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In case the Bucks decide to tear it down, I'm gathering some needs to address in many teams to try and bring this to a satisfactory rebuild.
It's a thought experiment, so it's very messy, this is going to be VERY large trade, not really realistic.

It's a December 15th trade...

Some assumptions I based this upon:
- NOP must be in here to free Buck picks for the next 3 years, they need a starting center.
- Bucks want to rebuild, not retool, tear it down and gather as much assets as possible.
- Giannis to OKC
- Dame to Magic


Pistons trade:
A preparatory trade to unlock CBA restrictions, and shed salary to reduce Bucks payroll in a tanking year.
Chris Middleton to the Pistons or THJ + cap space, then PatC for Wendell Moore Jr
Executed as Middleton for Reed + cap space, then Lopez for THJ.
This frees the Bucks to wiggle around with salary since the difference is massive.
Pistons leverage their ability to absorb salary to get a veteran scorer , they don't mind the 40 mil next year, since they are far from tax territory, Cade or Ivery with Middleton on the floor unlock Thompson + Holland lineups.

Pistons depth chart:
Ivey/Sasser
Cade/Beasly/Thompson
Middleton/Thompson/Holland
Tobias/Fontechio/Holland
Duren/Reed

The Giannis trade:
OKC sends IHart, Topic and Dieng + draft capital for Giannis, Thanasis and Corey Joseph
The best 2 25 1sts OKC have
The best 2 26 1sts OKC have
The best 2 27 1sts OKC have
OKC 28 1st (with the swap with DAL)
Best of OKC 29 1st and DEN 29 1st
OKC 2030 1st

It is "just" 9 1sts, but most of these 1sts are nearly guaranteed to be very high quality 1sts

OKC Depth chart:
SGA/Wallace/Joe
Dort/Caruso
JDub/Wiggins
Giannis/Kenrich
Chet/JWill

The NOP trade:
For Bucks picks to unlock the rebuild
CJM
MIL 25 1st 1-4
MIL 26 swap
Bucks 27 1st

For
IHart
NOP 27 1st

NOP ducks tax, and get their center, for 2 swaps, the lottery ticket they have next year.

Murray/Alvarado
Ingram/Hawkins
Herb/Murphey
Zion/Theis
IHart/Messi

The Dame trade:
Magic trade
KCP
Cole Anthony
Corey Joesph
Magic 27 1st unprotected
Magic 29 1st unprotected

For:
Dame
GTJ*
Delon Wright*

Dame and Guggs/Anthony Black is a very good fit IMO, and ORL get the perimeter scorer they needed
*Not aggregated, traded separately as min contracts, included for roster balancing purposes.

ORL depth chart:
Dame/Wright
Suggs/Black/Howard
Wagner/Da Silva/Howard
Paolo/Wagner
WCJ/Wagner/Goga

Hawks trade:
DeAndre Hunter
Worst of Bucks Pelicans 27 1sts
For:
KCP
Dieng

Hawks get reliable 3&D guard + forward prospect for oft injured and disappointing Hunter, while helping the Bucks get their future back.

Optional:
Brooklyn trades Bucks 25 1st 1-4 for 2nd best OKC 1st in 25


Milwaukee ends up with:
Giannis
Dame
PatC
Middleton
GTJ
Wright

For:
CJM
Hunter
Topic
THJ
Wendell Moore


Bucks picks back 25* + 26 + 27

11 1st rd picks.
The best 2 25 1sts OKC have
The best 2 26 1sts OKC have
The best 2 27 1sts OKC have
OKC 28 1st (with the swap with DAL)
Best of OKC 29 1st and DEN 29 1st
OKC 2030 1st
ORL 27 + 29 1st

I think Bucks also drop below tax here, but I'm not sure...
CJM and Hunter have a bit of value they can be shopped around...

For example
Hunter/Prince for Huerter/Lyles/2nds

Pistons dont have enough cap space to absorb middleton. Only 10M or so left

Godaddycurse wrote:Pistons dont have enough cap space to absorb middleton. Only 10M or so left

Doesn't Fontechio count against the room exception?

I don’t see it for New Orleans. The Bucks picks they hold are way too valuable in a trade where they know the Bucks are going to be bad. They will hold out for someone significant and I don’t think IH on his current contract is that.
I also think the OKC trade is light. There will be better trade offers out there. Not saying OKC can’t beat other teams best offer, but I’ll expect either a premium asset in there or a lot more picks.
The DET trade seems not legal, but in terms of value it looks okay.

LuessiT wrote:I don’t see it for New Orleans. The Bucks picks they hold are way too valuable in a trade where they know the Bucks are going to be bad. They will hold out for someone significant and I don’t think IH on his current contract is that.

I have them as almost worthless in the current situation, Bucks aren't really a lottery team in the east, while Pelicans roster is deeply flawed.
Bucks 25 has near 0 chance of conveying, and swaps in 26 and 27 aren't worth that much when NOP themselves have no mean of improving...

LuessiT wrote:I also think the OKC trade is light. There will be better trade offers out there. Not saying OKC can’t beat other teams best offer, but I’ll expect either a premium asset in there or a lot more picks.
The DET trade seems not legal, but in terms of value it looks okay.

I disagree on the OKC part, the DET part, yeah I miscalculated, but depends on how Fontechio counts, he was signed for the room exception, if DET have 18M in cap space then THJ + cap space for Middleton should work...
I'll edit it

Mavrelous wrote:

Godaddycurse wrote:Pistons dont have enough cap space to absorb middleton. Only 10M or so left

Doesn't Fontechio count against the room exception?

It doesnt matter what exception was used? After season started they now have 10M left

Godaddycurse wrote:

Mavrelous wrote:

Godaddycurse wrote:Pistons dont have enough cap space to absorb middleton. Only 10M or so left

Doesn't Fontechio count against the room exception?

It doesnt matter what exception was used? After season started they now have 10M left

In this case, DET take Cole Anthony into cap space, then accumulates him with THJ to trade for Middleton.
They don't get Lopez, I edited the OP...

Mavrelous wrote:

LuessiT wrote:I don’t see it for New Orleans. The Bucks picks they hold are way too valuable in a trade where they know the Bucks are going to be bad. They will hold out for someone significant and I don’t think IH on his current contract is that.

I have them as almost worthless in the current situation, Bucks aren't really a lottery team in the east, while Pelicans roster is deeply flawed.
Bucks 25 has near 0 chance of conveying, and swaps in 26 and 27 aren't worth that much when NOP themselves have no mean of improving...

LuessiT wrote:I also think the OKC trade is light. There will be better trade offers out there. Not saying OKC can’t beat other teams best offer, but I’ll expect either a premium asset in there or a lot more picks.
The DET trade seems not legal, but in terms of value it looks okay.

I disagree on the OKC part, the DET part, yeah I miscalculated, but depends on how Fontechio counts, he was signed for the room exception, if DET have 18M in cap space then THJ + cap space for Middleton should work...
I'll edit it

26 is a swap but 27 is an full unprotected 1st

balsamic_ducks wrote:

Mavrelous wrote:

LuessiT wrote:I don’t see it for New Orleans. The Bucks picks they hold are way too valuable in a trade where they know the Bucks are going to be bad. They will hold out for someone significant and I don’t think IH on his current contract is that.

I have them as almost worthless in the current situation, Bucks aren't really a lottery team in the east, while Pelicans roster is deeply flawed.
Bucks 25 has near 0 chance of conveying, and swaps in 26 and 27 aren't worth that much when NOP themselves have no mean of improving...

LuessiT wrote:I also think the OKC trade is light. There will be better trade offers out there. Not saying OKC can’t beat other teams best offer, but I’ll expect either a premium asset in there or a lot more picks.
The DET trade seems not legal, but in terms of value it looks okay.

I disagree on the OKC part, the DET part, yeah I miscalculated, but depends on how Fontechio counts, he was signed for the room exception, if DET have 18M in cap space then THJ + cap space for Middleton should work...
I'll edit it

26 is a swap but 27 is an full unprotected 1st

It became a swap with the Murray trade since Pelicans traded the lower pick to ATL.
That's why ATL is included in the deal, to give back that pick...

For the OKC part I would do something like Giannis, Portis, Trent Jr., Beaucamp for Jalen Williams, Dort, Hartenstein, Topic, and Dieng, and 5 1st round picks.

I then would trade Hartenstein and Dieng to Portland for Ayton. Trade Lopez somewhere like LAL?

Now for Dame I would talk to the Magic.

I know OKC fans will probably freak at that offer but you get Giannis, you get Portis who can be a 6th man of the year candidate, GTJ can provide shooting of the bench. I mean OKC would have SGA, Caruso, I.Joe, A.Wiggins, C.Wallace, Jaylin Williams, .

I mean if OKC would want Delon Wright instead of Beaucamp so be it.

Even as a long term IH fan I know there is just no way in Hell NOP offers anything close to this for him. His trade value is likely is in the neighborhood of expirings and a later 1st if you wanted to shop him this Dec. Centers like him are just not valued in the trade market like this and it's not like he is on a team friendly deal either.

Just no way NOP is giving up the upside of those picks if they even get a whiff of a Milw tear down.

psman2 wrote:Even as a long term IH fan I know there is just no way in Hell NOP offers anything close to this for him. His trade value is likely is in the neighborhood of expirings and a later 1st if you wanted to shop him this Dec. Centers like him are just not valued in the trade market like this and it's not like he is on a team friendly deal either.

Just no way NOP is giving up the upside of those picks if they even get a whiff of a Milw tear down.

FTR -- NOP isn't giving away any certain pick, it's 2 swaps and pick if MIL wins the lottery next year...

Mavrelous wrote:

psman2 wrote:Even as a long term IH fan I know there is just no way in Hell NOP offers anything close to this for him. His trade value is likely is in the neighborhood of expirings and a later 1st if you wanted to shop him this Dec. Centers like him are just not valued in the trade market like this and it's not like he is on a team friendly deal either.

Just no way NOP is giving up the upside of those picks if they even get a whiff of a Milw tear down.

FTR -- NOP isn't giving away any certain pick, it's 2 swaps and pick if MIL wins the lottery next year...

I know....that is exactly why they won't do it. You talking about multiple chances at a top 4 pick over the next three seasons. Teams don't trade that for a middle of the pack center.

Having a 27 first allows Atlanta more options in terms of moving other picks (allows them to move the worst of the 26 swap after this season and/or their 28) if they choose to do so.

Middleton is 33, expensive, and hasn't shown he can stay healthy. Why would Detroit trade anything useful for him right now? THJ is one of Cade's best friends, has real chemistry with the roster, has been a legit scorer and floor spacer for us, and lets us retain all future financial flexibility. On paper Middleton is a better player than THJ (when healthy - big when) but in terms of roster direction it makes no sense for the Pistons. It's just a low cost bail out for the Bucks. No thanks.

Stopped reading at the GIannis poo poo platter trade, I gotta just keep it at NO & not even close or else I'll get in trouble.

Once again, there's little to no chance that any of these OKC offers for Giannis that aren't being built around Chet/Jalen are enough value. OKC's "draft pick war chest" is incredibly overrated given that their own picks are essentially worthless here, as well as all the picks of other teams that they own being protected (lottery protected Miami 2025 1st, Top-10 protected Utah pick, Top-6 protected Philly pick, Denver Top-5 protected, etc.). Hell, even that 2025 Clippers swap looks incredibly meh given how LA looks decently competitive right now. All the while the Bucks are compounding the value loss here by just dumping Middleton and Lopez (who are expiring) into cap space?

Pelicans would/should just completely cut out OKC here and take Giannis for themselves while giving up a much better offer (all MIL's picks and swaps back, Zion, Herb Jones, plus multiple unprotected NOP firsts) than anything OKC can give if they'd really be that stingy and unserious about withholding all their quality player assets.

no way in hell presti gets into a trade of that magnitude mid season

i could see thunder being a prime facilitator for a trade like that to happen, though

Ron Swanson wrote:Once again, please stop wasting everyone's time with these OKC offers for Giannis that aren't being built around Chet/Jalen. OKC's "draft pick war chest" is incredibly overrated given that their own picks are essentially worthless here, as well as all the picks of other teams that they own being protected (lottery protected Miami 2025 1st, Top-10 protected Utah pick, Top-6 protected Philly pick, Denver Top-5 protected, etc.). Hell, even that 2025 Clippers swap looks incredibly meh given how LA looks decently competitive right now. All the while the Bucks are compounding the value loss here by just dumping Middleton and Lopez (who are expiring) into cap space?

Pelicans would/should just completely cut out OKC here and take Giannis for themselves while giving up a much better offer (all MIL's picks and swaps back, Zion, Herb Jones, plus multiple unprotected NOP firsts) than anything OKC can give if they'd really be that stingy and unserious about withholding all their quality player assets.

The Heat pick doesn't go away, if it doesn't convey this draft, it becomes an unprotected in the next