HoopsHype.com Rumors

Ellis “took umbrage,” according to another person with knowledge of the situation. Correctly assuming that Sanders' comments were directed primarily at him and backcourt mate Brandon Jennings, who both are prospective free agents, Ellis approached Sanders and squared off with him, sources said. A teammate got between the two players and separated them before the conflict became physical. CBSSports.com

Milwaukee Bucks, Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings, Larry Sanders 

Charles F. Gardner: #Bucks general manager John Hammond said Monta Ellis has June 20 deadline to declare if he will exercise $11 million option for next season. Twitter @cf_gardner

Milwaukee Bucks, Free Agency, Monta Ellis, John Hammond 

Charles F. Gardner: #Bucks general manager John Hammond said Monta Ellis has June 20 deadline to declare if he will exercise $11 million option for next season. Twitter @cf_gardner

Milwaukee Bucks, Monta Ellis, John Hammond 

Andrew Gurman: Monta Ellis said when asked if he will be here next year: "a decision he has to make" Twitter

Milwaukee Bucks, Free Agency, Monta Ellis 

While the Milwaukee Bucks would love to keep their three free-agent guards this summer -- Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis and J.J. Redick -- they understand they'll realistically only be able to keep two. Jennings is the most likely to stay because he's a restricted free agent, which means Milwaukee can match any offer Jennings receives on the open market. Assuming no one overpays him, he'll be a Buck. Redick will be interesting. He's seeking a sizeable increase on his $6 million salary this season, but many executives don't think he's worth more. He'd certainly be a great addition to a contender in need of shooting, but on a middling team like the Bucks, Redick has been pedestrian, averaging 12 points on 40 percent shooting, well below the 15 points on 45 percent shooting he put up in Orlando earlier this season. Some scouts and execs believe the difference is due to the fact that Orlando, with little else on its roster, ran plays for Redick, running him off screens to get him open looks. But teams with more talent and better offensive options won't do that with regularity, which will limit Redick's effectiveness. ESPN.com

Milwaukee Bucks, Free Agency, Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings, JJ Redick 

An interview Monta Ellis did in December has taken on a life of its own during the Bucks-Heat playoff series. That's the way it is in the playoffs. But Wade told the Miami Herald that he "chuckled in a sense" when he heard Ellis had said he was as good as Wade, just without the wins and the championships. "But if I'm a bar for somebody, I don't mind that," Wade said. "Monta is a talented, talented guard. But obviously I feel my game is a little bit different. I'm not just a scorer. I do everything on the floor; my whole career I've done it. That's where I separate myself from others ... "I look at what Kobe Bryant does. I know I need championships to be where he's at, to even be in the category with him as a player." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Dwyane Wade, Monta Ellis 

As the Milwaukee Bucks season winds down, it appears Monta Ellis’ days in a Bucks uniform are numbered as well. At least, that’s the prevailing sentiment of some Ellis acquaintances. They claim Ellis, the Bucks’ potent-scoring guard, has indicated to them that he intends on opting out of his contract after the season and becoming an unrestricted free agent. Racine Journal-Times

Milwaukee Bucks, Free Agency, Monta Ellis 

In conversations with several general managers, not one said they would pay Ellis more than he’s already receiving. That’s $11 million, which is the same amount he would be paid next season if he opted to remain with the Bucks. But as one general manager noted, it only takes one team to be enamored with Ellis’ explosive scoring abilities and give him a long-term deal in excess of $11 million per season. Racine Journal-Times

Milwaukee Bucks, Free Agency, Monta Ellis 

There has also been scuttlebutt Ellis would be quite receptive to signing with the Memphis Grizzlies. Ellis has a home outside of Memphis and spends a considerable amount of time there during the offseason. But the Grizzlies have one of the NBA’s premier defensive shooting guards in Tony Allen who, while being an UFA this summer, is expected to return to the team. More importantly, the Grizzlies have little wiggle room on the cap as they already have guaranteed contracts totaling $60.5 million for next season. Racine Journal-Times

Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Free Agency, Monta Ellis, Tony Allen 

Geoff Lepper: Lacob on vindication of the Ellis-Bogut deal: "To me, it was vindicated from day one. The trade was a fantastic trade. ... Twitter @geofflepper

Golden State Warriors, Trade, Monta Ellis, Andrew Bogut 

Monta Ellis has played in every game this season for the Bucks. And Bucks coach Jim Boylan thought Ellis would play Friday night against Indiana even though the shooting guard missed the morning shootaround due to illness. Both Ellis and Brandon Jennings have started all 67 games this season for Milwaukee, which is ending a two-game road swing after losing in Atlanta on Wednesday night. "I won't get into the gory details but he wasn't feeling well last night," Boylan said of Ellis. "We figured we were better off to let him rest up and rehydrate and all that. In my opinion, 99% sure he'll be fine by tonight. "He doesn't miss for too much." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Milwaukee Bucks, Monta Ellis, Jim Boylan 

Monta Ellis scored a season-high 39 points, including 25 in the fourth quarter, and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied for a 115-109 over the Orlando Magic on Sunday. Ersan Ilyasova added 20 points and 11 rebounds for Milwaukee, which ended a three-game losing streak. Brandon Jennings had 15 points and 14 assists. The Bucks ended the game on a 30-12 lead to pull out the victory over the Magic, who led most of the game. Orlando has lost seven of its last nine games. Arron Afflalo scored 24 points and rookie Maurice Harkless had a career-high 23 for the Magic. Nikola Vucevic added 20 points and 15 rebounds in the loss. USA Today Sports

Milwaukee Bucks, Monta Ellis 

Heading into the draft, the Bucks compiled a short list of potential second-round picks. They whittled their choices to Ilyasova or Monta Ellis, now the Bucks’ starting shooting guard. Ellis, like Ilyasova, had been red-flagged by several NBA teams because of a knee issue. On the day of the draft, then general manager Larry Harris was leaning toward picking a big player — Ilyasova — over a small one — Ellis — primarily because the Bucks already had a stable of young, quality guards in Michael Redd, T.J. Ford and Mo Williams. After conferring with John Heinrich, then the Bucks orthopedic doctor, and receiving assurances Ilyasova could regain his health after an arduous rehab regimen, Harris chose Ilyasova. Racine Journal-Times

Milwaukee Bucks, Draft, Monta Ellis, Ersan Ilyasova 

Jim Boylan, who promptly inserted Ilyasova into the starting lineup when he assumed the head coaching reins, is delighted with his young starting power forward. “Ersan has been really, really consistent with his scoring, his effort, his rebounding,” Boylan said. “He’s done so much for us. When we didn’t have him for those games (against Golden State and Sacramento last week), it showed how much we missed him. “It’s incredible the amount of progress he’s made as a player.” Boylan is more impressed with Ilyasova’s growth off the court. “Ers came from a foreign country into a new environment,” Boylan said. “ I played myself over in Europe. I lived in another country (Switzerland) for six years, so I understand Ers’ situation. People think it’s easy to come in and hit the ground running. It isn’t. “So to see how far Ers has come is amazing and a credit to him.” Racine Journal-Times

Milwaukee Bucks, Draft, Monta Ellis, Ersan Ilyasova 

Jimmy Spencer: Monta Ellis said he barked at ref, absolutely did not bark at Lacob. "You never know I might have to come back here and retire. Who knows." Twitter @JimmySpencerNBA

Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, Monta Ellis, Joe Lacob 

Monta Ellis expected by many teams to give strong consideration to opting in for next season at $11 million despite the longstanding presumption in Brewtown that he's determined to opt out. ESPN.com

Milwaukee Bucks, Free Agency, Monta Ellis 

That'll be the summertime decision facing J.J. Redick, Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings. The three-guard rotation has been making noise lately, connecting quickly together for the Bucks. They've each found a way to bond peacefully and elevate the Bucks into playoff territory in the East. They also share something else in common: They can walk in July as free agents. They can enhance the perception of Milwaukee as a nice place to make your name but no place to stay and waste your fame. "It's a tricky situation for us," said John Hammond, the general manager. "It's something we're going to have to work our way through. We'll address it when the time comes and hopefully we'll have some good results." SportsonEarth

Milwaukee Bucks, Free Agency, Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings, John Hammond 

But Ellis is still aggressive and feisty and not afraid of the big moment, and will only be 28 next season. In the right situation he can average in the high teens and cause migraines for a defense. In that sense, Ellis would make an ideal complimentary scorer to, say, Dirk Nowitzki, or maybe even a perfect sixth man if he'd agree to that role. "He's carried our team, in terms of continuing to compete at a very high level," Hammond said. "He makes us better." SportsonEarth

Milwaukee Bucks, Free Agency, Monta Ellis, John Hammond 

So it's up to Redick, Ellis and Jennings to make Milwaukee a destination, and also up to Kohl. He almost sold the Bucks to Michael Jordan five years ago. Maybe Kohl's biggest sell is convincing big-name free agents to consider the Bucks. Will any take Kohl's money? They haven't yet. Would you? We'll see in the next few summers. "We have flexibility," Hammond said. "We're not going to have any tax implications. We feel comfortable where we're at. Senator Kohl will do what's necessary to win games." SportsonEarth

Milwaukee Bucks, Free Agency, Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings, John Hammond 

Monta Ellis of the Milwaukee Bucks and and the Denver Nuggets' Ty Lawson were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Feb. 25 through Sunday, March 3. Ellis led the Bucks to a 3-0 week with averages of 24 points (sixth in the conference), 9 assists (fourth in the conference) and a league-leading 5 steals. Ellis had back-to-back six-steal games in road victories vs. the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 26, and the Houston Rockets on Feb. 27. In the win vs. the Rockets, Ellis, who led all scorers with 27 points, hit an off-balance three-pointer just before the final buzzer to secure the win. USA Today Sports

Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Monta Ellis, Ty Lawson