SPORTS LINE
The Milwaukee Bucks.
For the Bucks to have any chance of the kind of success that Giannis has made it abundantly clear he views as his standard, they’d have to find a guard capable of running the offense, creating shots for himself and others. Well, it’s been only five games, but the Bucks might have found that someone. Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins vowed that the contract he signed before the season would be earned and prove he was worth the investment.
That three-year, $12 million deal is looking like more of a bargain for the Bucks with each passing day. Rollins played all of 128 minutes of NBA basketball when he landed in Milwaukee on a two-way contract in February 2024; he barely saw the court over the next two months but showed enough in practice to stick around. Rollins moved into Milwaukee’s starting lineup after Kevin Porter Jr. sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of the Bucks’ season opener. He has been capitalizing on the opportunity ever since. Rollins scored his previous career high of 25 points Tuesday in a 121-111 victory over the New York Knicks. He followed that up by shooting 13 of 21 overall and 5 of 7 from 3-point range while also dishing out eight assists with only one turnover.
This is even more important because Antetokounmpo was ruled out due to a sore left knee. Everyone, including coaches and teammates, is impressed with how far Rollins has come since that rookie year. Five games into the season, Rollins is averaging 18.6 points and 5.0 assists. He’s coming off a 2024-25 season in which he averaged 6.2 points and 1.9 assists – both career highs. Rollins’ teammates already were well aware of his boldness. They also knew about his diligence. Now he has the chance to show just what he can do. Rollins intends to continue making the most of it.
The Green Bay Packers.
The Packers are projected to be buyers heading into Tuesday’s trade deadline. Armed with the best record in the NFC entering Sunday’s game with the Carolina Panthers, the Packers could make a deal for a cornerback, defensive tackle, or running back in the coming days. But another surprising need popped up during the 16-13 loss to Carolina when star tight end Tucker Kraft suffered a significant knee injury.
The Packers fear tight end Tucker Kraft tore his right ACL during Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers. Kraft, the Packers’ top pass catcher, suffered the injury in the third quarter and was ruled out of the game in the fourth. He is set to undergo additional testing. Kraft appeared to injure the knee during a collision while blocking on a running play and was carted to the locker room after being examined on the sideline. The third-year pro was coming off his best career game with seven catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns in last weekend’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He entered Sunday’s game leading the Packers in catches (30), receiving yards (469), and touchdown catches (six). He had two catches for 20 yards against the Panthers before his injury.
Regardless of how much time he misses, Kraft’s injury is a massive development for the Packers ahead of the trade deadline. Following an offseason where the Packers were looking for an alpha receiver, Kraft stepped into the role at the tight end position. If those fears are confirmed, getting a tight end to replace Kraft must be on the Packers’ radar. The Packers may not have much to give in terms of young players or draft picks after the Parsons trade, but after falling out of the top spot in the conference and losing Kraft on Sunday, trading for is necessary.
