Bucks News, Transactions and Trade Ideas - 2025 Off-season

[JayMKE]

Seriously **** John Horst, need a whole season of bag nights and his name erased from history

[Bernman]

Seriously **** John Horst, need a whole season of bag nights and his name erased from history

So they can hire a different puppet g.m. to direct our anger at like Hammond?

[msiris]

We won't trade Gjiannis, but the hope is gone.

[German Athens]

Oh for sure. We probably haven’t had a string of good decisions/luck on the player personnel side since, what 2019?

Sign Bud, bring in Brook, trade for Hill. But even that probably stopped at 3, right?

Then we traded for Mirotic which proved to be a bust of a move.

PJ was a good move, but we had to pay to get off Augustine to acquire PJ.

We need a lot to go right, and trading one of the absolute best players in the world doesn’t magically fix our situation. We’re still owned by a group who’s shown more incompetence than competence, and have a GM who fits the same description.

We need a lot of luck on our side. Maybe we’re due?

I think you wondered what I was worried about when I asked to trade Dame & others in midseason/offseason. You're looking at it. We had a lot of old guys and traded all our picks thru '30. We don't have cap space & play in a small, cold weather market. The owners have no loyalty to the city.

We were playing a very dangerous game. Even in so far as Dame's injury, we can't say it was that unpredictable when it was strained this time last yr.

We had two different debates, and I think you’re combining those into 1.

The bigger thing we got into was when I asked what you were worried about if we continued to trade future 1sts.

The Dame part you brought up was a hypothetical. You mentioned even if we won the title this year with Dame, you’d trade him in the off-season. I thought that was a wild take considering the team who wins it one year is usually the favorite to win it the following season, and that the only way I’d consider that is if Dame wasn’t really a contributor to that title which seemed even more far-fetched.

Clearly, that’s not our present situation.

In our main debate, we eventually reached an impasse which I think likely had to do with what we value. I see the entire point of playing the game as winning titles, and maximizing what you have when you have a top talent that can get you there, and you see it as building sustainably good teams even if that never means you really sniff a title. Something like that anyway.

I was all for trading that ‘31 1st to maximize what we have now, and you didn’t want to do that out of fear of the dead period to come post Giannis, and the potential for the team to get moved if we enter into basketball hell in the late 2020’s early 2030’s.

The only argument I saw as credible in that take was the potential for us to be moved, but I still saw that as unlikely, and when weighed against the opportunity at hand, I wanted to continue to push to compete for a title now.

I thought you could still re-tool around Giannis, by using Dame (I’ve posted a ton of potential Dame trades over the past multiple months), future 1st + swap, and heck even cap-space if we ever found it again, to build a team in a drastically different way around Giannis.

[slos]

That should be a plan for offseason

1. Let's not start Giannis trade scenarios without Giannis asking for it. He wants to retire as a Buck and is only 30.

2. Let's not start Dame trade scenarios. He just became a negative contract. I won't also entertain the retirment or stretching his contract talk. He will be 100% a Buck next season. Let's just hope he returns in time to serve at least as 6th in the playoffs.

3. Obviously Rivers already has no place in Milwaukee. I'm not going with another dinosaur coach or another unproven assistant. I'm going with Taylor Jenkins for Doc's replacement. He already has ties with the Bucks and Giannis and he has overachieved at Memphis. On top he qualifies as a coach willing to play Giannis at C after trying that for a long time with JJJ.

4. With Dame going down both Porter and Rollins will explode next season. Horst absolutely needs to bring them back with mutliyear contracts. KPJ at full MLE (4/60,5) and Rollins at half price (4/30) feels about right at this point.

5. GTJ has developed great chemistry with Porter and obviously is another keeper. A starting SG spot for BAE money (2/10,5) seems about right for him. Along with Green you already have four guards that all seem to fit with Giannis.

6. Speaking about Giannis my plan would be playing him at C with four young, healthy and athletic shooters at all times. That leaves little room for Kuzma, Portis, Brook, Pat, Prince etc. Obviously I'm exploring trading them, but without touching any other FRPs.

7. Assuming Bucks get the disabled exception I'm giving NAW that 1/14 prove it contract. It's probably too much for Minny to match and on top they don't have a starting job to offer.

8. Does Kerr still loves Portis? Along with Pat I'm flipping them for a Kuminga s/t. What could go worse after the Kuzma experience?

KPJ/Rollins/Dame
GTJ/Green/#47
NAW/Jackson
Kuminga/Kuzma/Livingston
Giannis/Sims/Smith

[mlloyd10]

F' It....Giannis/Kuzma for Zion/Murray/2025 1st ( assuming it #1 overall)

[pifhluk23]

The franchise can't be considered serious or smart if they keep Doc.

And the fact that they extended horst after coming to the conclusion that Kuzma was a good player is mind boggling.

I would never give this front office the abiltiy to trade Giannis, because we could end up with more Kuzmas. It would have to be for Flagg and Flagg only.

Yup that's why I'm really hoping Philly gets #1, 10.5% chance. I think of all the lotto teams they would be the most likely to give up Flagg for Giannis.

I love Flagg but I’m gonna need more assets than just the #1 pick.

Yeah the idea is we get Flagg plus assets and we take on PG's contract. I'm assuming the only untouchables are Maxey and Embiid in that scenario. Maybe something like Flagg, McCain 2026 1st, 2028 1st and a 2nd for Giannis and Tyler Smith works in trade machine. This is still only 10.5% though assuming they win the lotto.

This is my dream scenario if we have to trade Giannis. And honestly there is some crazy outside shot that that team with PG Dame Flagg McCain is actually good in 2026/27 season lol.

[Iheartfootball]

Seriously **** John Horst, need a whole season of bag nights and his name erased from history

Lots of blame to go around, but not starting at the very top is just ineffectively addressing symptoms.

Ownership put all their chips in and lost the bet. Gonna take a while to rebuild. I'm trying to accept that. So hard when you have been a fan so long.

[raferfenix]

Kuzma trade is a monumental disaster.

AJ Johnson would be that much more important if Dame's done -- and Khris' ending contract would be valuable, and he'd be doing better than this Tony Snell ish when it counts.

Hopefully Doc was pushing for it moreso than our recently extended GM...

Read on Twitter

[DanoMac]

Don't think we'll ever see a player like Giannis in our lifetimes. I'm not trading him unless he adamantly demands it.

[BigO]

I’m not trading Giannis ever and I hope AWFUL things happen to John Horst and our owners. I am NOT a fan of the people running the team and have zero interest in seeing their dumbasses drive to the franchise into the ground. Giving them the green light and tools to do it may as well be a ticket out of town.

I love Giannis, but I love championships even more. Tell me how we get there with Giannis and no draft capital, no assets and no cap space. I'll wait for your answer.

we’re not getting there trading him either, lmao they extended Horst. I’d rather it rot into the ground then give these idiots more chances to take us that much lower.

I just want to enjoy our time with Giannis then probably [b]forget about the franchise for a decade of darkness, [/b]rather not jumpstart that early

I don't have a decade to play around with.

[BUCKnation]

I think we could retool and compete until Dame would hopefully be able to make a comeback late in the season. I just have no confidence if Doc is still the head coach to do it. Something as simple as the rotations he's using in this series is all over the place.

[Bernman]

We had two different debates, and I think you’re combining those into 1.

The bigger thing we got into was when I asked what you were worried about if we continued to trade future 1sts.

The Dame part you brought up was a hypothetical. You mentioned even if we won the title this year with Dame, you’d trade him in the off-season. I thought that was a wild take considering the team who wins it one year is usually the favorite to win it the following season, and that the only way I’d consider that is if Dame wasn’t really a contributor to that title which seemed even more far-fetched.

Clearly, that’s not our present situation.

In our main debate, we eventually reached an impasse which I think likely had to do with what we value. I see the entire point of playing the game as winning titles, and maximizing what you have when you have a top talent that can get you there, and you see it as building sustainably good teams even if that never means you really sniff a title. Something like that anyway.

I was all for trading that ‘31 1st to maximize what we have now, and you didn’t want to do that out of fear of the dead period to come post Giannis, and the potential for the team to get moved if we enter into basketball hell in the late 2020’s early 2030’s.

The only argument I saw as credible in that take was the potential for us to be moved, but I still saw that as unlikely, and when weighed against the opportunity at hand, I wanted to continue to push to compete for a title now.

I thought you could still re-tool around Giannis, by using Dame (I’ve posted a ton of potential Dame trades over the past multiple months), future 1st + swap, and heck even cap-space if we ever found it again, to build a team in a drastically different way around Giannis.

Even if we won a title w/ Dame, he'd still be 35-36 next yr. You run out the clock, & the cupboard is bare around Giannis like now. Plus you have no picks. I'd have been good w/ continuing to go in that direction if it wasn't the case. Or maybe if we were in a hot climate/big market.

Indeed, that would have been awful if we traded our picks beyond '30 as well. More years of total irrelevance/hopelessness.

And it's a bit of a word twist that I said even if we never sniff a title. We actually didn't sniff a title this way. And have a lot less shots. But what I always value is consistent contention, even if you don't end up getting to the very top of the mountain. You still have cause to believe at the time. Make a Finals, could win it all once, or more. I'm not for selling out and exhausting all resources to maximize your chances in the now. It's not what OKC did/has done. They haven't won a title yet, but they have much cause to believe, even if they haven't yet. The Spurs didn't go all out, had a borderline dynasty, while being consistent contenders surrounding. If you have the right process for sustainability you may achieve both goals.

[fan230]

Don't think we'll ever see a player like Giannis in our lifetimes. I'm not trading him unless he adamantly demands it.

I agree.

[Ryan5UW]

F' It....Giannis/Kuzma for Zion/Murray/2025 1st ( assuming it #1 overall)

If they trade Giannis for a package including Zion, I might go burn the Fiserv down. No thank you to that medical ticking time bomb.

[SirChurros]

Yup that's why I'm really hoping Philly gets #1, 10.5% chance. I think of all the lotto teams they would be the most likely to give up Flagg for Giannis.

I love Flagg but I’m gonna need more assets than just the #1 pick.

Yeah the idea is we get Flagg plus assets and we take on PG's contract. I'm assuming the only untouchables are Maxey and Embiid in that scenario. Maybe something like Flagg, McCain 2026 1st, 2028 1st and a 2nd for Giannis and Tyler Smith works in trade machine. This is still only 10.5% though assuming they win the lotto.

This is my dream scenario if we have to trade Giannis. And honestly there is some crazy outside shot that that team with PG Dame Flagg McCain is actually good in 2026/27 season lol.

I would do that deal, but I am also very high on Flagg.

[Bernman]

What was the purpose in extending Horst even before we knew the circumstances of our offseason? He might have a different "skill"-set than they require now, but they're on the hook. That seems a pattern.

[Kerb Hohl]

F' It....Giannis/Kuzma for Zion/Murray/2025 1st ( assuming it #1 overall)

If they trade Giannis for a package including Zion, I might go burn the Fiserv down. No thank you to that medical ticking time bomb.

I'd take the deal. Zion is essentially there for salary offset and I guess is a lotto ticket. It's quite unlikely that Flagg reaches Giannis' level, but he may be a new superstar to build around.

I don't think the Pelicans would want to make a trade to put themselves in the same position as the Bucks just in the Western Conference, though.

Disclaimer: I don't follow the Bucks or league as much as I used to.

[ShootingtheJ]

F' It....Giannis/Kuzma for Zion/Murray/2025 1st ( assuming it #1 overall)

If they trade Giannis for a package including Zion, I might go burn the Fiserv down. No thank you to that medical ticking time bomb.

I'd take the deal. Zion is essentially there for salary offset and I guess is a lotto ticket. It's quite unlikely that Flagg reaches Giannis' level, but he may be a new superstar to build around.

I don't think the Pelicans would want to make a trade to put themselves in the same position as the Bucks just in the Western Conference, though.

Disclaimer: I don't follow the Bucks or league as much as I used to.

The Pelicans control our 2026 and 2027 picks. You get those, and any players you can trade for more picks. You take on the worst contracts in basketball to get more picks.

You actually hang on to Kuzma, as he one of the worst contracts, and he insures tanking.

That's a way back, but we're not doing it. Giannis doesn't need much help. Get him some.

[soxperry]

I feel terrible for Dame. He rushed back to be able to support the team. Its absolutely brutal for him