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  • Giannis (calf) commits to Olympic qual. tourney
    On Saturday, Greece national team coach Vassilis Spanoulis said that Giannis Antetokounmpo (left soleus strain) has committed to playing in next month’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

    Advice: Antetokounmpo missed Milwaukee’s final three regular season games and the entirety of the team’s first-round series against the Pacers due to his calf injury. The Olympic Qualifying Tournament that Greece will participate in does not begin until July 2, but the early commitment is a positive sign regarding Giannis’ health. Among the other nations in the six-team event is Slovenia, which Luka Doncic should lead. Four six-team tournaments will be played next month to round out the men’s basketball field for the Paris Olympics, with the winner of each advancing. Rotoworld Monday, 1:06 pm
     
  • Non-factor in playoff run
    Morris averaged 2.3 points, 1.0 assists and 0.7 rebounds across 7.6 minutes in nine playoff appearances.

    Advice: Morris was acquired by the Timberwolves on Feb. 7 via trade and averaged 5.1 points, 2.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 0.7 steals in 27 regular-season games with Minnesota. The 28-year-old is an unrestricted free agent, and he was a non-factor in the series against Dallas while dealing with a minor finger issue. Rotowire.com Sunday, 9:05 am
     
  • Lackluster production in playoffs
    McLaughlin averaged 0.7 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists across 4.8 minutes in six playoff appearances, shooting 22.2 percent from the field in a limited number of attempts.

    Advice: McLaughlin's future in Minnesota is unclear as he will head into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. The 28-year-old has seen a decline in production every year since he got into the league after five seasons with the Timberwolves. McLaughlin averaged 3.5 points, 2.0 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 0.6 steals across a career-low 11.2 minutes in 56 regular-season games this season. Rotowire.com Sunday, 8:45 am
     
  • Will play for Greece
    Antetokounmpo (calf) will play for Greece in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports reports.

    Advice: Antetokounmpo missed the final three games of the Bucks' regular season, followed by their six playoff games prior to being eliminated by the Pacers. The superstar forward revealed following Game 6 that he was "not close" to returning to the Bucks lineup due to his calf strain. There will be roughly a two-month gap between Milwaukee's final contest and Greece's first qualifying game, and it appears the 29-year-old will be back to full health. Barring any setbacks, he should be at full strength for the start of the 2024-25 season. The two-time MVP averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and a career-high 6.5 assists to go along with 1.2 steals, 1.1 blocks and 0.5 triples across 35.2 minutes in 73 regular-season games last season. Rotowire.com Saturday, 12:42 pm
     
  • Minimal impact in loss
    Alexander-Walker recorded zero points (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt), one assist and two steals in 14 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: Alexander-Walker averaged just 3.4 points, 1.6 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 15.4 minutes across the Western Conference. He also struggled mightily with his efficiency, shooting 28.6 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from three across the five contests. However, the 25-year-old guard converted 39.1 percent of his 4.1 three-point attempts per game during the regular season and will head into the 2024-25 campaign under the last year of his two-year, $9 million contract. Rotowire.com Friday, 1:38 pm
     
  • Productive in return
    Lively posted nine points (3-3 FG, 3-6 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks over 25 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 win over Minnesota in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: Lively returned to action Thursday after missing Game 4 due to a neck injury. The rookie big man returned to his role of coming off the bench but splitting minutes at the center position with Daniel Gafford as a platoon. Lively averaged 9.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in 22.0 minutes across his four appearances in the Western Conference Finals. Rotowire.com Friday, 1:06 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II plays 25 MIN in return to action
    Dereck Lively II (neck sprain) finished Thursday’s win over the Timberwolves with nine points (3-of-3 FGs, 3-of-6 FTs), eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocked shots in 25 minutes.

    Advice: Lively was back in the rotation after sitting out Tuesday’s Game 4 defeat, and the rookie was impactful on both ends of the floor. He didn’t miss a shot from the field and was also effective as a playmaker in the short roll. Add in eight rebounds and three blocked shots, and Lively was one of the other difference-makers in Game 5. Starting center Daniel Gafford was also 3-of-3 from the field, tallying 11 points, nine rebounds, and one blocked shot in 20 minutes. Next up for Dallas are the Celtics in the NBA Finals, which begin on June 6. Rotoworld Thursday, 8:11 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II (neck) available for Game 5 Thur.
    Dereck Lively II (neck sprain) is available for Thursday’s game against the Timberwolves.

    Advice: Lively is back after sitting out Tuesday’s Game 4 defeat, meaning Dallas will have both of its preferred centers available. Daniel Gafford remains the starter, while Lively’s return means fewer minutes for Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell. One of those two veterans is likely to fall out of the rotation entirely. Rotoworld Thursday, 4:39 pm
     
  • Available to play Thursday
    Lively (neck) is available for Thursday's Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Timberwolves.

    Advice: Lively participated in the Mavericks' morning shootaround and underwent his routine in pre-game warmups, so it's unsurprising to see him available, as he looked active and had no apparent limitations in his movements. He'll likely see regular minutes off the bench, as he's logged 21.0 minutes per game in the current series while averaging 9.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. Rotowire.com Thursday, 4:30 pm