Bucks looking at Bledsoe, probably.

[Waukee Taukee]

you must be drunk as kidd to believe that bledsoe can learn something from him, you bucks fans are real funny but i enjoy reading this bledsoe nonsense here

Even if Bledsoe to MKE is a pipe dream, the consolation will be in forcing your Suns to max him out.


Comments like I just deleted are not allowed here, even if he deserved it. Thx. MD

[FlagsFlyForever]

We've been going around in circles and I think it all comes down to how we expect the Bucks to do next year. I think they will be in line for a top draft pick, so I want to tank. If I thought we'd be challenging for a playoff spot this year, I would agree that the smart move is to get Bledsoe.

To the people who want to sign Bledsoe to the max:

What is the first year the Bucks will be competing for a championship if everything goes right?
If we sign Bledsoe to the max and he becomes a superstar, surpassing the 18/5/5 & 3.3 turnovers he put up last year, do you think he'd resign here in 2018 when he's a highly sought after free agent?

To those saying we shouldn't pass on Bledsoe because he will likely be better than anybody we could draft, I agree. If Bledsoe was in next year's draft class, I'd still draft him #1 overall even though he'd be 26 for most of his rookie season. People keep mentioning that Bledsoe is young and I'm yet to hear an answer why his age matters. Who cares if we have a young core? We should just want a core that's going to compete for a championship regardless of age, I would've thought the Spurs have shown everybody by now that age doesn't matter. The problem with Bledsoe is he's going to be on a max contract and we only have him for four years, the first two of which I feel are harmful to us ever winning a championship.

It's not just that I don't expect this team compete for a championship in 2015 or 2016, it's also that every year we put off committing to a guy is an extra year we get out of them (for example if we sign Rubio next year, we get him through 2019). It's also important to note that whichever rookie we draft next year (which would be a higher pick without Bledsoe) will be under our control until 2023. And finally, 28 year old Bledsoe will be a free agent in 2018. That is a great time to make a run at him.

[Newz]

For the people that want to wait, what guards do you want to target in FA or the draft next year? Lets just assume that teams aren't going to trade their good young point guards.

Well I think you are assuming we need a great point guard to win when we don't. I want us to add more young talent and I'd prefer we do it through the draft... and in 2-4 years when we know more about Giannis and Jabari, then start to add pieces around them.

If we are going to be good with Giannis and Jabari being two of our top 3 players, then those are the guys who are going to have the ball in their hands, they will be the guys making plays, running the offense, etc. At least that's what I personally would assume based on their games. You want Giannis to develop into a point forward who can set other guys up and you want Parker to not only be a finisher, but a guy who can create offense for himself and others.

I'd rather just wait. The idea that no guy like Bledsoe will ever be available again is kind of odd... if he was to come here it would be his third team in a two year span. Plenty of good players move around. If we need to land a second tier star to put us over the hump we should be able to do so using the draft itself, trading picks, trading assets, using our cap room, etc.

I just don't get the sudden urge to try to jump right back into that 35-45 win range. I get people are excited... but I personally think it's clouding their judgement. Giannis is unproven, Parker is unproven. Trying to add a "third guy" when you don't even have a guy yet is a mistake, IMO.

Now, we could certainly do worse than Bledsoe. If Parker and Giannis both hit their upside, then it could definitely work out. I just don't see why we'd take that risk right now. If Parker and Giannis were to both show very little this year, then we'd once again be awful and we could take another shot at a player in the top 5-10 in the draft.

[RRyder823]

For the that don't want Bledsoe because they want a "long term rebuild" you guys do realize that the "long term" of that just isn't going to happen. It's possible we could be bad this next season but in 2 years this team is going to be pulling out all the stops to make a splash and win and surround Giannis and Jabari with more pieces so I don't get the major argument against it now.... You either get your 3rd piece now or you hope for it in the draft this next year or hope like hell a similar opportunity for a player presents itself but a long term rebuild as some want probably isn't happening anytime soon.

People can gloss over it all they want but there is no way an arena deal gets done without the Bucks generating more interest and the quickest way do that is to get some wins. We got buzz right now from the sale of the team, getting Jabari and poaching Kidd but that buzz isn't going to last long....... Win 3 of the first 20 games next year and check to see how many "casual" fans care whether the Bucks stay or go.... The pressure to win quickly is going to be huge for the new owners. I'm not sure the Bucks stay in town without getting more wins early on...And before some starting preaching "OH no. It's Kohl all over again" having 2 19 years at the forfront even if it's just the 6-8 seed for a year or 2 is far and away from not rebuilding the right way

[Rockmaninoff]

Oh please. Remember when You could do the same thing with Mo Williams numbers?

Where is Mo on that list? Are you talking about his outlier season at age 24 where he didn't meet the parameters?

Bledsoe's per 36 numbers are pretty constant through his four seasons. Bledsoe is 100x a better athlete and defender than Williams. Nice try though.

You're missing the point. The point is that you can take a data set, and manipulate it pretty easily to put a player in rare air. What's truly funny here is that the player you're arguing for didn't even meet the parameters you yourself set.

Those were Bledsoe's numbers from last season?

I understand that parameters can be manipulated to make an argument, and i'm not saying he's either MJ, just that those are encouraging names.

[Rockmaninoff]

I don't get the risk in acquiring Bledsoe. If Giannis and Jabari bust, and Bledsoe gets injured, the Bucks are right back in the tank. If they bust and Bledsoe is a star, he can be traded. Etc.

What is the timeline for a new arena? We can wait 2-4 years to see what we got?

[White+Purple]

We've been going around in circles and I think it all comes down to how we expect the Bucks to do next year. I think they will be in line for a top draft pick, so I want to tank. If I thought we'd be challenging for a playoff spot this year, I would agree that the smart move is to get Bledsoe.

To the people who want to sign Bledsoe to the max:

What is the first year the Bucks will be competing for a championship if everything goes right?
If we sign Bledsoe to the max and he becomes a superstar, surpassing the 18/5/5 & 3.3 turnovers he put up last year, do you think he'd resign here in 2018 when he's a highly sought after free agent?

To those saying we shouldn't pass on Bledsoe because he will likely be better than anybody we could draft, I agree. If Bledsoe was in next year's draft class, I'd still draft him #1 overall even though he'd be 26 for most of his rookie season. People keep mentioning that Bledsoe is young and I'm yet to hear an answer why his age matters. Who cares if we have a young core? We should just want a core that's going to compete for a championship regardless of age, I would've thought the Spurs have shown everybody by now that age doesn't matter. The problem with Bledsoe is he's going to be on a max contract and we only have him for four years, the first two of which I feel are harmful to us ever winning a championship.

It's not just that I don't expect this team compete for a championship in 2015 or 2016, it's also that every year we put off committing to a guy is an extra year we get out of them (for example if we sign Rubio next year, we get him through 2019). It's also important to note that whichever rookie we draft next year (which would be a higher pick without Bledsoe) will be under our control until 2023. And finally, 28 year old Bledsoe will be a free agent in 2018. That is a great time to make a run at him.

I agree strongly with your post except for two points:

What is the first year the Bucks will be competing for a championship if everything goes right?
If we sign Bledsoe to the max and he becomes a superstar, surpassing the 18/5/5 & 3.3 turnovers he put up last year, do you think he'd resign here in 2018 when he's a highly sought after free agent?

If you're competing for the championship in year four that ought to persuade him to stay. Regardless, 'they might not stay in Milwaukee' can't be a reason for not doing something.

And finally, 28 year old Bledsoe will be a free agent in 2018. That is a great time to make a run at him.

HIs elite athleticism will peak at 25/26 and crash at 30 - I'm staying away from him in 2018.

[RRyder823]

We've been going around in circles and I think it all comes down to how we expect the Bucks to do next year. I think they will be in line for a top draft pick, so I want to tank. If I thought we'd be challenging for a playoff spot this year, I would agree that the smart move is to get Bledsoe.

To the people who want to sign Bledsoe to the max:

What is the first year the Bucks will be competing for a championship if everything goes right?
If we sign Bledsoe to the max and he becomes a superstar, surpassing the 18/5/5 & 3.3 turnovers he put up last year, do you think he'd resign here in 2018 when he's a highly sought after free agent?

To those saying we shouldn't pass on Bledsoe because he will likely be better than anybody we could draft, I agree. If Bledsoe was in next year's draft class, I'd still draft him #1 overall even though he'd be 26 for most of his rookie season. People keep mentioning that Bledsoe is young and I'm yet to hear an answer why his age matters. Who cares if we have a young core? We should just want a core that's going to compete for a championship regardless of age, I would've thought the Spurs have shown everybody by now that age doesn't matter. The problem with Bledsoe is he's going to be on a max contract and we only have him for four years, the first two of which I feel are harmful to us ever winning a championship.

It's not just that I don't expect this team compete for a championship in 2015 or 2016, it's also that every year we put off committing to a guy is an extra year we get out of them (for example if we sign Rubio next year, we get him through 2019). It's also important to note that whichever rookie we draft next year (which would be a higher pick without Bledsoe) will be under our control until 2023. And finally, 28 year old Bledsoe will be a free agent in 2018. That is a great time to make a run at him.

I get what your saying but we obviously just think differently about how the Bucks will look this season even without Bledsoe. To answer your first question if absolutely every thing goes right I could see competing in the 3 years.

And to answer your second question the answer is yes. If he becomes a stud and both Giannis and Jabari do the same it becomes difficult to walk away from a championship contending team at the age of 28 and we're wiling to pay him. Plus by that time hopefully he's developed reporte' with both Giannis and Jabari which would help not only retain him but also improve play on the court.

I do understand the logic between going after him in 2018 instead of now I just disagree. There's no knowing who would be making a push for him at the time or whether we'd have the space to do... In terms of signed players I think it's easier to Resign top players when you have a winning team then it is to persuade top players to Leave their current team to play for you...

[White+Purple]

I don't get the risk in acquiring Bledsoe. If Giannis and Jabari bust, and Bledsoe gets injured, the Bucks are right back in the tank. If they bust and Bledsoe is a star, he can be traded. Etc.

What is the timeline for a new arena? We can wait 2-4 years to see what we got?

There's no risk IF we're prepared to tear it down and jump back in the tank. Obvious disclaimer is obvious but I've been scarred by years of Kohl.

[ReasonablySober]

OKC won 50 games in Durant's 3rd season, Denver won 49 in Melo's 3rd.

If the Bucks got Bledsoe I could see them winning 50 games by his (and Parker's) third season here.

[LUKE23]

OKC won 50 games in Durant's 3rd season, Denver won 49 in Melo's 3rd.

If the Bucks got Bledsoe I could see them winning 50 games by his (and Parker's) third season here.

I just said the exact same thing to my buddy. 50+ win team by Parker's third season.

[Mags FTW]

Some of you guys are typing a lot of words.

[SupremeHustle]

Serious question: Has there ever been a team that wasn't trying to "win now" offer a free agent, particularly one that's not their own, a max salary?

There's so much pressure that comes with maxing a guy out. Not only on that player, but the organization. Nobody should be down with giving a player the max to develop him and hope he grows with the team, unless that player is Anthony Davis. You give a guy the max because you expect him to bring you wins now.

That's my $0.02

[ReasonablySober]

Serious question: Has there ever been a team that wasn't trying to "win now" offer a free agent, particularly one that's not their own, a max salary?

There's so much pressure that comes with maxing a guy out. Not only on that player, but the organization. Nobody should be down with giving a player the max to develop him and hope he grows with the team, unless that player is Anthony Davis. You give a guy the max because you expect him to bring you wins now.

That's my $0.02

The two I can remember both involve the Hawks.

The Grizzlies, coming off a 22 win season, signing Josh Smith to a 5/$58 million deal. The Hawks matched and Memphis won only 24 the following year.

The Hawks that same summer were coming off a 13 win season. They landed Joe Johnson in a sign and trade for 5/$70. The Hawks, now with Smith and Johnson both making hella huge money, went from 13 wins to 26.

[europa]

Go get him, Kidd.

[mlloyd10]

Go get him, Kidd.

???

[LittleRooster]

Go get him, Kidd.

Bledsoe? Inquiring minds must know!

[Bernman]

If everything goes right, we can contend for a championship in year 2. We're not like OKC in that we have to wait a couple more years to assemble our core, like they did in drafting Westbrook and Ibaka the year after Durant, and finally Harden a year after that. Our core would already be here, developing together. Plus, our Ibaka, in Larry Sanders, is 25 not 19. Our Westbrook, in Eric Bledsoe, is 24 not 20. So part of our core would already be developed, unlike theirs. So it's more like year 2, with the caveat that everything goes right, namely: Bledsoe stays healthy, Sanders level-headed, Parker is as NBA ready as suggested, and Giannis recovers his pre rookie wall hitting form plus builds off that at the rate of a normal 19-20 year old.

As far as these comments are concerned about it's not going to happen because we aren't quite under the salary cap far enough, that's just wrong. The Rockets are in much worse shape salary cap wise to sign Bosh to the veteran player max, yet they're still making the offer. We'd get under the salary cap enough to sign Mini LeBron with real minor maneuvering. You think if the Bucks are offering him the max they don't have a plan to make that work?

And fans like Sonne from other teams must be threatened, otherwise why'd he come here to try and discredit us and our chances? We should welcome the trolls....it means we're relevant for the first time in a long time. Other team's fans are worried by us. We're making moves. We're no longer the league's doormat they can exploit. We're operating in competition with other franchises in the league, as it should be. We should really be enjoying this.

[Newz]

If everything goes right, we can contend for a championship in year 2.

That will never happen. Bledsoe or not we will not be a contender next year. Zero percent chance of that happening.

[Ayt]

Also, you're not even paying Parker on his second deal until Bledsoe is up. By then, Sanders is also expired, and the vet contracts are all gone. Our cap is in fine shape to re-configure the roster a ton after the Bledsoe deal. Personally, I think a Bledsoe/Giannis/Parker/Sanders core murders. That's top 8 in defense annually, and then offensively it still has a good amount of potential as well. Put a floor spacing low usage guy at SG.

Since we have so few attractive assets how do the Bucks clear enough cap space to sign Bledsoe anyway? Henson & Knight only clears around $5mil - way way way short. Does anyone really think Phoenix or anyone else is going to take Mayo, Ersan or Zaza off our hands without giving salary back? There are very few teams that could absorb any of those three - Philly and Suns - but why would they take on all that salary? For a 2nd round pick? Yeah right. We sure would be dumb to give up a 1st. This whole discussion is based on complete unreality.

Same with getting Lin & NO's 1st from Houston. If Rockets want to clear salary they want nothing back except maybe a 2nd ot minimum salary player. So how do we fit Lin?

We have the cap room to simply absorb Lin's contract. He only counts 8.4M against the cap.

We've been going around in circles and I think it all comes down to how we expect the Bucks to do next year. I think they will be in line for a top draft pick, so I want to tank. If I thought we'd be challenging for a playoff spot this year, I would agree that the smart move is to get Bledsoe.

To the people who want to sign Bledsoe to the max:

What is the first year the Bucks will be competing for a championship if everything goes right?
If we sign Bledsoe to the max and he becomes a superstar, surpassing the 18/5/5 & 3.3 turnovers he put up last year, do you think he'd resign here in 2018 when he's a highly sought after free agent?

To those saying we shouldn't pass on Bledsoe because he will likely be better than anybody we could draft, I agree. If Bledsoe was in next year's draft class, I'd still draft him #1 overall even though he'd be 26 for most of his rookie season. People keep mentioning that Bledsoe is young and I'm yet to hear an answer why his age matters. Who cares if we have a young core? We should just want a core that's going to compete for a championship regardless of age, I would've thought the Spurs have shown everybody by now that age doesn't matter. The problem with Bledsoe is he's going to be on a max contract and we only have him for four years, the first two of which I feel are harmful to us ever winning a championship.

It's not just that I don't expect this team compete for a championship in 2015 or 2016, it's also that every year we put off committing to a guy is an extra year we get out of them (for example if we sign Rubio next year, we get him through 2019). It's also important to note that whichever rookie we draft next year (which would be a higher pick without Bledsoe) will be under our control until 2023. And finally, 28 year old Bledsoe will be a free agent in 2018. That is a great time to make a run at him.

Why are you assuming we couldn't extend Bledsoe if things work out?