Bucks News, Transactions, Trade Ideas

[MickeyDavis]

Yeah, I’d assume Brook’s contract falling off would bring us below second apron in July.


I “have” to believe that the Bucks had a follow up trade to the Kuzma debacle lined up and were somehow blindsided by Bobby’s suspension immediately afterwards which nixed it.

I have to believe this because otherwise I think I’d have to end my fandom altogether.

The Bucks worked for months to get Bobby's suspension overturned.

Right. He tested positive in November, suspended in late February. They tried to get it overturned or reduced.

[BigO]

The main takeaway from the last three playoffs is injuries. Giannis missing two of them and Dame missing a substantial amount and obviously Middleton.

Some think that the main lesson is that the Bucks need to get younger and more athletic? I don't think so, unless those young and athletic guys are also good basketbal players.

Both on this site and in Horst's comments the word athleticism is a constant. It got us AJJ and AJ Johnson and Kuzma. The least athletic of the AJs looks like he might be the best one.

Younger bodies get injured less and have greater resiliency. The Bucks who could play couldn't whereas the Bucks who couldn't play could. The universe act in funny ways.

I've noticed that.

I think I've mentioned it before, but the last time I played basketball (years ago) I had just returned fron breaking my fingers once again. I got on the court and when I took my frst shot my finger broke again. Nobody touched me. The end.

[GoldenAntlers]

Yeah, I’d assume Brook’s contract falling off would bring us below second apron in July.


I “have” to believe that the Bucks had a follow up trade to the Kuzma debacle lined up and were somehow blindsided by Bobby’s suspension immediately afterwards which nixed it.

I have to believe this because otherwise I think I’d have to end my fandom altogether.

The Bucks worked for months to get Bobby's suspension overturned.

Right. He tested positive in November, suspended in late February. They tried to get it overturned or reduced.

Wow. I did not know they knew about this in November. And the NBA came to a conclusion just in time to **** everything up. Beautiful script-writing.

[emunney]

And Nerlens Noel and Dennis Schroder declined huge deals hoping to get more, sometimes people make dumb decisions. If money was the goal, Trent will probably be pretty hard pressed to find a deal higher that $15 million, if even at that. GTJ had a hell of a few games in that Indy series but overall his season was pretty lackluster and we could make him a pretty compelling argument of being the starting 2 guard with (hopefully) another season next to Giannis and with a big time scorer/ball handler in Dame out opening opportunities. He'll be competing for deals with a bunch of dudes on the market: Beasley, NAW, Jerome, Cam Thomas, Grimes, Levert and probably some more I'm forgetting.

Honestly don't know what the market is for any of our dudes though, could go either way for any of them really.

I could see us going after Cam Thomas.

I really dont see the point in that. He would fit nicely on a team like Orlando or Houston (or Detroit) that has a ton of defense and just needs an offensive outburst twice a game. But we need two way players. Plus, there's a lot of overlap there with KPJ and i'd just much rather see if KPJ can develop. His ceiling is immensely higher than Thomas.

I'm not saying I'd do it. I'm having this cursed premonition where our big pursuits are Cam Thomas and Vuc.

That said, the appeal of Thomas is that he's a 23 year old scoring machine who's developing as a playmaker -- if he continues to develop as an all-around player, there's no team he doesn't fit with. If he doesn't, there's no team he fits well with.

I'd say he's a Maggette but while there are parallels, his ability to score from all over the floor sets him apart. He's 23 years old and could very well lead the league in scoring one day if things break right for him. At the same time, this has always been known about him. He was a machine at LSU and his unique deficiencies are why he slipped to the end of the 1st round and why Brooklyn's been trying to move him for years. But a team with limited options who lost 2 20ppg scorers this calendar year is ripe for seduction.

[Frank Nova]

Bobby opting in and Trent willing to re-up for just a low-level MLE type deal would seem like an absolute best case scenario at this point. Jim saying it at least gives me a little hope.

Trent turned down 15m per from Toronto before he ran out of options and came to Milwaukee. I’d imagine a bag means more to him than being a Buck. I think he gets priced out of Milwaukee. I’d give NAW his contract and a starting gig next year.

And Nerlens Noel and Dennis Schroder declined huge deals hoping to get more, sometimes people make dumb decisions. If money was the goal, Trent will probably be pretty hard pressed to find a deal higher that $15 million, if even at that. GTJ had a hell of a few games in that Indy series but overall his season was pretty lackluster and we could make him a pretty compelling argument of being the starting 2 guard with (hopefully) another season next to Giannis and with a big time scorer/ball handler in Dame out opening opportunities. He'll be competing for deals with a bunch of dudes on the market: Beasley, NAW, Jerome, Cam Thomas, Grimes, Levert and probably some more I'm forgetting.

Honestly don't know what the market is for any of our dudes though, could go either way for any of them really.

I agree, there seems to be bad decisions by guys and contracts every off season now. Everyone that bets on themselves doesn’t always win. I think that group you mentioned is about all of the ppl that’ll be competing on the market for similar contracts/situations. Grimes is a wildcard to me and he might set the market for the group. I’m curious to what ppl really think about what he did in Philly. His numbers were insane and the sample wasn’t that small but it was loser basketball and he was getting off 20+ shots frequently so I wonder how much that helped him this off season. But if some team really values that he’s likely to get the biggest deal from the bunch right? That’d be my guess anyway.

Cam Thomas is a good pseudo Dame replacement. Thomas’s D is brutal but his offense can be elite. I’d love him on a team friendly deal for that role specifically.

[MickeyDavis]

The Bucks worked for months to get Bobby's suspension overturned.

Right. He tested positive in November, suspended in late February. They tried to get it overturned or reduced.

Wow. I did not know they knew about this in November. And the NBA came to a conclusion just in time to **** everything up. Beautiful script-writing.

I believe it was the Bucks who delayed it, appealing and trying to get the suspension reduced or overturned. When Silver (or his lackey) wouldn't budge they gave in and he started the suspension with enough time to return for a few games before the playoffs.

[mlloyd10]

How good/bad is this for the Bucks - I have the Bucks taking on Murray to get that pick back from NO

Spurs get: Giannis/Jackson
Bucks get: Murray/Castle/#2/2026 1st back from NO/ATL 2027 1st from Spurs/Spurs 2029 1st
Pelicans get: Johnson/Barnes

You a Bucks fan?

Yeah everyone needs to Google the Paul George and Kevin Durant trades before building a Giannis trade.

I have like 5/6 trades out there involving Giannis, but the "Smart" people on the trades board says " im only concerned about the bucks and not the other teams"

[Ron Swanson]

Jim O., Justin Garcia, and Nehm all parroting the same talking point about "most cap flexibility they've had since 2020" certainly seems to indicate that's the primary narrative being fed by the organization and likely the same pitch they're making to Giannis. Just seems like a pretty desperate attempt to put any sort of positive spin on the current situation.

Like, if Giannis is staying through this when things are as bleak as they are, then I'm pretty sure he'll stay through just about anything short of us cratering into a 32-win, tail-end of KG's Minnesota career situation. If anything that means you should be prioritizing moves to acquire tradeable assets while taking on bad salary even more, not less. Call up teams like Boston, Sacramento, Phoenix, etc. and figure out how you can take advantage of those guys' cap-hell conundrums.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

The main takeaway from the last three playoffs is injuries. Giannis missing two of them and Dame missing a substantial amount and obviously Middleton.

Some think that the main lesson is that the Bucks need to get younger and more athletic? I don't think so, unless those young and athletic guys are also good basketbal players.

Both on this site and in Horst's comments the word athleticism is a constant. It got us AJJ and AJ Johnson and Kuzma. The least athletic of the AJs looks like he might be the best one.

Younger bodies get injured less and have greater resiliency. The Bucks who could play couldn't whereas the Bucks who couldn't play could. The universe act in funny ways.

True to an extent. Giannis was 26, 28 and 29 when he missed key playoff games

[M-C-G]

We can get more athletic by adding only average athletes, and that allows for players that also have skill and IQ.

Hadn't thought about it this way, but this is massively true and an important point.

[emunney]

Jim O., Justin Garcia, and Nehm all parroting the same talking point about "most cap flexibility they've had since 2020" certainly seems to indicate that's the primary narrative being fed by the organization and likely the same pitch they're making to Giannis. Just seems like a pretty desperate attempt to put any sort of positive spin on the current situation.

Like, if Giannis is staying through this when things are as bleak as they are, then I'm pretty sure he'll stay through just about anything short of us cratering into a 32-win, tail-end of KG's Minnesota career situation. If anything that means you should be prioritizing moves to acquire tradeable assets while taking on bad salary even more, not less. Call up teams like Boston, Sacramento, Phoenix, etc. and figure out how you can take advantage of those guys' cap-hell conundrums.

I don't think it's primarily an outward-facing message, though. They earnestly believe it. It motivated the Middleton trade. We'll see if they can make good on the promise they've made to themselves.

[chonestown]

The main takeaway from the last three playoffs is injuries. Giannis missing two of them and Dame missing a substantial amount and obviously Middleton.

Some think that the main lesson is that the Bucks need to get younger and more athletic? I don't think so, unless those young and athletic guys are also good basketbal players.

Both on this site and in Horst's comments the word athleticism is a constant. It got us AJJ and AJ Johnson and Kuzma. The least athletic of the AJs looks like he might be the best one.

Younger bodies get injured less and have greater resiliency. The Bucks who could play couldn't whereas the Bucks who couldn't play could. The universe act in funny ways.

I've noticed that.

I think I've mentioned it before, but the last time I played basketball (years ago) I had just returned fron breaking my fingers once again. I got on the court and when I took my frst shot my finger broke again. Nobody touched me. The end.

I'll be dad-gummed if I'm putting my posting fingers in peril.

Take care of them, they'll take care of you.

[The Wet Whistle]

Would still like to explore Mark Williams trades. Tyler, Ajax, Livingston matches salary-wise but I don't know what the actual pick compensation would look like

[Ron Swanson]

Jim O., Justin Garcia, and Nehm all parroting the same talking point about "most cap flexibility they've had since 2020" certainly seems to indicate that's the primary narrative being fed by the organization and likely the same pitch they're making to Giannis. Just seems like a pretty desperate attempt to put any sort of positive spin on the current situation.

Like, if Giannis is staying through this when things are as bleak as they are, then I'm pretty sure he'll stay through just about anything short of us cratering into a 32-win, tail-end of KG's Minnesota career situation. If anything that means you should be prioritizing moves to acquire tradeable assets while taking on bad salary even more, not less. Call up teams like Boston, Sacramento, Phoenix, etc. and figure out how you can take advantage of those guys' cap-hell conundrums.

I don't think it's primarily an outward-facing message, though. They earnestly believe it. It motivated the Middleton trade. We'll see if they can make good on the promise they've made to themselves.

Agree and disagree. It was definitely a factor, but everything we've seen (I remember pointing out that we were heavily rumored in wanting Kuzma at the 2024 trade deadline) would indicate that this organization (whether it Doc or Horst) valued Kyle Kuzma as a player. If they're saying "this was the plan all along", then I think it's pure spin.

[CharityStripe34]

Either way they definitely have some work to do with the newfound "flexibility." As I'm sure they're toiling away trying to come up with the best moves they can to make improvements while remaining under the second apron.

[chonestown]

The main takeaway from the last three playoffs is injuries. Giannis missing two of them and Dame missing a substantial amount and obviously Middleton.

Some think that the main lesson is that the Bucks need to get younger and more athletic? I don't think so, unless those young and athletic guys are also good basketbal players.

Both on this site and in Horst's comments the word athleticism is a constant. It got us AJJ and AJ Johnson and Kuzma. The least athletic of the AJs looks like he might be the best one.

Younger bodies get injured less and have greater resiliency. The Bucks who could play couldn't whereas the Bucks who couldn't play could. The universe act in funny ways.

True to an extent. Giannis was 26, 28 and 29 when he missed key playoff games

Giannis also weathered what looked to be a catastrophic knee injury at that early age.

It's no wonder GSW ran out of gas/were ailing based on who their 3 most important players were.

The Knicks look beat to hell because Thibs is on a mission to prematurely age his horses.

The Bucks, brother, we know that story.

I pick on The Ringer for a ton of things, but one of the biggest is discounting age and injury history when determining team destiny. Old players get hurt. Players who have an injury history will continue to add to that injury history.

[emunney]

Jim O., Justin Garcia, and Nehm all parroting the same talking point about "most cap flexibility they've had since 2020" certainly seems to indicate that's the primary narrative being fed by the organization and likely the same pitch they're making to Giannis. Just seems like a pretty desperate attempt to put any sort of positive spin on the current situation.

Like, if Giannis is staying through this when things are as bleak as they are, then I'm pretty sure he'll stay through just about anything short of us cratering into a 32-win, tail-end of KG's Minnesota career situation. If anything that means you should be prioritizing moves to acquire tradeable assets while taking on bad salary even more, not less. Call up teams like Boston, Sacramento, Phoenix, etc. and figure out how you can take advantage of those guys' cap-hell conundrums.

I don't think it's primarily an outward-facing message, though. They earnestly believe it. It motivated the Middleton trade. We'll see if they can make good on the promise they've made to themselves.

Agree and disagree. It was definitely a factor, but everything we've seen (I remember pointing out that we were heavily rumored in wanting Kuzma at the 2024 trade deadline) would indicate that this organization (whether it Doc or Horst) valued Kyle Kuzma as a player. If they're saying "this was the plan all along", then I think it's pure spin.

I think it became a kind of 2 birds 1 stone situation when they found they would have to give up their 2031 pick to drop Pat and Middleton's rehab dragged on. It felt like a shot across the bow when they leaked that Middleton had been cleared medically but was waiting until he felt normal, and I wonder if we'd have done Pat and the 2031 if Middleton had come back on the timeline they expected and his minutes were in the upper 20s like they had been the year before.

I think they were going to do what it took to drop below the 2nd apron one way or another though, and that Kuzma and their persistent interest in him is part of why they went that way to do it.

[Bernman]

Jim O., Justin Garcia, and Nehm all parroting the same talking point about "most cap flexibility they've had since 2020" certainly seems to indicate that's the primary narrative being fed by the organization and likely the same pitch they're making to Giannis. Just seems like a pretty desperate attempt to put any sort of positive spin on the current situation.

It's true to a good extent. Horst has done a significant amount w/ less in FA. It's his one skill. I'm semi-excited to see what's in store w/ a full MLE, BAE, etc. It, in conjunction w/ pointing out lineup data w/ alternatives last yr, is a superior pitch to an uninspiring "gap yr".

Ideally it would be supplemented by a trade involving the '31 1st that nets Giannis an adequate running mate. But usually those entail Horst losing his shirt & pants.

Like, if Giannis is staying through this when things are as bleak as they are, then I'm pretty sure he'll stay through just about anything short of us cratering into a 32-win, tail-end of KG's Minnesota career situation. If anything that means you should be prioritizing moves to acquire tradeable assets while taking on bad salary even more, not less. Call up teams like Boston, Sacramento, Phoenix, etc. and figure out how you can take advantage of those guys' cap-hell conundrums.

I don't look at it that way. This is the 1st season post Dame experiment. That was partially Giannis' doing. So he ought to give them a half season minimum to pivot, & same goes for ourselves, unless maybe we're made an offer we can't refuse (Flagg & friends).

[BigO]

Younger bodies get injured less and have greater resiliency. The Bucks who could play couldn't whereas the Bucks who couldn't play could. The universe act in funny ways.

I've noticed that.

I think I've mentioned it before, but the last time I played basketball (years ago) I had just returned fron breaking my fingers once again. I got on the court and when I took my frst shot my finger broke again. Nobody touched me. The end.

I'll be dad-gummed if I'm putting my posting fingers in peril.

Take care of them, they'll take care of you.

"Dad-gummed"? Now you're using words my grandfather used and he was born in the 1880s.

[tydett]

I've noticed that.

I think I've mentioned it before, but the last time I played basketball (years ago) I had just returned fron breaking my fingers once again. I got on the court and when I took my frst shot my finger broke again. Nobody touched me. The end.

I'll be dad-gummed if I'm putting my posting fingers in peril.

Take care of them, they'll take care of you.

"Dad-gummed"? Now you're using words my grandfather used and he was born in the 1880s.

Chonestown is not for an age, but for all time