Jason Kidd has said Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the Milwaukee Bucks' point guard heading into next season.

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have played better since he moved to point guard.

"We're going to go forward with (Giannis) handling the ball," said Kidd. "You can call him point guard, point forward, point center.

"With him having the ball and the pressure he puts on the defense and his ability to find guys, it's been a plus for us."

John Hammond was asked about what he expects to see from Giannis Antetokounmpo in three or four years as he continues to develop for the Milwaukee Bucks.

“I’ll tell you this: Giannis, at 21, needs two simple things to become an All Star, from this moment that we’re speaking: to score the open jump shots from 15-16 feet and three-pointers from the corners,” said Hammond.

Hammond was also asked what position suits Antetokounmpo best.

“He’s a forward. I said it when we selected Jabari Parker in the draft as well. Many are not aware that Parker is also really good with the ball in his hands and that he can set up and execute plays. It’s very important for us for these two to learn to play really well together. For Giannis, I’ll say the same things I said when they asked me who he is, in the summer of 2013, when we selected him. He’s a guy who knows how to play the game well and he has a good perception, he can see everything on the court. He was this kind of a player since he was young! With a special feel for the game and a good perception. We are very happy that, lately, Giannis has been using these gifts that he has in his games, with very good results for the team.”

Hammond acknowledges the Bucks were lucky in drafting Antetokounmpo.

“We were lucky! I honestly believe that. Many times I hear people saying that, in the case of Antetokounmpo, Hammond saw something that the others didn’t see. Not so. We’re all very good scouts, we all collect the right data and, from there, it’s just a matter of the numbers you pick and which players you can get. I didn’t see anything different from what everyone else saw in Giannis. We were just very lucky to have the number 15. Giannis hadn’t been selected by any other team until we got to 15, and so we got him!”

In the closing seconds of the Memphis Grizzlies' loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Matt Barnes had a lay-up blocked emphatically by John Henson.

Henson and Barnes picked up a double-technical for jawing at each other and then Henson was given a second technical for taunting. Barnes took exception to the blocked shot by Henson.

Henson headed into the tunnel.

Several seconds later when Barnes was given a second technical, he ran down the tunnel presumably after henson with staffers of the Grizzlies chasing behind.

Photographs of Barnes' ex-wife and Derek Fisher on vacation also surfaced on Thursday.

According to Aron Yohannes of SBNation, Barnes was escorted out of the arena with two security beside him.

The Milwaukee Bucks have released an updated set of renderings of the new multi-purpose arena planned to anchor a world-class sports and entertainment district in downtown Milwaukee.

These images reflect the plans submitted for the final stage of the design approval process with the city and local public officials before construction on the new arena can begin this summer.

“We’re just months away from seeing the new home of the Milwaukee Bucks and our collective efforts to revitalize Milwaukee begin to move from vision to reality,” said Bucks president Peter Feigin. “These plans reflect the commitment of our ownership, generosity of Senator Kohl and historic collaboration with public officials to build a world-class sports and entertainment destination in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. We look forward to working closely with public officials and the entire community over the next several months to finalize the design and construction plans so that we can begin to create long-lasting jobs and economic opportunity in Milwaukee.”

The exterior design for the new arena is inspired by Milwaukee’s proud architectural heritage and bold outlook, coupled with the region’s natural environment of rivers, lakes and forests. The hand-crafted zinc patina exterior, punctuated by nodes of glass to highlight activity within, will create an iconic architectural image that will anchor the surrounding development.

The Milwaukee Bucks have signed guard Jared Cunningham to a 10-day contract pursuant to the NBA’s hardship exception.

Cunningham, 24, most recently played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League, where he appeared in three games (all starts) and averaged 17.3 points, 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 32.0 minutes per game. He began the season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he appeared in 40 games (three starts) and averaged 2.6 points in 8.9 minutes per game before being traded to, and waived by, Orlando on Feb. 18.

The Oregon State product was originally selected by Cleveland in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft with the 24th overall pick. He has played in 80 total NBA games with Dallas, Atlanta, Sacramento, the L.A. Clippers and Cleveland.

The NBA’s hardship exception is a temporary roster spot that allows teams to exceed the 15-man maximum roster. A hardship can be deemed to exist when a team has four players who are sick or injured and have missed at least three consecutive games, and will continue to be unable to play as determined through an independent physician.

Jared Cunningham is close to agreement with the Milwaukee Bucks on a 10-day contract.

Cunningham has been playing for the Idaho Stampede of the D-League.

O.J. Mayo has suffered a fracture in his ankle and will miss the rest of the season.

Mayo may need surgery to repair the fracture.

In 41 games (24 starts) this season, Mayo has averaged 7.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.17 steals in 26.6 minutes per contest.

The Milwaukee Bucks' starting lineup with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the "point" has posted an offensive efficiency of of 109.1, per NBA.com/stats, which would rank third in the NBA on the season.

Antetokounmpo is averaging 19.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game in the nine games since the All-Star break.

“The ball is moving, our pace is up, all the stats are up,” Jason Kidd said. “(Giannis's) skillset is like no other. He has the ability to put it on the floor, he’s working hard on his jump shot, he can post up, he can pass. Giannis is just going through the process, understanding things don’t happen overnight.”

“I definitely knew one day we’d come back to it, once you know that I can do it,” Antetokounmpo says. “It’s different in the game, especially when Mike was starting. I couldn’t handle the ball more than Mike, because he’s our point guard. He’s in charge. And now, coach gave me the opportunity I could handle it. It feels great.”

Michael Carter-Williams will undergo season-ending surgery on Thursday (Mar. 10) to repair the torn labrum in his left hip, General Manager John Hammond announced today. Surgery will be performed by Dr. Marc Philippon at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colo.

Recovery time for Carter-Williams is expected to be three months.

In 54 games (37 starts) this season, Carter-Williams has averaged 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, a team-high 5.2 assists and 1.48 steals in 30.5 minutes.

The Portland Trail Blazers made inquiries before the deadline about the availability of Greg Monroe.

The Blazers also pursued Monroe in free agency before he decided to sign with the Milwaukee bucks.

The Blazers could explore a trade for Monroe again in the offseason with the assets of their first round pick, a young player on a good contract and cap space.

Monroe can become a free agent again in 2017.