buck.

If I was on the ballot I would promise economic stability, more after school programs for your children and cheaper beer to lock up your vote.  Because the promise of cheap beer locks up a vote every time! But enough about me and my political aspirations, on to the Russell Westbrook and Joe Alexander sales pitch.

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For the Spirit of the Australian basketball league Santa Claus is 7 feet tall, plays for the Milwaukee Bucks and wears #6.

“After discussing ways to help out his mentor and Spirit coach Rob Beveridge, Bogut has made the first donation to a special bank account established to raise funds for the Sydney club’s players and coaching staff - a tidy $30,000.

It may pale in comparison to what Bogut earns in the US - this week he placed fifth on the BRW top 50 Australian sports earners list with $8.2 million.

But it was still welcome good news for Spirit players who recently took a drastic pay cut in an NBL rescue package to ensure they played out the rest of the season.”

ABC Australia