Bucks News, Trade Ideas, Transactions

[emunney]

I've said this many times about many different topics over the years, but it definitely seems like there's a hack editor group text where they decide which topic they're going to have everybody write about in a given week.

But the idea that you'd populate a story about Giannis potentially asking out with a bunch of quotes from execs of teams desperate to trade for him is not only unethical but likely in tacit violation of the CBA. It's what you do when you're trying to supply fuel to a pre-conceived story, not when you're trying to report a true story. The story is "Other Teams Want Giannis" but that is not **** newsworthy, so you have them feed you quotes speculating about Giannis himself and call them "insiders". It's icky.

[Ron Swanson]

It's pretty incredible how ownership has (allegedly) learned nothing from the Kidd debacle. Like, do they think that the Bud years (2018-2023) and letting the basketball people do the basketball stuff resulting in the best 5-year stretch in franchise history was just a complete coincidence? That's one thing I absolutely won't blame Horst for. He clearly wanted Atkinson, got overruled by panicky ownership, then got overruled again when we decided to roll with Doc as a desperation move. Dude is gonna be the scapegoat if this season doesn't end in a championship, but the idea that Doc might now be on the cusp of making the same power play that Kidd failed to do, is pretty much a disaster scenario.

[brewbucks]

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10141673-nba-trade-rumors-bucks-giannis-linked-to-heat-nets-by-insiders-teams-circling

Is this the beginning of the end?

"Teams are circling -- and hopeful," one Western Conference team executive said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it happened by the trade deadline," said a top executive of a team that could be in the mix.

An Eastern Conference NBA executive has already heard the places believed to be Giannis' would-be preferred destinations: "The teams I've heard are Miami and New York -- the Nets, not the Knicks."

There are also other teams with the means, in theory, to go after a player of Giannis' caliber. The Oklahoma City Thunder certainly come to mind, and I asked the Eastern Conference executive about the Thunder potentially making a run if Milwaukee's big man eventually wants out.

"I haven't heard them mentioned, but yeah, if you're Milwaukee you might just go, 'I don't give a f--- what you want. If you want out, we're getting the best deal we can.' And Oklahoma City could definitely offer a good one."

And yes -- yes, yes, yes -- it's early. It is not yet November. But not so early that some rival teams are eying Milwaukee's struggles with anything other than glee.

There's also another brewing backstory in Milwaukee that could push Giannis toward an exit. Many people in the NBA have heard that Rivers, known for his in-house political maneuverings, has already won over the owner enough that he's now the key voice in basketball decisions.

"They tell me it's up to Doc now, that they're going to wait 20 games and then see what Doc wants," said one person familiar with the Bucks' front-office inner-workings. "It sounds like it's a mess."

Man people called this Doc ****.

[humanrefutation]

If we're doing this hindsight analysis, I don't know how giving damaged-goods Khris Middleton an extension only to watch him ride the pine for two years isn't a far bigger blunder than the Dame trade.

[fansinceforever]

The more we suck and look completely dysfunctional, the more articles like this become our reality. I'd love to chalk it up to click bait nonsense but that's becoming more difficult.

[fansinceforever]

If we're doing this hindsight analysis, I don't know how giving damaged-goods Khris Middleton an extension only to watch him ride the pine for two years isn't a far bigger blunder than the Dame trade.

Preach.

[Bernman]

You mean the "damaged-goods" Middleton, who's been our only reliable star in the playoffs recently?

If you have a problem w/ his amount of regular season minutes, then critique the f.o. for not taking off the training wheels. He could play now, just as he does in the playoffs w/ ailments, but they're in cruise-control.

Dame had a similar attitude last season, only he just cruised while being on the court. Giannis is now adopting that attitude openly and in his (lack of) actions. It's a calculus that may pay off in the end, or lead to the same problem for different reasons.

If there's a condemnation here, it should be toward the NBA for only adding games to an already bloated schedule out of greed, that may even be myopic. Look at the ratings. Sometimes less is more. Fans, & the players, almost solely care about the playoffs.

[JonHeist]

If we're doing this hindsight analysis, I don't know how giving damaged-goods Khris Middleton an extension only to watch him ride the pine for two years isn't a far bigger blunder than the Dame trade.

unless my memory is way off, the options were:

A) Resign Khris

B) Let him go for nothing

not sure how having no Khris would help us more than having an injured Khris

like maybe it would have opened an MLE slot or whatever, but good luck signing someone half as good as injured Khris for the MLE

[raferfenix]

We're on the cusp of being the 2009 Cav's, making desperation moves to appease LeBron.

This.

Worst case scenario is Giannis attempts to force his way to a particular team and the Bucks get rolled.

Jrue aside: Giannis may have quietly forced Bud to get fired, less quietly insisted on Griffin since he wanted a former player as a coach, then Horst reportedly didn’t get his choice in Atkinson vs Rivers, his request for an interview with Detroit for POBO was denied, and now he reportedly may not even be in charge.

And it’s sure as sh*t not like the Bucks media ecosystem is equipped for the media maelstrom that’d come upon us if Giannis does decide it’s time to bail.

To be clear I do believe there is time to right the ship and plenty of cause to believe we can.

But the RealGM board should be hoping for the best and preparing for the worst considering the stakes. Because the fan base needs us to!

[kanyon]

Midds looked miserable on the bench. I think he's ready to play but they are holding him out on purpose. It's rough. Bucks need him now AND in the POs.

[Matches Malone]

Read on Twitter

[ReasonablySober]

I'm stun.

[Bernman]

It was the obvious choice. No need for dead weight at almost 5m/yr, & a few * more w/ the luxury tax + apron implications.

Now we pretty much have to either waive him, or work out a trade for a struggling prospect seeking a fresh start like him.

[RubberSoul]

Horst’s drafting skills are unmatched.

If we polled RealGM every pick and went with that we’d have been much better off than with what Horst has drafted.


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[soxperry]

Does anyone know if this makes it more or less likely that he is traded? Im most interested in the question of whether we had to do this prior to a trade or if we could have traded him and allowed the next team to make that decision

Edit: wow, AI is getting good. Yes, we had to make that call prior to trading him (if he is to be traded)

[StickeeFingaz]

Nice job, Horst.

[emunney]

Does anyone know if this makes it more or less likely that he is traded? Im most interested in the question of whether we had to do this prior to a trade or if we could have traded him and allowed the next team to make that decision

It makes it less likely that a team that likes him would trade for him and more likely that a team who wants to drop salary next year would accept him (although the number of salaries that would actually permit this is small, and the amount of salary also is small). In balance, I'd say very slightly more likely, but not as much more as it would have under the old CBA, when we could have aggregated outgoing salaries.

[chonestown]

Edit: wow, AI is getting good.

Don't praise the machine.

[bucksfansince88]

well looks like Doc is head coach and POBO, we all knew that was coming. we should let horst go to detroit and asked for an asset in return. Giannis isnt going to adapt his game for the betterment of the team. we are on the brink of returning to basketball purgatory it seems.

[BuckFan25226]

Arguing over Dame and other roster moves is pointless. What is relevant is we can't stay healthy. Our 2 best players during this era haven't been able to stay healthy the past 3 seasons. There isn't a team in the league that can withstand losing their 1st and or 2nd best player 3 years in a row.


Most of this bickering and hindsight is moot.