RealGM

You should not guess, rather know what you would do...

Pretty much run it back. Try to find a defensively skilled perimeter guy that can get some minutes.
Mainly they need to stay healthy and they will be in the mix.

I would be targeting guys like Alex Caruso, Matisse Thybulle and Nick Richards who should be obtainable based on available assets (Portis, Connaughton, Beauchamp, Green #23 and #33). If they decide to keep #23, they should target a big who could possibly replace Brook at some point.

bdpecore wrote:I would be targeting guys like Alex Caruso, Matisse Thybulle and Nick Richards who should be obtainable based on available assets (Portis, Connaughton, Beauchamp, Green #23 and #33). If they decide to keep #23, they should target a big who could possibly replace Brook at some point.

I like the idea of Connaughton + #33 for Thybulle and then using #23 to flip for a more established player on the last year of his rookie deal - my target being Quentin Grimes.

Lillard/Thybulle/Middleton/Giannis/Lopez
Grimes/Portis anchoring the bench

I think this gives you a very solid top-7 and addresses the teams biggest issue - perimeter defense.

I would try to run it back and get Giannis and Lillard the help they need ASAP or I would call OKC, BK, HOU, or other teams with massive assets in a trade package for Giannis to prepare for a rebuild by the trade deadline if they look much worse off.

JKiddy wrote:I would try to run it back and get Giannis and Lillard the help they need ASAP or I would call OKC, BK, HOU, or other teams with massive assets in a trade package for Giannis to prepare for a rebuild by the trade deadline if they look much worse off.

If Milwaukee is still struggling by the trade deadline, I think they would look to trade Dame and Lopez not Giannis. Both players will have value to teams looking to go all in at the deadline.

bdpecore wrote:I would be targeting guys like Alex Caruso, Matisse Thybulle and Nick Richards who should be obtainable based on available assets (Portis, Connaughton, Beauchamp, Green #23 and #33). If they decide to keep #23, they should target a big who could possibly replace Brook at some point.

This seems like the most likely outcome, and possibly the best. Giannis and Dame aren't going anywhere, and Middleton/Brook aren't likely to return an upgrade given age/contract/injury history. So you build around those 4.

Not sure Caruso is gettable with the Bucks' assets though. Rumor has it that Chicago turned down 2 firsts for Caruso from Golden State at the deadline.

R-DAWG wrote:

bdpecore wrote:I would be targeting guys like Alex Caruso, Matisse Thybulle and Nick Richards who should be obtainable based on available assets (Portis, Connaughton, Beauchamp, Green #23 and #33). If they decide to keep #23, they should target a big who could possibly replace Brook at some point.

I like the idea of Connaughton + #33 for Thybulle and then using #23 to flip for a more established player on the last year of his rookie deal - my target being Quentin Grimes.

Lillard/Thybulle/Middleton/Giannis/Lopez
Grimes/Portis anchoring the bench

I think this gives you a very solid top-7 and addresses the teams biggest issue - perimeter defense.

I don’t hate the move as long as Patty could be moved for a pick and no bad salary.

I'd trade Middleton for younger, healthier role players. They need to load manage Dame and Giannis.

jbk1234 wrote:I'd trade Middleton for younger, healthier role players. They need to load manage Dame and Giannis.

Solid goal but who wants to give up those guys for expensive, aging guy with perpetual injury issues?

I’ve said this in the similar thread before.

There aren’t really many options besides the obvious of filling in the small gaps and lucking into full health.

With a healthy Giannis, this team was still a contender and will be next year. The price tag and age and health of Dame and Middleton will make for a very lean market that simply breaks the contracts into lesser pieces. Moving them means wasting prime Giannis years.

The best thing is to play out this cast until all expire then move them as expiring for picks/young potential to make one last run with Giannis before he too ages out.

trade Giannis to the Knicks

JRoy wrote:

jbk1234 wrote:I'd trade Middleton for younger, healthier role players. They need to load manage Dame and Giannis.

Solid goal but who wants to give up those guys for expensive, aging guy with perpetual injury issues?

Turn 4 years of cost control with the 23rd pick and 3 years of cost control with the 33rd pick into guys on the last year of their rookie deals - less cost control but more ready to contribute now.

yeah the play is get Giannis healthy and then get he and Dame and Khris and BroLo recruiting to make the most of their min signings. Brook can be particularly helpful in talking about how playing with Giannis/Khris salvaged his career as a selling point to any younger players who don't get the offers they like and might take a one year deal with minutes available for a contender.

Try to denounce the Lillard trade in court on the grounds of unjustifiable enrichment

Not sure there is a ton to do. They're at the 2nd apron once they fill our the roster so no aggregating to take back more salary. They can trade #23 and #33 in this draft (considered weak) and then not any picks until 2029 I believe. Their under contract rotation is sort of "bare bones" with proven talent:

Dame
PatC
Middleton
Giannis
Lopez / Portis

AJ Green, Andre Jackson, MarJon Beauchamp are all developmental prospects at this point, nothing more.

Their salary situation means that realistically can't trade for a rotation player without sending one out. So it's address one hole to fill another because they don't really have any rotation guys expendable. The idea of a rookie scale guy plus the pick for Grimes is a great win now idea because a rookie scale guy is really the only way to avoid sending a 1 for 1 rotation player swap that nets out.

They can't really do anything in FA besides minimum deals and they need to land a few good ones to make that up. Maybe that includes PatBev or Beasley returning, but then they're just treading water. They need Giannis to recruit heavy and land at least one "steal" in free agency.

I think the best play is to run it mostly back. Focus on talent development. Try to develop some of those young guys and the #23/#33 picks vs. relying on vets. It might be a step back, but if you build a bit of an asset base, next year you can try to attach things to Middleton's expiring deal and do something more tangible. Feel like all the moves they can realistically make this year will just be lipstick on a pig for 24-25 season and leave them with no flexibility next year to fix things further.

R-DAWG wrote:

bdpecore wrote:I would be targeting guys like Alex Caruso, Matisse Thybulle and Nick Richards who should be obtainable based on available assets (Portis, Connaughton, Beauchamp, Green #23 and #33). If they decide to keep #23, they should target a big who could possibly replace Brook at some point.

I like the idea of Connaughton + #33 for Thybulle and then using #23 to flip for a more established player on the last year of his rookie deal - my target being Quentin Grimes.

Lillard/Thybulle/Middleton/Giannis/Lopez
Grimes/Portis anchoring the bench

I think this gives you a very solid top-7 and addresses the teams biggest issue - perimeter defense.

Portland already has pick 34 and 40, I think they would be more interested in #23 for Thybulle and the 2- 2nds.

bdpecore wrote:

JKiddy wrote:I would try to run it back and get Giannis and Lillard the help they need ASAP or I would call OKC, BK, HOU, or other teams with massive assets in a trade package for Giannis to prepare for a rebuild by the trade deadline if they look much worse off.

If Milwaukee is still struggling by the trade deadline, I think they would look to trade Dame and Lopez not Giannis. Both players will have value to teams looking to go all in at the deadline.

I don't think Lopez is going to have much value. I mean, how many top teams competing are going to have 25 mill in matching salary. Lillard's value will be determined by his health. Butler?





















butler

I think the Dame trade was simply a bad trade and I would try to move on from it.

Middleton's health makes him unreliable, but when he's good he can still help on both sides of the floor - you just hope that comes during the playoffs.

But step 1 is Dame - Milwaukee should have never inserted themselves into that situation - Dame wants Miami, Miami wants Dame, it's a year later but just make it happen


Miami in: Dame Lillard

Milwaukee in: Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Jamie Jaquez Jr (or Jovic), MIA 2024 1st (#15)

Milwaukee needs to embrace the heliocentric offense around Giannis - it's going to be a large USG% for Giannis but it's their best move. Lillard still excelled at getting to the line which will be missed, but Rozier, Robinson, and Jovic all shot better from 3 than Lillard this past year. Let Giannis be Giannis and give him floor spacers. Rozier can do some self-creation/scoring too along with Middleton.

That gives Milaukee 15, 23, and 33 in the draft. I personally would just use all 3 picks in hopes of winning the lottery and finding a gem over consolidating them in an attempt to move up.

Would look at players like - Jared McCain, Tristan da Silva, Devin Carter, Kel'el Ware, Terrence Shannon Jr, and KJ Simpson

If you're franchise is relying on players like that to be your 1A you're in trouble, but Milwaukee has their star and all these players have an ability to contribute as role players immediately - with some even having potential to blossom into more.

After that you're looking at 1-2 vet min signings to round it out

Rozier/
Middleton/Connaughton/Green/Jackson
Giannis/Robinson
Portis/Jovic
Lopez/

Add in 3 rookies (imagine you get McCain, Ware, and Simpson) + Thanisis probably + one other vet min player (let's say Daniel Theis) and that's your 2024-25 Bucks

Rozier/McCain/Simpson
Middleton/Connaughton/Green/Jackson
Giannis/Robinson
Portis/Jovic/Thanasis
Lopez/Ware/Theis

7 new players, pretty much replacing 50% of your roster. A lot of change for one summer but one that provides them way better depth and some opportunities for a few of these young players to step up in the coming years when Giannis' older teammates move on

drosestruts wrote:I think the Dame trade was simply a bad trade and I would try to move on from it.

Middleton's health makes him unreliable, but when he's good he can still help on both sides of the floor - you just hope that comes during the playoffs.

But step 1 is Dame - Milwaukee should have never inserted themselves into that situation - Dame wants Miami, Miami wants Dame, it's a year later but just make it happen


Miami in: Dame Lillard

Milwaukee in: Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Jamie Jaquez Jr (or Jovic), MIA 2024 1st (#15)

Milwaukee needs to embrace the heliocentric offense around Giannis - it's going to be a large USG% for Giannis but it's their best move. Lillard still excelled at getting to the line which will be missed, but Rozier, Robinson, and Jovic all shot better from 3 than Lillard this past year. Let Giannis be Giannis and give him floor spacers. Rozier can do some self-creation/scoring too along with Middleton.

That gives Milaukee 15, 23, and 33 in the draft. I personally would just use all 3 picks in hopes of winning the lottery and finding a gem over consolidating them in an attempt to move up.

Would look at players like - Jared McCain, Tristan da Silva, Devin Carter, Kel'el Ware, Terrence Shannon Jr, and KJ Simpson

If you're franchise is relying on players like that to be your 1A you're in trouble, but Milwaukee has their star and all these players have an ability to contribute as role players immediately - with some even having potential to blossom into more.

After that you're looking at 1-2 vet min signings to round it out

Rozier/
Middleton/Connaughton/Green/Jackson
Giannis/Robinson
Portis/Jovic
Lopez/

Add in 3 rookies (imagine you get McCain, Ware, and Simpson) + Thanisis probably + one other vet min player (let's say Daniel Theis) and that's your 2024-25 Bucks

Rozier/McCain/Simpson
Middleton/Connaughton/Green/Jackson
Giannis/Robinson
Portis/Jovic/Thanasis
Lopez/Ware/Theis

7 new players, pretty much replacing 50% of your roster. A lot of change for one summer but one that provides them way better depth and some opportunities for a few of these young players to step up in the coming years when Giannis' older teammates move on

yuck, pass

btw bucks fans are in near unanimous agreement about the dame trade being good