Business as usual for Bucks as sale to Lasry and Edens reportedly draws close

JSOnline | Walker: Bucks sale 'is moving quickly,' source says
WE'RE ALMOST THERE YOU GUYS!

Don Walker writes that approval of the Bucks' sale to Marc Lasry and Wes Edens is on track to close this week (maybe...hopefully), in line with original expectations that the process would close within 30 days of the April 16 sale annoucement:

A source with knowledge of the sale process said Monday the sale of the Milwaukee Bucks to New York investors Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens "is moving quickly."

"It's possible there will be news later this week," the source said.

Bucks.com | Dave Babcock talks workouts
Friday's workout at the Cousins Center didn't feature any prospects likely to hear their name called on June 26, but it did feature some interesting commentary from Bucks' director of player personnel Dave Babcock. Such as: the Bucks' position near the top of the draft will likely mean less guys brought in for workouts than usual ("five or six"), the team is looking forward to having Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nate Wolters with them in Vegas in July (YESSSSS), and the Bucks may struggle to get some top prospects in should they drop to #4 (see our earlier discussion here).

Babcock also provided some additional insight into the Bucks' homework on the draft's top prospects; the good news is that when your team is terrible all year you tend to do tons of it. Charles Gardner reports:

Babcock said Bucks staff members have seen the top prospects - Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Embiid, Julius Randle and a few more - at least 15 to 20 times in person.

"Except for (Dante) Exum," Babcock said of the Australian point guard. "He's the only one. He's been very limited. I saw him last summer for a week; he was at the (Nike) Hoop Summit game (last year) and there was a summer thing two years ago I saw him."

While Exum is understandably considered the draft's mystery man, the good news is that Babcock has seen Exum about as much as any other NBA guy over the past couple years. Last summer's U-19 World Championships (video highlights) and Nike Hoops Summit (video highlights) might have cemented Exum's status as a top-five pick, but it was his performances two summers ago at the U-17 World Championships and Adidas Nations Global Championships that first served notice about the Australian teenager's huge potential. For some great background reading, check out Danny Chau's Grantland story and Jonathan Tjarks' SB Nation piece from last summer

JS | Lasry, Edens made a return visit to Milwaukee
MORE GOOD STUFF FROM DON WALKER! HE'S MAKING ME FEEL ALL-CAPSY!

Walker serves up some details on Lasry and Edens' previously-reported May 2 visit to Milwaukee.

While Lasry and Edens were provided more information about the arena debate, there was a second purpose of the discussion in Milwaukee, a source said.

That source said there was a discussion of whether there is interest in local investors. Kohl has previously expressed a strong desire that local investors be part of the Lasry-Edens ownership team.

The source said there seemed to be a strong interest in adding local investors. "They want to do that to solidify a local presence," the source said.

FS Wisconsin | Gruman: Bucks 13/14 player grades
Giving letter grades to basketball players is at once fun and a total waste of time; that said, Andrew Gruman is wonderful and his attempt is as good as anyone's.

YouTube | Giannis stars in Greek chocolate milky dairy drink ad (h/t RealGM)
Sorry Giannis, but this isn't even close to THE BEST FOREIGN DAIRY DRINK COMMERCIAL EVER DONE BY A BUCKS ROOKIE. And yes, that link is to the humble Blogspot site that I started a few months before Brew Hoop was born in 2007. Ah, memories.

The Bucksketball / Urban Milwaukee / Save Our Bucks Draft Lottery Party
I'll be hunkered down in my bunker in Boston for next Tuesday night's draft lottery, but if you're in Milwaukee and want to go out for the occasion (you know to celebrate...or mourn, depending on what happens), we recommend you go hang out with our buds from Bucksketball and Save Our Bucks. Details above.