Bucks News, Transactions, Trade Ideas - Giannis Thoughts on Middleton Trade Page 90

[Gianstoppable]

I keep reading how every trade sucks…our roster is flawed and the team sucks collectively…why are we so high on pieces of that? Job 1…get under 2nd Apron. Job 2…keep Dame and Giannis unless blown away Job 3…stop trading young guys with potential

We have young guys with potential? /Halfjoking

[jimmybones]

I don't know enough as a lot of you dudes about the CBA to understand this in depth but if Middleton for Kuzma truly opens up more exciting avenues for improvement in the offseason then I do it. I don't want to include that 31 pick unless we're getting other picks in return.

We are flat out not winning a title this year and I don't see a move that changes that. And if we do nothing to get under that silly apron and Khris opts in we're pretty much locked in to a repeat of this roster, just an even older version?

I'm nostalgic about Khris too but the crowd willing to keep him and hope for the best is delusional. His joints are duct taped together and it's not going to get better, it's going to get worse. I truly believe it is that dire, and I love Khris and hate that this is where we're at, but... this is where we're at.

[raferfenix]

Ha Ja Morant’s a creative one to think about at least!

Dame’s performance against the Grizzlies this weekend won’t help entice them but just one game and not the playoffs of course.

More fun to post about than Kyle goddamn Kuzma at a baseline:

Damian Lillard and 2031 1st rounder for Ja Morant

Hear me out…Ja Morant is a polarizing player with some recent troubles, but a bonafide talent. He’s still a subpar shooter from beyond the arc, though he still has access to gravity-defying athleticism that few other humans can unlock. Under normal circumstances, Morant would be a sacred cow. However, the trade of Doncic is another sign that we are living in a ‘what have you done for me lately’ world. Doncic led the Mavs to an NBA Finals last season.

His 2023 season might as well be five years ago. Morant’s stock is low right now. He’s averaging his fewest points since his second-year in the league, his field goal percentage is at the lowest of his career, and he's coming off a season that began with a lengthy suspension, and ended with a season-ending injury. Let's say a piece is being warmed up in the bullpen detailing more issues behind the scenes with Morant and the Grizzlies seek a more mature star.
Lillard and Morant are peers when healthy, but Lillard is a steadier hand while Morant’s athleticism and volatile youth (he’s nine years younger than Lillard) make him more dynamic. What they lose in shooting they make up for in playmaking and rim action.

Antetokounmpo also gets a running partner through the end of his prime. Doncic had issues staying in shape, but Morant’s durability has also been a concern. He’s got a slight frame and plays above the rim. Will it lead to a title? Probably not in 2025, but it gives them more of a runway past this year. It’s only downhill from here for Dame. This trade probably only happens if Jon Horst and Zach Kleiman don’t sober up before sending it into the league office though.

https://fansided.com/milwaukee-bucks-dream-trade-scenarios-so-crazy-they-just-might-work?utm_campaign=FanSided+Daily&utm_source=FanSided+Daily&utm_medium=email&sc=45171ae4c3d1fd403450eb0ec59db5f66db4e78ed2d46949630b9bd4a0703c9b

[machu46]

There is absolutely no way we are trading the 1st in that scenario. Just not happening

I certainly hope not, but I don't think it's impossible that we would. Washington has essentially zero incentive to make the trade unless we include the pick. With Kuzma's contract declining in the future on top of simply not being that expensive to begin with, they don't really have any reason to trade him unless they get an asset that can be useful down the line. Now the puck would almost certainly be protected to some degree, and again, I'm hoping this is not the direction we go in, but if we do trade Middleton for him, I wouldn't be surprised if the first round pick is involved.

The pick cant be protected, really, because we cannot create trade language that offers a pick in a year further than 31. So the most we can do is protect it for 1-whatever and then it becomes our 31 2nd if it doesn't convey. Not very enticing to anyone. We could trade it for multiple firsts and then give them one, maybe, but that still feels gross.

Anyway, i do get your point, but what is the Bucks incentive to swap Khris for Kuzma? To get below the 2nd apron? Then why not just send Pat and a first to whoever and keep Khris?

I think the only reason this is perplexing is because we are giving credence to what is likely a bull rumor.

I think there's a decent chance nothing ultimately comes of this, but I'm taking it a little more seriously than I usually would because I seem to remember us showing interest in Kuzma last year too.

Again, I can't say I endorse this move personally. But if I try to come up with reasons for why we might be interested, I would say the following:

1. The luxury tax reasons. Given our status as a repeater tax team, Middleton's contract costs the owners a ton of money and beyond that, getting under the second apron opens up a lot of avenues for us that aren't currently available.

2. The player reasons. Kuzma theoretically makes sense as a player type that we'd be interested in, granted it requires a lot of hand-waving away his recent play. We've been desperate for bigger wings that can theoretically defend guys like Tatum in the playoffs. Kuzma is certainly not a stopper but he does have the frame for it and he's not as bad a defender as his reputation on this board is. Middleton has a similar frame but obviously has lost a ton of his athleticism at this point and will likely only decline further moving forwards. Kuzma's rebounding has declined a ton the last couple years with Washington, but historically, he's shown much more ability to help in that area than Middleton and rebounding has been another issue for us. Offensively, he's been an absolute disaster this season and isn't really anything special in general, but if you can convince yourself he'll take smarter shots/have better shots available to him as a Buck, he theoretically has a pretty well-rounded skillset. He's always been a good finisher at the rim and has generally been an okay-ish 3 point shooter when given clean looks. And unlike most of our guys that specialize in catch-and-shoot jumpers and nothing else, he is capable of being the primary shot creator if he's in a lineup with bench guys. Again, this part requires quite a leap of faith because he's been objectively horrific this season and you'd be asking him to change the way he plays in a lot of ways to fit into a team concept more than he has in Washington.

In a more ideal scenario, if we could include Pat in this sort of trade and essentially get off the Middleton and Pat contracts all with one first, that would make it more palatable to me but no idea if that's really possible or realistic.

[emunney]

Lol...

We cant just "sign someone legit" by clearing the aprons. We would need to shed 18M+ to get under the luxury tax and open up the full mle. Otherwise, the max we can spend is about 5m per year on one player.

Goodie

*Get* somebody legit, not *sign* somebody legit. The power to aggregate contracts is crucial for the ability to bring in a high-salaried player without giving one up.

But is that what we should be doing? And if so, is this summer too late?

Summer is absolutely too late. Thats a no brainer.

If trading Khris for Kuzma, without giving up a first, allows us to then trade for someone really good, i can kind of see the logic. But by trading Khris, you are now limited in how much salary you can take in for that legit player without sending out a comical ratio of players

For instance, getting KD would require trading:

Brook
Bobby
Pat
Delon
Marjon
AJ Johnson

For

Durant

Not sure how realistic that is.

It's not. Durant makes too much money. But there are a lot of sub-max guys who I'd at least consider legit who'd become options for us in that scenario. I agree that it's got to happen simultaneously. Giannis is 30; we can't just walk away from the table.

[EasyE31]

Aaron Wiggins is the best contract in the NBA, and he's breaking out as a scorer. Can we get him? If OKC values our unprotected 2031 pick, this might be the smart way to cash that in.

I've been on board the Bobby and 31 1st for Wiggins and 3 future picks train for like 2 weeks now....

[RogerMurdock]

We should just play the Utah role and facilitate deals by taking picks and bench players. Over and over again. "Hey...could we get in on that?"

Like during my freshman year in college when my roommate and I would get pizza, our friend across the hall would come over and say, "I'm not asking for any, just want to see what you got." Then he'd ooh and aah approvingly at our topping selection, leading to him inevitably getting leftovers.

[emunney]

How is this getting worse? I realize these are DC guys, but Jesus Christ.

https://bsky.app/profile/joshrobbins.bsky.social/post/3lhgtgl6oms2r

[LUKE23]

We better not be moving AJ Johnson.

[JayMKE]

Flexibility in the offseason don’t mean **** if Horst is the one making the move

This gonna be way worse than Tobes trade, truly the end

[Ron Swanson]

If we're really gonna make getting under the 2nd apron the main goal then just go and **** get Jimmy man. It accomplishes that while also, you know, actually giving this roster a chance to go on a deep playoff run.

[BuckFan25226]

We better not be moving AJ Johnson.

I'm fine trading him....but not for Kyle effing Kuzma....

[Matches Malone]

How is this getting worse? I realize these are DC guys, but Jesus Christ.

https://bsky.app/profile/joshrobbins.bsky.social/post/3lhgtgl6oms2r

Nehm just retweeted it. This is a horrendous trade for us. Is Jon smoking crack?

Read on Twitter

[emunney]

Flexibility in the offseason don’t mean **** if Horst is the one making the move

This gonna be way worse than Tobes trade, truly the end

In the versions Robbins and Aldridge are putting out there, we're the ones giving up both Redick and Tobes while getting back BO FREAKING OUTLAW

[midranger]

We better not be moving AJ Johnson.

I'm fine trading him....but not for Kyle effing Kuzma....

Imagine thinking Kyle Kuzma is the solution

[Matches Malone]

We got bent over backwards.

Read on Twitter

[Profound23]

How is this getting worse? I realize these are DC guys, but Jesus Christ.

https://bsky.app/profile/joshrobbins.bsky.social/post/3lhgtgl6oms2r

Nehm just retweeted it. This is a horrendous trade for us. Is Jon smoking crack?

Read on Twitter

If true, the picks coming back better be from Washington and unprotected firsts

[Siefer]

****

[Siefer]

Should have let Horst go to Detroit

[dedned]

**** this team. I'm out.