UPDATE on March 14, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.: Seven-foot center Meyers Leonard will sign with the Milwaukee Bucks for the duration of the 2022-23 season after completing his second 10-day contract with the organization. He has appeared in five games during that stretch, averaging 2.8 points and two rebounds per game. The signing was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
MILWAUKEE — ESPN reports that the Milwaukee Bucks have signed free-agent center Meyers Leonard to a 10-day contract. This will be the 30-year-old’s first NBA deal since he was caught using an antisemitic slur on a livestream in March 2021.
As first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski, Leonard will occupy the Bucks’ remaining open roster spot following the multi-team trade that brought forward Jae Crowder to the team in exchange for three players and five picks.
Leonard has played nine seasons in the NBA including seven with Portland and a total of 54 games with the Miami Heat, who dealt him after he was caught using a slur while streaming ‘Call of Duty’ online. He was also in the middle of rehabilitating from post-surgical nerve damage in his right leg.
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Since the debacle which cost him his role in the NBA, Leonard has publicly apologized on numerous occasions. He was initially suspended by the league and fined $50,000. Following his suspension, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and waived. Leonard has not been signed to an NBA team since.
According to Woj, Leonard worked with several rabbis in South Florida to learn the roots of the slur he used. Leonard has tried to make amends with the Jewish community. He also treated several nagging injuries since his last NBA stint to put himself in the best possible position to make a return.
The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the top teams in the NBA, standing at 41-17 with a league-leading 12-game winning streak through the All-Star break. However, their front court depth has grown a bit thin with Bobby Portis sidelined due to injury. To make matters more daunting, star Giannis Antetokounmpo hurt his hand in Milwaukee’s final game before the break, forcing him to visit with a specialist in New York City. His status for after the All-Star break is unclear.
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