Bucks looking at Bledsoe, probably.

[Baddy Chuck]

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. But why do you want Bledsoe when you admit that Giannis and Parker are 4 years away for playing at a high level? Bledsoe will be a free agent by the time Parker and Giannis are hitting their stride. That is exactly the reason I don't want Bledsoe. I would much rather chase Bledsoe the next time he's a free agent.

Because in 4 years I think it will be hard to get a Bledsoe level player. I think the competition for that level of player is high and we're assuming that everything plays out and we are actually in a position to be able to sign that player.

[Chuck Diesel]

Wait, what do you guys think happens to point guards when they turn 29? Dragic has at least another four years of high level basketball left. The age thing in relation to being paired with our youngest players is bonkers. Players aren't signed to 10 year contracts. I'll be happy to provide a list of what point guards do from from 29-33.

I think when they turn 29 your window is short to take advantage of their play. Dragic and Rondo may have 4 years of high level basketball left, but Giannis and Parker are probably 4 years away from high level of play. With Bledsoe you have 4 years of high level player before he reaches that 28-29 age with one push left to play with our young guys, you don't get that with Dragic or Rondo.

Acquiring Bledsoe this summer does not mean he's in Milwaukee for the next eight years to see Jabari and Giannis through to the peak of their powers. In today's NBA that would be very rare.

[mlloyd10]

A Bledsoe/Knight/Wolters backcourt would be comparable to the Jennings/Ellis/Redick we had in 2012 when we made the playoffs. Getting Bledsoe easily makes this a playoff team(assuming Sanders plays like he can). The only difference is we aren't building for the 8th seed, we would already have the 8th seed while continuing to grow. I would say that if we got Bledsoe, we would be this years Wizards

[RRyder823]

I don't get the money argument at all. We should be ONLY signing difference makers. We don't have many shots at difference makers in free agency. Bledsoe is a difference maker. Couple that with the fact that he's a YOUNG difference maker? We're really going to complain about spending on that? I don't think we could spend $14-15 million any better the next 4 seasons.

I think you could spend it better by spending it 2 years from now. You sign Bledsoe to a 4 year contract and the rest of your core isn't even developed until after we have been to paying him for 2-3 years. We'd be paying him $30 mil to help our team win 25-35 games for the next two years. We wanted a structured, long-term rebuild and that doesn't seem like the best way to accomplish it.

Sent From My Rotary Phone

Even though I think they'll win more game regardless I'd still have to say the big payoff from signing Bledsoe now would be him developing chemistry with both Parker and Giannis. They'd be able learn the nuance's in each others game and how to play off each other. That kind of chemistry would be huge boon for a contending team when Giannis and Parker develop.... So yeah I would be up for paying Bledsoe 30 million the next 2 years if only to help develop that on the court chemistry.... There's more then one way to rebuild and build a team up

[Baddy Chuck]

Acquiring Bledsoe this summer does not mean he's in Milwaukee for the next eight years to see Jabari and Giannis through to the peak of their powers. In today's NBA that would be very rare.

Goes both ways, you could very well not get your Rondo or Dragic next season.

[ReasonablySober]

28 pages and I'm still 50/50 on Bledsoe, mostly because of Sanders. If he's the 2012-2013 version, you could convince me our core is complete with Bledsoe.

If he's the version we saw last year, we're out a big man we need for our core. That player could probably found at the top of the 2015 draft. Bledsoe probably removes any reasonable chance at a top pick.

[EastSideBucksFan]

I personally think Bledsoe puts us at about 35-40 wins, which as we all know too well is the worst amount of wins.

Not when you're starting and building around two 19 year olds as talented as Giannis & Jabari.

35-40 wins young players is very different than 35-40 wins built on the backs of retread vets.

[xTitan]

It's a fun discussion, but Bledsoe isn't coming here, Phoenix won't let him go and even the notion of a sign and trade for Knight and Ersan is absurd.

[ampd]

Why is it considered a given that Giannis and especially Jabari are 3+ years away from playing good basketball?

Guys like Giannis (and Durant before him) who come into the league still growing I can understand, but many really good current players like Lebron, Durant, Wade, Bosh, Duncan, Rose, Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis, etc etc etc were already playing at an elite level by year 2. Not to mention guys like Dwight Howard or Shaq who were good right away. Most of those guys teams were bad because it took a while for the team to surround them with other players who were good enough, or in Lebron's case, to get good enough himself to lift an entire team of scrubs to the finals.

Adding Bledsoe is a good move whether we are rebuilding or not, its only a bad move if you think we are going to contend for the worst record again this season and believe Bledsoe is enough to put us well out of that range. I think we end up somewhere between the 5th worst record and actually making the playoffs without him, so I don't see that as a lost opportunity.

[RRyder823]

It's a fun discussion, but Bledsoe isn't coming here, Phoenix won't let him go and even the notion of a sign and trade for Knight and Ersan is absurd.

So was Kwame Brown and Marc Gasol for his big bro Paul Gasol at the time.... Not saying it's likely but stranger stuff has happened.... Just sayin

[LUKE23]

It all depends on Sanders as much of our future does, but Bledsoe/Middleton or Knight/Giannis/Parker/Sanders does not finish under .500 next year, IMO. That's assuming Bledsoe/Sanders stay relatively injury free. And that is with the oldest starter being 25 on day 1 of the season, and the two highest ceiling players being 19/20. So lots of room to grow.

I don't think we're going to have a chance to land a better player than Bledsoe in FA or the draft, personally. That's why I'm in on this move. Realistically there is only one guard prospect worth taking top 7-8 next year, so it would be putting all of your chips on landing him, or landing a better player than Bledsoe via FA/trade within the next 1-2 seasons. I don't like my odds on either occurring.

[Frank Nova]

I personally think Bledsoe puts us at about 35-40 wins, which as we all know too well is the worst amount of wins.

Not when you're starting and building around two 19 year olds as talented as Giannis & Jabari.

35-40 wins young players is very different than 35-40 wins built on the backs of retread vets.

I can't even believe that ppl think there's any comparison there. 35 wins from Bledsoe Giannis Parker Sanders 1st year together means more than likely 50 wins next season and beyond.. 35 wins from Jennings, Ellis, Salmons, Bogut Delfino, Ersan is more than likely 35 wins every season that team is together. FTD season happened but it just proved that was 1 year of over achievement and the future has been doom and gloom ever since. Huge huge difference.

[Chuck Diesel]

Acquiring Bledsoe this summer does not mean he's in Milwaukee for the next eight years to see Jabari and Giannis through to the peak of their powers. In today's NBA that would be very rare.

Goes both ways, you could very well not get your Rondo or Dragic next season.

Sure. That's why I'm arguing for something much more tangible-a better chance at a higher draft pick & the financial flexibility to explore all available options in fee agency once that happens. Goran Dragic & Rondo represent options that would excite me in addition to a top lottery pick. Ideally we take more steps to strip down the roster in order for that to happen (Ersan, Mayo, ECT.)

[Baddy Chuck]

35-40 wins young players is very different than 35-40 wins built on the backs of retread vets.

That's another thing I don't get with that argument. If Bledsoe is good enough to push you to that level without an optimized roster you basically have like 55 win potential with that roster after a few seasons. That's just as good as anything you could put together through the draft, especially if you aren't talking getting an Anthony Davis or Derrick Rose in the draft.

[EastSideBucksFan]

35-40 wins young players is very different than 35-40 wins built on the backs of retread vets.

That's another thing I don't get with that argument. If Bledsoe is good enough to push you to that level without an optimized roster you basically have like 55 win potential with that roster after a few seasons. That's just as good as anything you could put together through the draft, especially if you aren't talking getting an Anthony Davis or Derrick Rose in the draft.

Exactly.

I think Bledsoe/Giannis/Parker could grow and build for 2 years and then when Ersan/Mayo are off the books or moved as expirings we can make moves to push to win 45-50 wins in Year 3.

[Chuck Diesel]

I personally think Bledsoe puts us at about 35-40 wins, which as we all know too well is the worst amount of wins.

Not when you're starting and building around two 19 year olds as talented as Giannis & Jabari.

35-40 wins young players is very different than 35-40 wins built on the backs of retread vets.

How about aiming for 35-40 wins with two talented 20 year olds plus another talented 19 year old top five pick?

[LUKE23]

Because many don't believe we will be top 5, even without adding Bledsoe.

[Baddy Chuck]

Sure. That's why I'm arguing for something much more tangible-a better chance at a higher draft pick & the financial flexibility to explore all available options in fee agency once that happens. Goran Dragic & Rondo represent options that would excite me in addition to a top lottery pick. Ideally we take more steps to strip down the roster in order for that to happen (Ersan, Mayo, ECT.)

And again, I think that is some Herb Kohl level ****. You want to bottom out, build a young core and then push with a 29 year old guy who will be out of the league before your young guys hit their prime? If you're going to bottom out, bottom out. I'd be more than content with trading everyone and just building through the draft, but if your going to make a free agent splash at any time in the foreseeable future there is no reason not to strike now with a 24 year old kid.

I see only two ways right now. You sign Bledsoe and go for it or you trade everyone and tear it down for multiple seasons. Being a 25-30 win team and then going all out for a free agent next season who is 29 sounds like one of the worst possible scenarios to me.

[bizarro]

So essentially, this has become a conversation of two camps:

(1) Those that see the intrigue of adding a 24 y.o. upside PG like Bledsoe to a young core of Giannis and Parker (w/ several X-Factors - Sanders, Wolters, Middleton etc.)

(2) Those that are opposed due to a fear of increasing win totals while destroying chances at a high lottery pick next season and a fear of Bledsoe aging while Giannis and Parker come into their primes.

I think I have this right. And, then, there's simply the question:

Do you honestly think the Bucks have a chance in hell of signing Bledsoe away from the Suns? I personally don't.

[ampd]

35-40 wins young players is very different than 35-40 wins built on the backs of retread vets.

That's another thing I don't get with that argument. If Bledsoe is good enough to push you to that level without an optimized roster you basically have like 55 win potential with that roster after a few seasons. That's just as good as anything you could put together through the draft, especially if you aren't talking getting an Anthony Davis or Derrick Rose in the draft.

I think it comes down to how bad you think we are right now as currently constructed.

If Larry misses 55+ games, Ersan can't shoot or rebound anymore, Mayo stays benched for being fat, Giannis doesn't develop at all, and Parker doesn't contribute anything positive either, then I guess its reasonable to think we stay just as bad as last season, win 15 games, and give Philly a run for pick #1.

If you think we are likely contending for the 1st pick again this season then I agree we should look at making some moves to ensure the tank is as strong as possible. Personally I don't believe we are anywhere near as bad as Philly if the only things that happen are Giannis improves and Larry actually plays for most or all of the season.