2025 Regular Season Thread Vol. 9

[marson]

Zero chance Giannis is coming here. Bucks if they do trade him are looking for a 5-6 pick minimum package with young players to restock there cupboard. They don’t have very many picks right now. Will be full rebuild for them.

Honestly he’s probably ending up in OKC for Hartenstein/Carusos contracts and a plethora of 1sts

That of course makes a ton of sense. Bucks need the picks bad. Any team in a winning situation with a full cupboard of picks will be in the running.

It would be a city with a lot of Greek communities.

Brooklyn
New York
Miami

[3ammy3uck3ts]

Yeah this might be one of those purgatory offseasons. They can’t go over the tax line cause they have to reset the repeater clock. We have a bunch of expiring contracts but might not want to flip them for long term money.

Bam is not getting traded no matter how many times people bang that drum and Herro is one of those players who’s more valuable to us than any other team around the league especially if it comes down to trade. The issue is not Bam and Herro. It’s all the extensive dead weight money around them on the roster.

Rozier- 26.6 expiring

Duncan- 19.8 expiring (2025 ETO 10 million cap savings with 9.8 dead weight guaranteed. 9.8 million off in 2026

Anderson- 9.2 with 9.6 non guaranteed in 2026

Highsmith- 5.6 million expiring

Love- 4.1 expiring


*Wiggins- 28.2 in 2025 with 30.1 player option in 2026


2025 cap savings- 10 million with Duncan’s ETO

2026 cap savings- 55.3 million


Wiggins 30.1 player option is kinda a crutch on the 2026 books. Almost feels like they need to deal him for a true expiring. No guarantee he opts out of 30.1 million either considering the sub par play here and he’s entering his 30’s. If we can flip Wiggins for a few expiring’s we could potentially have up to 85 million of free cap space in 2026.

*Mitchell- 7.8 RFA offer with right to math. Anything around 11 should be matched. Still only 26 his contract will be cap friendly as a long term backup PG. Mitchell at 11 million is much better than having Highsmith and Love on the roster. He should be our TJ Mcconell and his contract should also reflect his.

*Jovic- Should be extended at a reasonable figure even if it’s to keep him as a trade piece.

I feel like the big move this offseason is flipping Wiggins player option contract with a young piece in order to free up a full cap sheet in 2026. Will still try to be competitive. Maybe looking at players like John Collins, Collin Sexton, PJ Washington and Anfernee Simons on one year tryouts and getting their bird rights.

Which teams would actually be willing to take on the deadweight contracts you mentioned? Exactly — none.
No team is interested unless you're willing to attach either Herro, Bam, and some draft picks.

At the right price, everyone should be available. The whole "homegrown and nurtured" narrative is getting old.

At the right price everyone should be available but that price just won’t be there. Bam is not getting traded for picks and nobody is going to give you a good amount of picks for Herro and his contract either. We are kinda stuck right now until 2026 when we have maximum flexibility around Bam and Herro. They need to get off of Wiggins in the offseason then see how the season plays out in 2025. Keep as many assets as possible. We can always trade the 2026 pick on draft day to get over the Stepien. We will be open for S&T’s and absorbing contracts. Will have many more options.

I was really hoping Herros improvement this season was going to translate to the playoffs. I was happy with his play for the most part this year but I said earlier in the season while it’s great we needed to see if he could do these things offensively in the playoffs. With his looming extension this series probably killed a good chunk of his value in what I thought was a season his value may have peaked coming off an all star appearance. He’s struggled to score against the Cavs weak/average perimeter defenders and has been hunted so much defensively that the opposing team is just bringing it out in the open to the media without a care in the world because they know he won’t be able to defend them regardless of what they say. Just another downside of making the playoffs. I will say the Cavs job defensively is pretty easy when you know you only have to focus on 2 of the 8-9 guys getting playing time.

[MettaWorldPanda]

This also applies to the rumored team, Brooklyn. If he ends up there, he’s likely staying for the long haul, meaning it would take at least two years just to build a contender.

I really feel like deep inside he just wants to move on from Milwaukee.

For the first time in his career giannis might not make sense for every team in the league lol. I mean I’d do it but it’s a major risk and this FO hasn’t shown us anything lately that has me confident they’d be able to quickly build the needed roster around him

He’s definitely looking for a team where he can finish his career, similar to when LeBron joined the Lakers in 2018. It took them two seasons to become a contender.

If Giannis gives the green light, it’s on Riley to step up and make it happen.

There’s nothing there to make happen. Giannis and Bam share the same agent. He’s not forcing a trade that swaps Bam out. We only have a few 1st to trade. One of those first right now is the 20th pick which is not even a lottery pick in trade value. Teams like the unknown more. We are still limited. We start trading more future picks with 27-28 still in limbo you continue the hamster wheel.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

Honestly he’s probably ending up in OKC for Hartenstein/Carusos contracts and a plethora of 1sts

That of course makes a ton of sense. Bucks need the picks bad. Any team in a winning situation with a full cupboard of picks will be in the running.

It would be a city with a lot of Greek communities.

Brooklyn
New York
Miami

Probably why we’d appeal to Luka as well, he’s always has a **** ton of fans here.

Knicks I believe have little to no assets after wasting them all on Bridges

[marson]

That of course makes a ton of sense. Bucks need the picks bad. Any team in a winning situation with a full cupboard of picks will be in the running.

It would be a city with a lot of Greek communities.

Brooklyn
New York
Miami

Probably why we’d appeal to Luka as well, he’s always has a **** ton of fans here.

Knicks I believe have little to no assets after wasting them all on Bridges

powerball would hate the Heat so much if Fluka comes here.

[Kobewade11]

Jaime taking a step back this year was a major blow, not just to the team in the regular season but for any potential upgrades in the summer. Let's just say a superstar did become available, we would have been able to come to the table with two blue chips on rookie deals and expirings as a base before adding draft compensation.

[MettaWorldPanda]

Bucks have until 2026-2027 to make a decision on Giannis before his player option. They are going to ask for the house we don’t have. We might have a chance if things play out right and he don’t extend in 2026 when we have a ton of money on the table.

[marson]

For the first time in his career giannis might not make sense for every team in the league lol. I mean I’d do it but it’s a major risk and this FO hasn’t shown us anything lately that has me confident they’d be able to quickly build the needed roster around him

He’s definitely looking for a team where he can finish his career, similar to when LeBron joined the Lakers in 2018. It took them two seasons to become a contender.

If Giannis gives the green light, it’s on Riley to step up and make it happen.

There’s nothing there to make happen. Giannis and Bam share the same agent. He’s not forcing a trade that swaps Bam out. We only have a few 1st to trade. One of those first right now is the 20th pick which is not even a lottery pick in trade value. Teams like the unknown more. We are still limited. We start trading more future picks with 27-28 still in limbo you continue the hamster wheel.

I get that they share the same agent, but why would Giannis even care about Bam’s feelings?
It’s a long shot probably 5%, but if he wants the sunny Miami lifestyle, the agent will work to make it happen just like Klutch mafia did with AD and the Luka trade.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

Dru
Pelle
Highsmith
Keshad
Giannis

Let’s run it.

[MettaWorldPanda]

He’s definitely looking for a team where he can finish his career, similar to when LeBron joined the Lakers in 2018. It took them two seasons to become a contender.

If Giannis gives the green light, it’s on Riley to step up and make it happen.

There’s nothing there to make happen. Giannis and Bam share the same agent. He’s not forcing a trade that swaps Bam out. We only have a few 1st to trade. One of those first right now is the 20th pick which is not even a lottery pick in trade value. Teams like the unknown more. We are still limited. We start trading more future picks with 27-28 still in limbo you continue the hamster wheel.

I get that they share the same agent, but why would Giannis even care about Bam’s feelings?
It’s a long shot probably 5%, but if he wants the sunny Miami lifestyle, the agent will work to make it happen just like Klutch mafia did with AD and the Luka trade.

Ehhhhhhh ok. I’ll stick with that 5%. Maybe we can discuss this with more realism in 2026

[marson]

Trades sharing same agent with one another happened already in the past. Its business.

AD and Brandon Ingram (Klutch)

Kevin Durant and D'Angelo Russell (Roc Nation)

[3ammy3uck3ts]

Read on Twitter

With this bums contract weighing down the Wolves and the Randle/KAT swap the inevitable Ant trade request will be coming sometime in the next 1-3 years. Yes I know apparently Julius Randle is much better than Bam now and just a slightly worse defender and all that other knee jerk recency bias nonsense but the Randle trade was the beginning of the end.

Ant is the true prize and he loves Spo and Edrice as it was rumored he spent the most time with those 2 during Team USA

[MettaWorldPanda]

Read on Twitter

With this bums contract weighing down the Wolves and the Randle/KAT swap the inevitable Ant trade request will be coming sometime in the next 1-3 years. Yes I know apparently Julius Randle is much better than Bam now and just a slightly worse defender and all that other knee jerk recency bias nonsense but the Randle trade was the beginning of the end.

Ant is the true prize and he loves Spo and Edrice as it was rumored he spent the most time with those 2 during Team USA

Have to be a little patient here and wait it out till 2026. Priority number 1 in offseason is dealing Wiggins for some quality players with expiring’s in 2026 that give us the flexibility and bird right’s if they deserve to be retained.

[3ammy3uck3ts]

Read on Twitter

[marson]

Read on Twitter

5%

[MettaWorldPanda]

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Senseless Heat twitter non sense. Unrealistic expectations always. My timeline is filled with Giannis to the Heat

[marson]

Read on Twitter

Senseless Heat twitter non sense. Unrealistic expectations always. My timeline is filled with Giannis to the Heat

We could say the same with KD, Dame etc lol

[greg4012]

Read on Twitter

With this bums contract weighing down the Wolves and the Randle/KAT swap the inevitable Ant trade request will be coming sometime in the next 1-3 years. Yes I know apparently Julius Randle is much better than Bam now and just a slightly worse defender and all that other knee jerk recency bias nonsense but the Randle trade was the beginning of the end.

Ant is the true prize and he loves Spo and Edrice as it was rumored he spent the most time with those 2 during Team USA

Hard to see with the supermax rules strongly incentivizing Edwards to remain with Minnesota for at least 3 more seasons. I believe Supermax eligibility (35% of salary cap) is unlocked once the player has (1) seven years in the NBA; (2) earns All-NBA or DPOY; and (3) remains with drafted team. Additionally, I believe a player that signs a "supermax" extension cannot be traded for at least 1 year after execution of contract. That means Ant is 2 seasons away from being able to sign his Supermax and then can't be traded for another season after that (where he will cost a ton as he will be under guaranteed contract for multiple seasons beyond).

So 3 years away at earliest and probably would be with a franchise crippling price tag.

The rules just don't set up for it, unfortunately.

[greg4012]

Read on Twitter

Senseless Heat twitter non sense. Unrealistic expectations always. My timeline is filled with Giannis to the Heat

We could say the same with KD, Dame etc lol

Fact patterns are different for each and worth understanding the differences to gauge how realistic they are.

[MettaWorldPanda]

Read on Twitter

Senseless Heat twitter non sense. Unrealistic expectations always. My timeline is filled with Giannis to the Heat

We could say the same with KD, Dame etc lol

KD actually has a chance at happening cause of what the cost may be for a soon to be 37 year old who will be asking for a max extension of 120 till age 39. Dame is done. KD is in our trade wheel house realistically for the first time.