RealGM

Tossing the bones of this around in my head. Tell me if you think it can be balanced.

Bucks trade
Gianni

Bucks get
Hartenstein
Cason Wallace
Draft capital from okc and kings

Why for bucks: start a rebuild

Okc trades
Hartenstein
Cason Wallace
Draft capital

Okc gets
Sabonis

Why for okc: they add an Allstar level player without giving up any core piece.

Kings trade
Sabonis
Draft capital

Kings get
Gianni

Why for Kings
Kings decide they can't win around fox/Sabonis/Dd but think that they can with Giannis/Fox/dd

Why would OKC pay for Giannis and then swap him for Sabonis? Just feels like OKC is taking Giannis for themselves as they have all the draft capital in the world to be able to pay whatever Sacramento would be adding in here.

For me, I don’t see Sac’s 3 firsts/swaps as enough value that OKC can’t just add more and get Giannis with SGA.

I’m guessing the push back is Milwaukee wouldn’t take “10 firsts” and would require Jalen? Which doesn’t go too well with the OP.. But you still trade Jalen and picks for Giannis if you are able to.. Chet/Giannis/SGA and great shooters/defenders filling out roster..

Do not think Giannis will be made available and expect him to take another extension in Milwaukee.. But if he is, I don’t see any team choosing their core over him.

jayjaysee wrote:For me, I don’t see Sac’s 3 firsts/swaps as enough value that OKC can’t just add more and get Giannis with SGA.

I’m guessing the push back is Milwaukee wouldn’t take “10 firsts” and would require Jalen? Which doesn’t go too well with the OP.. But you still trade Jalen and picks for Giannis if you are able to.. Chet/Giannis/SGA and great shooters/defenders filling out roster..

Do not think Giannis will be made available and expect him to take another extension in Milwaukee.. But if he is, I don’t see any team choosing their core over him.

It could come down to cost. In two 2026-27 SGA would make $40 million and Chet will be on the first year of a max contract (lets just call it 40 million b/c I don't want to do math). Giannis will make $58 million with 1 more year remaining, while Sabonis will make $46 million with one more year remaining. Maybe that $12 million is not a difference that matters, but it could be. If the cap is $180 million they'd have $170 million tied up b/t SGA + Chet + Giannis.

Id rather rot into the ground than "rebuild" with this absolutely AWFUL deal. Random bench players and mediocre picks don't come even REMOTELY close to Giannis. SHAME!

JayMKE wrote:Id rather rot into the ground than "rebuild" with this absolutely AWFUL deal. Random bench players and mediocre picks don't come even REMOTELY close to Giannis. SHAME!

You dont know that they are mediocre. OKC has a mountain of picks, many which are valuable. It comes down to negotiating, and whether the max SAC can trade makes up the value between Sabonis and Giannis.

babyjax13 wrote:

JayMKE wrote:Id rather rot into the ground than "rebuild" with this absolutely AWFUL deal. Random bench players and mediocre picks don't come even REMOTELY close to Giannis. SHAME!

You dont know that they are mediocre. OKC has a mountain of picks, many which are valuable. It comes down to negotiating, and whether the max SAC can trade makes up the value between Sabonis and Giannis.

No they are not, its a huge pile of protected mediocre at best picks. Also why the hell would we want to build around bench role players Hartenstein or Wallace? Its a total fantasy to give up chaff from your team you don't want or need for one of the best players in the world. The Bucks don't have picks for years, this would put the team in a hole for a decade. Giannis will stay and if he does demand out, let me guarantee you personally its not going to be to OKC or Sacramento. Go out like Dirk, that's fine by me.

JayMKE wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:

JayMKE wrote:Id rather rot into the ground than "rebuild" with this absolutely AWFUL deal. Random bench players and mediocre picks don't come even REMOTELY close to Giannis. SHAME!

You dont know that they are mediocre. OKC has a mountain of picks, many which are valuable. It comes down to negotiating, and whether the max SAC can trade makes up the value between Sabonis and Giannis.

No they are not, its a huge pile of protected mediocre at best picks. Also why the hell would we want to build around bench role players Hartenstein or Wallace? Its a total fantasy to give up chaff from your team you don't want or need for one of the best players in the world. The Bucks don't have picks for years, this would put the team in a hole for a decade. Giannis will stay and if he does demand out, let me guarantee you personally its not going to be to OKC or Sacramento. Go out like Dirk, that's fine by me.

OKC has the most & best tradeable assets in the league. I do agree w/posters that they'd likely cut Sacramento out, but in principle, something like:

Murray + Carter + filler + 5 1sts from OKC + 4 1sts & 3 swaps from SAC would be the most we've ever seen a player traded for...and that's exactly what would happen if Giannis were traded, he'd be traded for more than anyone has ever been traded for.

babyjax13 wrote:

JayMKE wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:You dont know that they are mediocre. OKC has a mountain of picks, many which are valuable. It comes down to negotiating, and whether the max SAC can trade makes up the value between Sabonis and Giannis.

No they are not, its a huge pile of protected mediocre at best picks. Also why the hell would we want to build around bench role players Hartenstein or Wallace? Its a total fantasy to give up chaff from your team you don't want or need for one of the best players in the world. The Bucks don't have picks for years, this would put the team in a hole for a decade. Giannis will stay and if he does demand out, let me guarantee you personally its not going to be to OKC or Sacramento. Go out like Dirk, that's fine by me.

OKC has the most & best tradeable assets in the league. I do agree w/posters that they'd likely cut Sacramento out, but in principle, something like:

Murray + Carter + filler + 5 1sts from OKC + 4 1sts & 3 swaps from SAC would be the most we've ever seen a player traded for...and that's exactly what would happen if Giannis were traded, he'd be traded for more than anyone has ever been traded for.

Yet their best assets aren't getting moved okay, we don't want the chaff. Are any of those picks going to be top 5? Cause that's where the Bucks would be picking for the foreseeable future if they had their own picks(which they dont) after a trade like this. Not even lottery picks most likely. Sacramento isn't even logical to begin with since that team isn't an upgrade in any way for Giannis, Fox and DeRozan are worse running mates than Dame and Middleton and he'd have to play center and play in a harder conference with all their picks gone? Its not happening even in your dreams. Bucks aren't moving Giannis unless he demands it, its not going to be to Sacramento or OKC. This isn't any where close to the greatest haul ever, greatest haul of overvalued picks ever maybe but **** that.

Giannis can stay.

I think it really matters what said draft capital is. And Bucks need a legit quality young player coming back as well. Hartenstein and Wallace are not enough.

I thought that okc would rather have Giannis, and originally I was moving Chet to make that happen. Then I thought that okc might love to get Sabonis if the price was reasonable. Meaning not needing to touch their core.

As far as the Bucks being better for Giannis than Fox?? I'm not sure. I think Giannis fixes a lot of Sacramentos problems. But I can't definitively say that they would be better.

Lastly, I'm not a fan of any of these teams.

jazzfan1971 wrote:I thought that okc would rather have Giannis, and originally I was moving Chet to make that happen. Then I thought that okc might love to get Sabonis if the price was reasonable. Meaning not needing to touch their core.

As far as the Bucks being better for Giannis than Fox?? I'm not sure. I think Giannis fixes a lot of Sacramentos problems. But I can't definitively say that they would be better.

Lastly, I'm not a fan of any of these teams.

Giannis fixes a lot of problems literally on any team. The only thing Fox has going for him in this scenario is that he’s younger than Dame but DeRozan is older than+insanely worse fit compared to his best friend Middleton. The logic and value are irreparably off.

Also Chet ain’t the top guy either especially after another injury, not built to be a pro athlete imo.

babyjax13 wrote:

jayjaysee wrote:For me, I don’t see Sac’s 3 firsts/swaps as enough value that OKC can’t just add more and get Giannis with SGA.

I’m guessing the push back is Milwaukee wouldn’t take “10 firsts” and would require Jalen? Which doesn’t go too well with the OP.. But you still trade Jalen and picks for Giannis if you are able to.. Chet/Giannis/SGA and great shooters/defenders filling out roster..

Do not think Giannis will be made available and expect him to take another extension in Milwaukee.. But if he is, I don’t see any team choosing their core over him.

It could come down to cost. In two 2026-27 SGA would make $40 million and Chet will be on the first year of a max contract (lets just call it 40 million b/c I don't want to do math). Giannis will make $58 million with 1 more year remaining, while Sabonis will make $46 million with one more year remaining. Maybe that $12 million is not a difference that matters, but it could be. If the cap is $180 million they'd have $170 million tied up b/t SGA + Chet + Giannis.

I’m looking at

Hartenstein+Jalen+”#” picks for Giannis

Now you’re trading Jalen’s rookie max for Gianni’s’ super max. But you’re also under the tax the next two years and have a very rich owner enjoying that.

And using Jalen instead of just all 15ish firsts allows the team to stay semi-affordable while keeping a nice asset base around the three stars.

Clay going to have to spend in 2.5 years either way, might as well spend for the best player in the league.

Domas is pretty much my favorite player, but unless there is some injury history with Greek Freak I’m not aware of it’s tough to see him being the focal point of a Gianniis move….

On the other hand, I’m not sure I would move him and a boatload of capital, in essence making it a two for one for Giannis either given age and how Giannis has looked of late

I don’t think Sacramento has the assets to outbid all the other teams that would be lined up to make offers for Giannis, nor do I think Giannis would be particularly interested in going to Sacramento. Fun concept but ultimately not workable IMO.

babyjax13 wrote:

JayMKE wrote:

babyjax13 wrote:You dont know that they are mediocre. OKC has a mountain of picks, many which are valuable. It comes down to negotiating, and whether the max SAC can trade makes up the value between Sabonis and Giannis.

No they are not, its a huge pile of protected mediocre at best picks. Also why the hell would we want to build around bench role players Hartenstein or Wallace? Its a total fantasy to give up chaff from your team you don't want or need for one of the best players in the world. The Bucks don't have picks for years, this would put the team in a hole for a decade. Giannis will stay and if he does demand out, let me guarantee you personally its not going to be to OKC or Sacramento. Go out like Dirk, that's fine by me.

OKC has the most & best tradeable assets in the league. I do agree w/posters that they'd likely cut Sacramento out, but in principle, something like:

Murray + Carter + filler + 5 1sts from OKC + 4 1sts & 3 swaps from SAC would be the most we've ever seen a player traded for...and that's exactly what would happen if Giannis were traded, he'd be traded for more than anyone has ever been traded for.

This is pretty much what I was thinking would have to be the foundation from the Sac side. Murray and Carter would be the pieces going to Mil along with the picks and swaps. Sabonis to OKC. Of course this means that we’d have to get vet min guys in if we are making a push this way. But with that core we have the basis and they would come. Hit the buyout market hard for 3 and D vets but it makes sense for the next 5-7 years and by then things will shift and we can reload on the fly and hopefully have one or two chips to show for it.

Giannis isn't leaving Milwaukee to go to Sacramento.