The NBA has launched an investigation into the Milwaukee Bucks for their handling of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury status and potential violations of the league’s player participation policy, after the two-time MVP publicly stated he is healthy and wants to play while the team continues to hold him out.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday that the league is examining inconsistent statements regarding Antetokounmpo’s health. The Bucks have listed the 31-year-old forward as out for the past 10 games with a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise suffered March 15 against the Indiana Pacers. Antetokounmpo, however, has told investigators he is ready to return and the team will not medically clear him, sources said.
Antetokounmpo addressed the situation directly before Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics, expressing frustration and questioning his relationship with the organization. “You know who you are dealing with,” he told reporters. He added that he has never seen a player of his caliber publicly state he wants to play while being sidelined, and welcomed the NBA’s probe. “There should be” an investigation, he said, according to multiple accounts.
The conflict comes as the Bucks, already eliminated from playoff contention and headed for their first missed postseason since 2016, sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo has appeared in only 36 games this season due to multiple injuries, including a lengthy calf issue earlier in the year.
The National Basketball Players Association previously criticized the Bucks in late March, asserting that Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play. The union suggested the team might be engaging in tanking to improve lottery odds, stating the player participation policy exists to ensure stars like Antetokounmpo are on the court when able. “Anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement,” the NBPA said.
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Bucks coach Doc Rivers had maintained that Antetokounmpo is “progressing” but “just not healthy,” pushing back against the union’s claims in late March. Team officials have told league investigators they do not believe he is ready and that he actually wants to play, creating the conflicting narratives now under review.
The NBA has interviewed Antetokounmpo’s representatives, the Bucks and team doctors as part of the probe, sources told Charania and The Athletic. The investigation focuses on whether the franchise violated rules requiring teams to make healthy players available, particularly as the season winds down with no playoff implications.
Antetokounmpo’s public comments Friday marked a notable escalation. He described the situation as feeling like “a slap in the face” and suggested uncertainty about the future of his relationship with the Bucks. “I just don’t want to be part of it,” he said in one account, raising questions about his long-term commitment to the franchise amid ongoing injury concerns and the team’s direction.
The Greek Freak has averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists in his limited action this season while shooting a career-high 62.4% from the field. His absence has contributed to Milwaukee’s struggles, though the team has leaned on other veterans in recent games.
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League rules prohibit teams from resting healthy players for non-injury reasons, especially in the context of the new collective bargaining agreement’s emphasis on player availability. Similar investigations have targeted other franchises in recent years over load management and tanking concerns.
The Bucks have not issued a detailed public response to the latest reports beyond standard injury updates listing Antetokounmpo as out. The organization has emphasized caution with the star’s health after a season marked by multiple lower-body setbacks, including groin, calf and now knee issues.
Antetokounmpo’s desire to play contrasts with the team’s apparent preference to shut him down for the remainder of the regular season, which ends in mid-April. With the Bucks out of contention, some observers speculate the front office prioritizes preserving his long-term health and potentially positioning for a higher draft pick or future roster moves.
The situation has drawn widespread attention across the NBA. Fans, analysts and former players have weighed in on social media, with many expressing surprise at the public rift between a franchise cornerstone and his team. Antetokounmpo signed a contract extension in recent years and has been the face of the Bucks since being drafted in 2013, leading them to the 2021 NBA championship.
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The timing of the investigation adds pressure as the league office seeks to enforce participation rules uniformly. Outcomes of similar probes in the past have included fines, though more severe penalties are rare unless clear violations are proven.
As of Saturday, April 4, Antetokounmpo remained sidelined for upcoming games, with no updated timetable for his return. The NBA has not commented publicly on the investigation’s progress or potential timeline for resolution.
The episode highlights broader tensions in the modern NBA between player health, competitive integrity and strategic decision-making in a 82-game season. Stars often battle through injuries, but teams increasingly err on the side of caution, sometimes creating friction when a player feels ready.
For the Bucks, the drama unfolds against a backdrop of a disappointing season and questions about the roster’s future direction. Whether Antetokounmpo returns before the season ends — or at all — remains uncertain amid the ongoing probe.
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The Greek Freak’s comments Friday suggested he is eager to contribute while he can, emphasizing his competitive drive even in a lost season. “I want to f—ing play,” he said, underscoring the disconnect with the team’s medical and organizational stance.
League officials are expected to continue gathering information in the coming days. Any findings could influence not only the Bucks but also set precedents for how teams manage star players down the stretch of disappointing campaigns.
Antetokounmpo has not elaborated further since his pregame remarks, focusing instead on his personal preparation. The situation adds another layer of uncertainty to what has already been a challenging year for the franchise and its franchise player.
As the regular season concludes, all eyes remain on Milwaukee to see how the investigation unfolds and whether Antetokounmpo makes a late appearance. For now, the public disagreement and league scrutiny have thrust the Bucks into the spotlight for reasons far removed from on-court performance.
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Barclays is charting a decisive U-turn on the high street, with plans to open new branches across the country and reinstate the once-familiar “bank manager” job title, a move that signals a broader rethink of how Britain’s traditional lenders compete in an increasingly digital age.
Vim Maru, who has led Barclays UK since 2024, told Business Matters that the bank intended to grow its branch network beyond the current 206 outlets, having already paused a closure programme that saw roughly 80 per cent of its branches shut since 2019. One of his first acts after taking charge was to halt the cull, and he is now pressing ahead with expansion, though he declined to put a precise figure on how many new sites would open.
The shift comes as digital-only challengers such as Revolut and Wise make increasingly aggressive moves into the current-account market, threatening the established banks’ grip on everyday consumer banking. Rather than trying to outpace them on technology alone, Maru is placing his chips on a blend of slick digital services and genuine, in-person support, what he described as the winning formula for modern banking.
He was characteristically blunt about the shortcomings of purely automated customer service. Barclays customers, he insisted, would not find themselves trapped in an endless loop with a chatbot when they needed real help. The bank has also quietly reintroduced traditional role titles, so that customers walking through the door can once again ask to speak to the branch or bank manager.
Maru stopped short of conceding that Barclays had been too aggressive in its earlier round of closures, but acknowledged that the bank needed to reassess how it served its customers every few years. The new branches will sit alongside the shared banking hubs operated through the Post Office, rather than replace them.
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Beyond the branch network, Barclays is pursuing growth on several fronts. The bank reported a record number of mortgage applications last year, with processing times slashed from 45 minutes to just 15 thanks to technology improvements that have proved popular with brokers. Its acquisition of the Tesco credit card business in 2024 and Kensington Mortgages, which has doubled in size since Barclays bought it in May 2023, have broadened the division’s reach considerably.
Artificial intelligence is also being deployed to streamline internal processes, though Maru was cautious about the workforce implications. He drew a parallel with the introduction of ATMs, noting that while the machines were expected to eliminate cashier roles, the subsequent rise in fraud and scams meant staff were redeployed rather than made redundant.
On the broader economy, Maru offered a measured reading from the bank’s unique vantage point. Consumer spending has shown resilience, with hospitality holding up well despite a period of heightened anxiety following the outbreak of the Iran conflict. In the opening days of the war, there was a noticeable surge in fuel purchases as motorists rushed to fill up ahead of expected price rises, though spending patterns quickly normalised.
With Barclays chief executive CS Venkatakrishnan having committed to investing £30 billion more in the UK between 2024 and this year, and despite persistent speculation about possible acquisitions of the likes of Santander UK or TSB, Maru said his priority remained organic growth. The bank, he maintained, already had strong momentum — and a renewed high street presence to match.
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Amy Ingham
Amy is a newly qualified journalist specialising in business journalism at Business Matters with responsibility for news content for what is now the UK’s largest print and online source of current business news.
Eight stocks have delivered over 50% returns in each of the last three fiscal years, defying broader market volatility. With gains ranging from 500% to over 3,100%, these consistent outperformers highlight strong underlying momentum despite fluctuating benchmark returns across FY24 to FY26.
Bandhan Bank posted healthy growth in advances along with steady deposit mobilisation for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, as per its provisional update released on Saturday. The bank’s loans and advances, including on-book and PTC, stood at Rs 1.54 lakh crore at the end of the March quarter, registering a 12.6% year-on-year increase and a 6.2% sequential rise.
Total deposits came in at Rs 1.66 lakh crore, up 10% from a year ago and 6.1% higher on a quarter-on-quarter basis. CASA deposits rose 2.8% year-on-year to Rs 48,751 crore, with the CASA ratio at 29.31% at the end of the quarter.
Retail term deposits saw strong growth, increasing 30.1% year-on-year to Rs 73,796 crore. Overall retail deposits, including CASA, rose 17.7% to Rs 1.22 lakh crore. Bulk deposits declined 6.9% year-on-year to Rs 43,797 crore. Meanwhile, the share of retail deposits in total deposits improved to 73.67% from 68.88% in the same period last year.
The bank reported a liquidity coverage ratio of about 131.76% as of March 31, 2026. Collection efficiency remained robust, with pan-bank efficiency, excluding NPAs, at 98.9% for March 2026, compared to 98.1% in December 2025.
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Banking stocks have come under sharp pressure over the past three months, with most lenders underperforming the benchmark Nifty 50 amid a challenging macro backdrop marked by sustained foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, escalating geopolitical tensions, and a surge in energy prices. Bandhan Bank is down 18% in the last 1 month.
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The underperformance comes amid persistent FII selling, which has disproportionately impacted financials due to their heavy weightage in benchmark indices. At the same time, the escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict has triggered a spike in crude oil prices, raising concerns over inflation and delaying expectations of interest rate cuts by global central banks. The lender has also been in the headlines after The Economic Timesreported that Bandhan Financial Services is exploring exit options for its long-term investors, including GIC Ventures and International Finance Corporation.Also read: HDFC Bank Q4 business update: Lender reports 15% YoY growth in deposits, advances jump 12%
The report said the company has appointed Jefferies to assess investor interest, particularly from private equity funds. The move is also in line with regulatory requirements that mandate Bandhan Financial to reduce the promoter’s stake in the bank to 26% by 2030.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
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Private sector lender AU Small Finance Bank reported steady growth across key balance sheet items, its fourth-quarter business update on Saturday showed.
The bank’s total deposits stood at Rs 1.52 lakh crore as of March 31, 2026, registering a 22.8% year-on-year growth and a 10.3% increase sequentially from Rs 1.38 lakh crore as of December 31, 2025. CASA deposits came in at Rs 43,360 crore, up 19.6% year-on-year and 8.5% quarter-on-quarter. However, the CASA ratio stood at 28.4%, compared to 29.2% a year ago and 28.9% in the previous quarter.
On the advances front, gross advances stood at Rs 1.36 lakh crore, reflecting a 25.1% year-on-year growth and an 8.7% rise sequentially from Rs 1.26 lakh crore. The bank’s securitised and assigned portfolio was reported at Rs 4,290 crore, compared to Rs 6,926 crore in the year-ago period and Rs 4,689 crore in the previous quarter.
Overall, the gross loan portfolio (A+B) stood at Rs 1.40 lakh crore as of March 31, 2026, marking a 21.3% year-on-year growth and an 8% increase quarter-on-quarter from Rs 1.30 lakh crore.
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Banking stocks have come under sharp pressure over the past three months, with most lenders underperforming the benchmark Nifty 50 amid a challenging macro backdrop marked by sustained foreign institutional investor (FII) outflows, escalating geopolitical tensions and a surge in energy prices. AU Small Finance Bank shares have declined 13% since the beginning of the year.
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The underperformance comes amid persistent FII selling, which has disproportionately impacted financials due to their heavy weightage in benchmark indices. At the same time, the escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict has triggered a spike in crude oil prices, raising concerns over inflation and delaying expectations of interest rate cuts by global central banks. In a separate development in February, the Haryana government de-empanelled the lender from government business after suspected fraudulent activities were disclosed.The company issued a clarification late Sunday, stating it initiated an internal review regarding two accounts in question. The bank further said that both these accounts were “duly opened after completion of all applicable KYC checks and requisite authorisations” and were in accordance with the bank’s internal policies and processes.
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
Centenary House in Morecambe has been largely empty since 1990s
Robbie Macdonald and Local Democracy Reporter
13:00, 04 Apr 2026
Centenary House, on Morecambe’s Regent Street(Image: Google Maps)
New calls have been made to regenerate a landmark Morecambe building, as a big shake-up of councils looms in 2028 with uncertainty about future support.
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Centenary House, on Morecambe’s Regent Street, has been largely vacant since the mid-1990s except for a ground-floor Co-op shop. Some repairs were done in 2024 using government cash. Earlier in 2019, a plan was approved for offices, a café, work and event spaces but it did not progress.
Council talks have been held recently with an affordable homes organisation about it. But a lack of nearby car parking, and possibly other things, could be turning-off some developers, councillors were told at Lancaster City Council’s latest full meeting.
Labour’s David Whittaker asked Morecambe Bay Independent Martin Bottoms, a cabinet member, about the situation.
Coun Whittaker said: “Has there been any recent engagement with external funding sources to help Centenary House? What do you see as a realistic outcome for the future of the building? Car parking is another consideration. I know this is a long-term question but a lot of people are asking about it.”
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Coun Bottoms, who has a remit for Morecambe regeneration and its local economy, said: “Brownfield regeneration money is available for developers to move this forward. Centenary House is bordered by roads and there is little car parking space. Whether it has community or commercial uses, there are going to be some parking issues.
“We are in talks with an affordable housing developer but they are aware that car parking needs have to be considered.”
Then Coun Whittaker added: “Will things progress before local government reorganisation?”
Coun Bottoms said: “It’s something we have all had concerns about since the council’s new administration was formed. We need to find a solution. It’s down to us to get it done. Or, at least, get it started before local government reorganisation. I will be pressing for that.”
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The Lancaster City Council district including Morecambe could be merged with Preston and the Ribble Valley under the government’s push to reorganise all Lancashire councils in 2028. The government wants to end the two-tier system of district and county councils created in 1974.
New bigger unitary councils, with access to major funds and government contacts, will likely cover bigger areas and include a wider intake of councillors. So how projects like Centenary House will be viewed by future councillors is unknown.
To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.
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