We’re hurtling increasingly faster towards All-Star weekend where we shall all gather ‘round to bask in the glow of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s time in the national spotlight. Between now and then, however, we’ve got to content ourselves further with regular season wins, losses, and, of course, your weekly national news roundup concerning your Milwaukee Bucks in the M³Roundup.

Brogdon named to Rising Stars Challenge (Journal Sentinel)

Well, the title pretty much sums it all up, doesn’t it? We’ve all been well attuned to just how impressive Malcolm Brogdon has been for the Bucks. He’s synced up with the roster with definite ease, has showed out on a multitude of occasions to the delight of screaming fans, and even had the fun of running into the Rookie Wall! He’ll put a nice mid-season bow on all of that with a feature in the Rising Stars game at All-Star weekend.

Interesting note from the piece: The Bucks have had a player featured in the game four years in a row now; Giannis played in 2014 and ‘15 while Jabari played last season.

Bucks concerned for status of Thon Maker after travel ban enacted (ESPN)

We won’t needlessly get into the politics of the day too much with this, but current conditions in the U.S. could become a worry for some foreign-born players, including Milwaukee’s Thon Maker. Maker, originally born in Sudan (his hometown, Wau, resides in current-day South Sudan), holds an Australian passport and Australian papers. He was able to return to Milwaukee without incident after the recent game in Toronto, but the NBA is still as of yet unsure how their players will be affected by new administrative directives. Something to keep an eye on in the absolute.

Larry Sanders is 'officially stepping back into the game' two years after walking away from the NBA (Yahoo Sports)

It may have only been a matter of time, but former-Buck Larry Sanders, age 28, looks set to return to the NBA after being bought out by Milwaukee just two seasons ago. No solid destination has come forth just yet, though contenders such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors have been suggested. However, he could go to other teams as varied as the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sanders was touted as a defensive load in the interior, and registered per-36 numbers of 12.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks in his last full season. Whether he’s able to replicate those numbers with so much time away from basketball is unclear, but he may get his chance to give it a go once again in the NBA.

Milwaukee Bucks achieve first hiring requirements on arena project (Milwaukee Business Journal)

Sometimes it can be easy to forget that, yes, in fact, the Bucks are in the process of building their new arena downtown. As part of that effort, if you recall, the Bucks are bound by hiring guidelines that ensure that 40% of arena-construction jobs must be filled by Milwaukee residents. So far, they’ve hit the mark (41%) on the arena itself, but have fallen a bit short (38%) for the accompanying parking structure.

The team has time to make up the difference with a surge in hiring for the summer expected, with the workforce planned to expand to 600-800 craftsmen.

Interesting to also note: the parking structure is 22% complete and the arena 17% (in terms of budgeted spending). Plenty of work still to be done!

Remembering the birth of the Milwaukee Bucks, and how they were almost the Milwaukee Robins (Milwaukee Record)

A bit of Bucks history to close out your media roundup this week. Milwaukee has known the Bucks as solely the Bucks since the team’s inception, but what if they were, instead, the Milwaukee Robins? Matt Wild for Milwaukee Record dove into a quirk of the team’s pre-history and the decision process behind choosing a name for the team.

In his telling of history, “Robins” was the second most-popular name as voted on by residents of the state. Other options included the Skunks, Beavers, Hornets, and Ponies.

This will be an interesting read for those curious about the story behind the Bucks, and we formally implore you all to vote for your favorite alternative-history team name in the comment section below.

And with that, we bring this week’s edition of the M³Roundup to a formal close. If you have any suggestions, want to chit chat with me, or have anything else that comes across your mind, please don’t hesitate to reach out through any medium you find best-suited to your style.

Keep warm, and happy Monday everyone!