It is absoloutely Negligent of the Milwaukee Bucks to not field Giannis offers

[jbk1234]

They don't have the assets to pull off both in the same year

An expiring Dame (who may actually see the court before the end of the season) and an expiring Kuzma ($20M) can't get moved with an unprotected 31st and unprotected 32 swap?

I think they could. Again, I'm not saying it's prudent to do this. I'm saying there's a needle to be threaded if they really want to.

Sorry, I meant they don't have enough assets to both move those guys and bring good new players in. As you point out, they need to attach whatever they have to just get off of them.

They'll essentially have Giannis as the only guy on the books and there are some big names available that summer.

[bkkrh]

Maybe it would also make sense to point out how that salary cap is actually set up.

For next season it's literally Giannis, Dame and Kuzma. Kuzma is on a declining contract that goes down 2 Million per season, so he is pretty tradeable. Portis and Connaughton have player options this offseason and at least Portis will probably decline. Everything else are players on Rookie contracts.

For 26-27 it's just Giannis, Dame on a player option, Kuzma and 3 players on Rookie contracts, 2 of them being team options. Dame will be on a player option (that he most likely will take) and won't be untradeable if they want to trade him. Either he shows that he has still something left in the tank, so a team might get him to resign him, or there might just be a team that wants to rebuild and will take on his contract. The Wizards were able to trade John Wall on a max contract after he hadn't played for 1.5 years not so long ago.

So this is definitely not a doomsday scenario for Milwaukee.

[GiannisAnte34]

It is absolutely negligent that Milwaukee doesn’t trade Giannis for the Raptors pile of junk /s

[mademan]

I dont think theyre ever gonna be a real contender again, but the east is garbage and they put some random role players around him, they might break through. If Giannis wants to stay and end his career there, they should welcome it. Having the entire career of a top 25ish GOAT is not nothing.

[NyKnicks1714]

There's no way around it, and I think this should be a separate post from the Giannis trade request. The Bucks are in deep, deep trouble.

Cause let's be honest, this is a horrible horrible situation right now.

This is misguided. Treadmill team with a top 3 player who the fans love is a pretty damn good situation for a franchise like Milwaukee. It will be a long time before they get a player of his caliber again. If he's happy to stay then they are absolutely right to keep him.

It's not misguided at all. I don't think it's as cut and dry as just having a top 3 player and calling it a day. Sure, having Giannis is a huge asset, and I agree it’s rare to have a player of his caliber, especially in a small market city like Milwaukee but it doesn't make it a "pretty damn good situation". It’s also about what you have and how you surround him with the right pieces to truly compete for championships. The Bucks might have a narrow window, but there’s a real risk of becoming stagnant or losing Giannis when he realizes it’s not going anywhere and it's just a matter of time if that continues before his loyalty is tested. Without Giannis they might give the Wizards and Jazz a run for their money at the lottery and that's not a good situation at all. Yes, the fanbase loves him, but loyalty only goes so far when you're stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity. They can't just sit back and hope it works out.

For a pretty undesirable FA destination, cold-weather, small-market franchise, it pretty much is that cut and dried. They'll have to strike gold to ever get a player like Giannis again. In the 12 years since he was drafted, there have only been four players drafted on his level or better: Jokic, SGA, Luka, Wemby. They'll likely never attract an elite free agent. They'll likely never have an elite player demand a trade to them.

Too many fans think all teams should adopt a "championship or bust" mentality. The Bucks are a great example of a team who shouldn't. The risk of being terrible for many years is so much stronger than the potential upside of a tear-down and rebuild.

[PaulKellerman]

Good thing you aren't the GM in Milwaukee-They waited 50 years to win a title. Odds of drafting another Giannis even with a top 3 pick is minuscule and at #15? Unfathomable

You keep Giannis as long as possible and if he asks out, you do anything and everything to persuade him to stay. Never preempt something this monumental

[Profound23]

Well according to the realGM trade offers Bucks can't get better than Lu Dort and some picks back for Giannis so wouldn't it be negligent to trade him?

[Scottie Pimpin]

This is misguided. Treadmill team with a top 3 player who the fans love is a pretty damn good situation for a franchise like Milwaukee. It will be a long time before they get a player of his caliber again. If he's happy to stay then they are absolutely right to keep him.

It's not misguided at all. I don't think it's as cut and dry as just having a top 3 player and calling it a day. Sure, having Giannis is a huge asset, and I agree it’s rare to have a player of his caliber, especially in a small market city like Milwaukee but it doesn't make it a "pretty damn good situation". It’s also about what you have and how you surround him with the right pieces to truly compete for championships. The Bucks might have a narrow window, but there’s a real risk of becoming stagnant or losing Giannis when he realizes it’s not going anywhere and it's just a matter of time if that continues before his loyalty is tested. Without Giannis they might give the Wizards and Jazz a run for their money at the lottery and that's not a good situation at all. Yes, the fanbase loves him, but loyalty only goes so far when you're stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity. They can't just sit back and hope it works out.

For a pretty undesirable FA destination, cold-weather, small-market franchise, it pretty much is that cut and dried. They'll have to strike gold to ever get a player like Giannis again. In the 12 years since he was drafted, there have only been four players drafted on his level or better: Jokic, SGA, Luka, Wemby. They'll likely never attract an elite free agent. They'll likely never have an elite player demand a trade to them.

Too many fans think all teams should adopt a "championship or bust" mentality. The Bucks are a great example of a team who shouldn't. The risk of being terrible for many years is so much stronger than the potential upside of a tear-down and rebuild.

Good thing you aren't the GM in Milwaukee-They waited 50 years to win a title. Odds of drafting another Giannis even with a top 3 pick is minuscule and at #15? Unfathomable

You keep Giannis as long as possible and if he asks out, you do anything and everything to persuade him to stay. Never preempt something this monumental

Lol this is a losing mentality. Settling for permanent mediocrity is a far worse fate. It's hard for any team, big market size or not to attain players of that caliber.

Take OKC for example, they're probably a bottom 3 NBA destination, yet they've managed separate contention iterations. Everyone thought that their best chance at winning a championship was with the KD, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka team and that they'd never have another chance again, but here we are in 2025, and the Thunder are a juggernaut team on the verge of potentially winning their first championship.

The team is as good as they are because of great management that put them in the position to excel through the draft, developing their players, trades, and free agent signings that compliment the team. Literally the same concept can be applied to the Pacers, who are also in the NBA finals. Both teams are successful because they aren't settling on mediocrity yet you have fans in here saying everything is good and that the Bucks should stay the course, one of which is ironically an OKC fan. I'd hate to have a front office or ownership group with a mentality like this.

[PaulKellerman]

It's not misguided at all. I don't think it's as cut and dry as just having a top 3 player and calling it a day. Sure, having Giannis is a huge asset, and I agree it’s rare to have a player of his caliber, especially in a small market city like Milwaukee but it doesn't make it a "pretty damn good situation". It’s also about what you have and how you surround him with the right pieces to truly compete for championships. The Bucks might have a narrow window, but there’s a real risk of becoming stagnant or losing Giannis when he realizes it’s not going anywhere and it's just a matter of time if that continues before his loyalty is tested. Without Giannis they might give the Wizards and Jazz a run for their money at the lottery and that's not a good situation at all. Yes, the fanbase loves him, but loyalty only goes so far when you're stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity. They can't just sit back and hope it works out.

For a pretty undesirable FA destination, cold-weather, small-market franchise, it pretty much is that cut and dried. They'll have to strike gold to ever get a player like Giannis again. In the 12 years since he was drafted, there have only been four players drafted on his level or better: Jokic, SGA, Luka, Wemby. They'll likely never attract an elite free agent. They'll likely never have an elite player demand a trade to them.

Too many fans think all teams should adopt a "championship or bust" mentality. The Bucks are a great example of a team who shouldn't. The risk of being terrible for many years is so much stronger than the potential upside of a tear-down and rebuild.

Good thing you aren't the GM in Milwaukee-They waited 50 years to win a title. Odds of drafting another Giannis even with a top 3 pick is minuscule and at #15? Unfathomable

You keep Giannis as long as possible and if he asks out, you do anything and everything to persuade him to stay. Never preempt something this monumental

Lol this is a losing mentality. Settling for permanent mediocrity is a far worse fate. It's hard for any team, big market size or not to attain players of that caliber.

Take OKC for example, they're probably a bottom 3 NBA destination, yet they've managed separate contention iterations. Everyone thought that their best chance at winning a championship was with the KD, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka team and that they'd never have another chance again, but here we are in 2025, and the Thunder are a juggernaut team on the verge of potentially winning their first championship.

The team is as good as they are because of great management that put them in the position to excel through the draft, developing their players, trades, and free agent signings that compliment the team. Literally the same concept can be applied to the Pacers, who are also in the NBA finals. Both teams are successful because they aren't settling on mediocrity yet you have fans in here saying everything is good and that the Bucks should stay the course, one of which is ironically an OKC fan. I'd hate to have a front office or ownership group with a mentality like this.

OKC never had someone at the level of Giannis. You ought to know that before talking. The Thunder only tore the team down after KD bolted, Russ and PG failed. They never did willingly trade their stars. It was always the athlete that wanted out.

[NyKnicks1714]

It's not misguided at all. I don't think it's as cut and dry as just having a top 3 player and calling it a day. Sure, having Giannis is a huge asset, and I agree it’s rare to have a player of his caliber, especially in a small market city like Milwaukee but it doesn't make it a "pretty damn good situation". It’s also about what you have and how you surround him with the right pieces to truly compete for championships. The Bucks might have a narrow window, but there’s a real risk of becoming stagnant or losing Giannis when he realizes it’s not going anywhere and it's just a matter of time if that continues before his loyalty is tested. Without Giannis they might give the Wizards and Jazz a run for their money at the lottery and that's not a good situation at all. Yes, the fanbase loves him, but loyalty only goes so far when you're stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity. They can't just sit back and hope it works out.

For a pretty undesirable FA destination, cold-weather, small-market franchise, it pretty much is that cut and dried. They'll have to strike gold to ever get a player like Giannis again. In the 12 years since he was drafted, there have only been four players drafted on his level or better: Jokic, SGA, Luka, Wemby. They'll likely never attract an elite free agent. They'll likely never have an elite player demand a trade to them.

Too many fans think all teams should adopt a "championship or bust" mentality. The Bucks are a great example of a team who shouldn't. The risk of being terrible for many years is so much stronger than the potential upside of a tear-down and rebuild.

Lol this is a losing mentality. Settling for permanent mediocrity is a far worse fate.

Great cliche but it's not reality. There is way too much to consider for an NBA franchise to simply tear down the entire team no matter what if it's not on a championship course. Retaining Giannis for the next several years and consistently losing in the 1st or 2nd round is a much better fate than going full rebuild, being at the bottom of the league for a few years in hopes of getting back to that same level one day, with a miniscule chance of contending for a championship in half a decade or more.

[Scottie Pimpin]

For a pretty undesirable FA destination, cold-weather, small-market franchise, it pretty much is that cut and dried. They'll have to strike gold to ever get a player like Giannis again. In the 12 years since he was drafted, there have only been four players drafted on his level or better: Jokic, SGA, Luka, Wemby. They'll likely never attract an elite free agent. They'll likely never have an elite player demand a trade to them.

Too many fans think all teams should adopt a "championship or bust" mentality. The Bucks are a great example of a team who shouldn't. The risk of being terrible for many years is so much stronger than the potential upside of a tear-down and rebuild.

Good thing you aren't the GM in Milwaukee-They waited 50 years to win a title. Odds of drafting another Giannis even with a top 3 pick is minuscule and at #15? Unfathomable

You keep Giannis as long as possible and if he asks out, you do anything and everything to persuade him to stay. Never preempt something this monumental

Lol this is a losing mentality. Settling for permanent mediocrity is a far worse fate. It's hard for any team, big market size or not to attain players of that caliber.

Take OKC for example, they're probably a bottom 3 NBA destination, yet they've managed separate contention iterations. Everyone thought that their best chance at winning a championship was with the KD, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka team and that they'd never have another chance again, but here we are in 2025, and the Thunder are a juggernaut team on the verge of potentially winning their first championship.

The team is as good as they are because of great management that put them in the position to excel through the draft, developing their players, trades, and free agent signings that compliment the team. Literally the same concept can be applied to the Pacers, who are also in the NBA finals. Both teams are successful because they aren't settling on mediocrity yet you have fans in here saying everything is good and that the Bucks should stay the course, one of which is ironically an OKC fan. I'd hate to have a front office or ownership group with a mentality like this.

OKC never had someone at the level of Giannis. You ought to know that before talking. The Thunder only tore the team down after KD bolted, Russ and PG failed. They never did willingly trade their stars. It was always the athlete that wanted out.

Lots of revisionist history all in one post.

[NyKnicks1714]

For a pretty undesirable FA destination, cold-weather, small-market franchise, it pretty much is that cut and dried. They'll have to strike gold to ever get a player like Giannis again. In the 12 years since he was drafted, there have only been four players drafted on his level or better: Jokic, SGA, Luka, Wemby. They'll likely never attract an elite free agent. They'll likely never have an elite player demand a trade to them.

Too many fans think all teams should adopt a "championship or bust" mentality. The Bucks are a great example of a team who shouldn't. The risk of being terrible for many years is so much stronger than the potential upside of a tear-down and rebuild.

Good thing you aren't the GM in Milwaukee-They waited 50 years to win a title. Odds of drafting another Giannis even with a top 3 pick is minuscule and at #15? Unfathomable

You keep Giannis as long as possible and if he asks out, you do anything and everything to persuade him to stay. Never preempt something this monumental

Lol this is a losing mentality. Settling for permanent mediocrity is a far worse fate. It's hard for any team, big market size or not to attain players of that caliber.

Take OKC for example, they're probably a bottom 3 NBA destination, yet they've managed separate contention iterations. Everyone thought that their best chance at winning a championship was with the KD, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka team and that they'd never have another chance again, but here we are in 2025, and the Thunder are a juggernaut team on the verge of potentially winning their first championship.

The team is as good as they are because of great management that put them in the position to excel through the draft, developing their players, trades, and free agent signings that compliment the team. Literally the same concept can be applied to the Pacers, who are also in the NBA finals. Both teams are successful because they aren't settling on mediocrity yet you have fans in here saying everything is good and that the Bucks should stay the course, one of which is ironically an OKC fan. I'd hate to have a front office or ownership group with a mentality like this.

OKC never had someone at the level of Giannis. You ought to know that before talking. The Thunder only tore the team down after KD bolted, Russ and PG failed. They never did willingly trade their stars. It was always the athlete that wanted out.

Come to think of it, before Dallas this season (and we saw how bad the backlash was), has any team just straight up traded a top 3-4 player in their prime without either that player requesting a trade or being likely to leave in free agency?

[Dame Lizard]

There's no way around it, and I think this should be a separate post from the Giannis trade request. The Bucks are in deep, deep trouble.

Cause let's be honest, this is a horrible horrible situation right now.

This is misguided. Treadmill team with a top 3 player who the fans love is a pretty damn good situation for a franchise like Milwaukee. It will be a long time before they get a player of his caliber again. If he's happy to stay then they are absolutely right to keep him.

Agree. If Giannis is happy to stay, it's an easy decision to keep things as they are. You won a recent championship as a small market team - that's a tremendous achievement.

Alternatively, if Giannis isn't happy, it's an easy trade. He's been your organisation's GOAT and great for the city. You respect that and work with him on his request.

[Raps in 4]

It's dumb, but it's their choice. They could get a head start on their inevitable rebuild by trading him, or they can tread water as a ~40 win team for the next 2-3 years and then start the rebuild naturally once GIannis starts declining. They're going with the latter. Personally, I'd have OKC, SAS, and HOU on the phone trying to get Chet/JDub, Harper, or Sengun/Thompson + a treasure trove of FRPs.

[NyKnicks1714]

There's no way around it, and I think this should be a separate post from the Giannis trade request. The Bucks are in deep, deep trouble.

Cause let's be honest, this is a horrible horrible situation right now.

This is misguided. Treadmill team with a top 3 player who the fans love is a pretty damn good situation for a franchise like Milwaukee. It will be a long time before they get a player of his caliber again. If he's happy to stay then they are absolutely right to keep him.

Agree. If Giannis is happy to stay, it's an easy decision to keep things as they are. You won a recent championship as a small market team - that's a tremendous achievement.

Alternatively, if Giannis isn't happy, it's an easy trade. He's been your organisation's GOAT and great for the city. You respect that and work with him on his request.

Damian Lillard's Blazers were a great example of success without contention. They were never a threat to win a championship with Lillard, but they made the playoffs for 8 straight seasons, they drew fans, and he gave the franchise a lot of great moments and memories.

[Raps in 4]

Lol this is a losing mentality. Settling for permanent mediocrity is a far worse fate. It's hard for any team, big market size or not to attain players of that caliber.

Take OKC for example, they're probably a bottom 3 NBA destination, yet they've managed separate contention iterations. Everyone thought that their best chance at winning a championship was with the KD, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka team and that they'd never have another chance again, but here we are in 2025, and the Thunder are a juggernaut team on the verge of potentially winning their first championship.

The team is as good as they are because of great management that put them in the position to excel through the draft, developing their players, trades, and free agent signings that compliment the team. Literally the same concept can be applied to the Pacers, who are also in the NBA finals. Both teams are successful because they aren't settling on mediocrity yet you have fans in here saying everything is good and that the Bucks should stay the course, one of which is ironically an OKC fan. I'd hate to have a front office or ownership group with a mentality like this.

OKC never had someone at the level of Giannis. You ought to know that before talking. The Thunder only tore the team down after KD bolted, Russ and PG failed. They never did willingly trade their stars. It was always the athlete that wanted out.

Come to think of it, before Dallas this season (and we saw how bad the backlash was), has any team just straight up traded a top 3-4 player in their prime without either that player requesting a trade or being likely to leave in free agency?

It's rare because most superstars in the past would have already signed with someone else/demanded a trade by now. Giannis, Jokic, and Luka are the first generation of European superstars and loyalty is important to them.

Also, Giannis at 30 is exiting his prime.

For Giannis' legacy, I want to see him on a contender. Same for Jokic. Both guys are too good to be forgotten by history, but that's exactly what will happen if they don't win another ring. If NBA fans and pundits were rational people who didn't only consider titles when evaluating players, this wouldn't be a concern.

[Caped Crusader]

This is misguided. Treadmill team with a top 3 player who the fans love is a pretty damn good situation for a franchise like Milwaukee. It will be a long time before they get a player of his caliber again. If he's happy to stay then they are absolutely right to keep him.

Agree. If Giannis is happy to stay, it's an easy decision to keep things as they are. You won a recent championship as a small market team - that's a tremendous achievement.

Alternatively, if Giannis isn't happy, it's an easy trade. He's been your organisation's GOAT and great for the city. You respect that and work with him on his request.

Damian Lillard's Blazers were a great example of success without contention. They were never a threat to win a championship with Lillard, but they made the playoffs for 8 straight seasons, they drew fans, and he gave the franchise a lot of great moments and memories.

You'd be a great GM for an ownership group that's solely focused on profits, but that's about it.

[NZB2323]

The Bucks won a championship with Giannis, they drafted him from overseas, he’s built a home in Milwaukee and does a lot of charity work in the city, and is a fan favorite.

If he doesn’t want to leave I can’t blame the Bucks for keeping him. Teams have also won a championship without trading away their star. The Spurs didn’t trade away David Robinson and won a championship with him, the Celtics didn’t trade away Pierce and won a championship with him, and the Lakers didn’t trade away Kobe when they missed the playoffs in 05.

[phanman]

The Bucks are only relevant because of Giannis and just because they won't have a contender next season it doesn't mean they should trade him away. He's firmly in his prime and unless there's a godfather offer out there, why would you disrupt the flow of the franchise by openly shopping him when he hasn't even hinted at wanting out.

Outside of probably the Middleton trade, everything transaction the organization has made has been under his influence. He's made his bed.

[Sixers in 4]

Look I agree they shouldn't move him if he wants to stay but he clearly doesn't want to stay and the Bucks after the Dame injury are not going to be very good next season.

They should offer him an extension and if he rejects it shop him around or they can wait for him to demand a trade in the offseason and get pennies on the dollar.