You are the GM of the Bucks. What would you do this offseason?

[drosestruts]

I think the Dame trade was simply a bad trade and I would try to move on from it.

Middleton's health makes him unreliable, but when he's good he can still help on both sides of the floor - you just hope that comes during the playoffs.

But step 1 is Dame - Milwaukee should have never inserted themselves into that situation - Dame wants Miami, Miami wants Dame, it's a year later but just make it happen


Miami in: Dame Lillard

Milwaukee in: Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson, Jamie Jaquez Jr (or Jovic), MIA 2024 1st (#15)

Milwaukee needs to embrace the heliocentric offense around Giannis - it's going to be a large USG% for Giannis but it's their best move. Lillard still excelled at getting to the line which will be missed, but Rozier, Robinson, and Jovic all shot better from 3 than Lillard this past year. Let Giannis be Giannis and give him floor spacers. Rozier can do some self-creation/scoring too along with Middleton.

That gives Milaukee 15, 23, and 33 in the draft. I personally would just use all 3 picks in hopes of winning the lottery and finding a gem over consolidating them in an attempt to move up.

Would look at players like - Jared McCain, Tristan da Silva, Devin Carter, Kel'el Ware, Terrence Shannon Jr, and KJ Simpson

If you're franchise is relying on players like that to be your 1A you're in trouble, but Milwaukee has their star and all these players have an ability to contribute as role players immediately - with some even having potential to blossom into more.

After that you're looking at 1-2 vet min signings to round it out

Rozier/
Middleton/Connaughton/Green/Jackson
Giannis/Robinson
Portis/Jovic
Lopez/

Add in 3 rookies (imagine you get McCain, Ware, and Simpson) + Thanisis probably + one other vet min player (let's say Daniel Theis) and that's your 2024-25 Bucks

Rozier/McCain/Simpson
Middleton/Connaughton/Green/Jackson
Giannis/Robinson
Portis/Jovic/Thanasis
Lopez/Ware/Theis

7 new players, pretty much replacing 50% of your roster. A lot of change for one summer but one that provides them way better depth and some opportunities for a few of these young players to step up in the coming years when Giannis' older teammates move on

yuck, pass

btw bucks fans are in near unanimous agreement about the dame trade being good

Sounds like Stockholm Syndrome

[jakecronus8]

Middleton for Smart/Clarke. Re sign Bev for vet min. Trade Beauchamp for fun size bag of skittles.

Draft Kel El Ware and Dillon Jones.

Play the young guys more in the regular season. More Giannis at the 3 and 5 more to utilize his versatility and get more Portis minutes.

Dame/Bev
Smart/Green
Jackson Jr./Connaughton/Jones
Giannis/Portis/Thanasis
Lopez/Clarke/Ware

More athletic. More versatility, particularly defensively. If Dame and Giannis are healthy you’re a contender. If not nothing else matters anyway so may as well try to develop youth and maybe extend the Giannis title window.

[JonHeist]

Middleton for Smart/Clarke.

Spoiler:

Re sign Bev for vet min. Trade Beauchamp for fun size bag of skittles.

Draft Kel El Ware and Dillon Jones.

Play the young guys more in the regular season. More Giannis at the 3 and 5 more to utilize his versatility and get more Portis minutes.

Dame/Bev
Smart/Green
Jackson Jr./Connaughton/Jones
Giannis/Portis/Thanasis
Lopez/Clarke/Ware

More athletic. More versatility, particularly defensively. If Dame and Giannis are healthy you’re a contender. If not nothing else matters anyway so may as well try to develop youth and maybe extend the Giannis title window.

not a legal trade

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/trade-machine

[jakecronus8]

Middleton for Smart/Clarke.

Spoiler:

Re sign Bev for vet min. Trade Beauchamp for fun size bag of skittles.

Draft Kel El Ware and Dillon Jones.

Play the young guys more in the regular season. More Giannis at the 3 and 5 more to utilize his versatility and get more Portis minutes.

Dame/Bev
Smart/Green
Jackson Jr./Connaughton/Jones
Giannis/Portis/Thanasis
Lopez/Clarke/Ware

More athletic. More versatility, particularly defensively. If Dame and Giannis are healthy you’re a contender. If not nothing else matters anyway so may as well try to develop youth and maybe extend the Giannis title window.

not a legal trade

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/trade-machine

I think if they can dump Beauchamp for a future 2nd it gets them under the second apron.

[TimeisIllmatic]

They definitely need more defense so I think using Connaughton, maybe Beauchamp and whatever remaining picks left to get a wing defender would be a start.

The rest of the roster will probably be just re-signing free agents from last year.

[JKiddy]

I can see Giannis going to BK and Lillard going to MIA.

[Colbinii]

I can see Giannis going to BK and Lillard going to MIA.

I see LeBron, Durant, Jokic, PG13 also all going to Brooklyn

[JKiddy]

I don't. I also do not think this happens this year, maybe next.

[bdpecore]

Bucks need to find a way to get below the 2nd apron so they have access to the TPMLE.

1. Trade Pat Connaughton and #33 for Nick Richards and #42. This trade gives the Bucks access to the TPMLE and allows the Hornets to move up to the top of the 2nd round while adding a serviceable veteran wing.

2. Offer Josh Richardson the full TPMLE to be their starting SG.

3. Draft Terrance Shannon (if not convicted) or Kevin McCullar Jr @ #23 and Oso Ighodaro @ #42

4. Trade Beauchamp for a future 2nd and sign Reggie Bullock (vet min) as insurance in case Shannon/McCullar struggle.

5. Sign Delon Wright (vet min) to run the 2nd unit.

PG - Dame, Wright, Washington (Two-Way)
SG - Richardson, Jackson Jr, Green
SF - Middleton, Shannon/McCullar, Bullock
PF - Giannis, Portis, Livingston
C - Lopez, Richards, Ighodaro

Milwaukee adds more length and athleticism while keeping their core in tact and drafting a couple older rookies who can contribute now but have room to grow/develop.

[Xanadu]

Bucks need to find a way to get below the 2nd apron so they have access to the TPMLE.

1. Trade Pat Connaughton and #33 for Nick Richards and #42. This trade gives the Bucks access to the TPMLE and allows the Hornets to move up to the top of the 2nd round while adding a serviceable veteran wing.

2. Offer Josh Richardson the full TPMLE to be their starting SG.

3. Draft Terrance Shannon (if not convicted) or Kevin McCullar Jr @ #23 and Oso Ighodaro @ #42

4. Trade Beauchamp for a future 2nd and sign Reggie Bullock (vet min) as insurance in case Shannon/McCullar struggle.

5. Sign Delon Wright (vet min) to run the 2nd unit.

PG - Dame, Wright, Washington (Two-Way)
SG - Richardson, Jackson Jr, Green
SF - Middleton, Shannon/McCullar, Bullock
PF - Giannis, Portis, Livingston
C - Lopez, Richards, Ighodaro

Milwaukee adds more length and athleticism while keeping their core in tact and drafting a couple older rookies who can contribute now but have room to grow/develop.

This is a logical and realistic plan. Disagree on the draft targets but the outline is good. Also think we need to move one of Portis or Lopez for a wing defender. Not sure who but a DFS type. Also would look to try to move up in this under valued draft. Does Portis plus 23 move into the top 12? If so and their is guy the FO sees as immediate fit get it done. Devin Carter is my draft crush and is a perfect fit on paper.

[Jadoogar]

Pretty much run it back. Try to find a defensively skilled perimeter guy that can get some minutes.
Mainly they need to stay healthy and they will be in the mix.

yea they don't really have a lot of options. I would let Doc to let the young guys play in the regular season just see if any of them can be useful. Just run it back, hope for better health and hope that Andre Jackson or Beauchamp becomes a rotation player.

I would maybe gauge the value of Middleton but i can't imagine him being more valuable to another than he is to the Bucks.

[brackdan70]

Pretty much run it back. Try to find a defensively skilled perimeter guy that can get some minutes.
Mainly they need to stay healthy and they will be in the mix.

yea they don't really have a lot of options. I would let Doc to let the young guys play in the regular season just see if any of them can be useful. Just run it back, hope for better health and hope that Andre Jackson or Beauchamp becomes a rotation player.
Yep if a dude like that can step up and they are healthy they can be a contender.
I would maybe gauge the value of Middleton but i can't imagine him being more valuable to another than he is to the Bucks.

[jakecronus8]

Bucks need to find a way to get below the 2nd apron so they have access to the TPMLE.

1. Trade Pat Connaughton and #33 for Nick Richards and #42. This trade gives the Bucks access to the TPMLE and allows the Hornets to move up to the top of the 2nd round while adding a serviceable veteran wing.

2. Offer Josh Richardson the full TPMLE to be their starting SG.

3. Draft Terrance Shannon (if not convicted) or Kevin McCullar Jr @ #23 and Oso Ighodaro @ #42

4. Trade Beauchamp for a future 2nd and sign Reggie Bullock (vet min) as insurance in case Shannon/McCullar struggle.

5. Sign Delon Wright (vet min) to run the 2nd unit.

PG - Dame, Wright, Washington (Two-Way)
SG - Richardson, Jackson Jr, Green
SF - Middleton, Shannon/McCullar, Bullock
PF - Giannis, Portis, Livingston
C - Lopez, Richards, Ighodaro

Milwaukee adds more length and athleticism while keeping their core in tact and drafting a couple older rookies who can contribute now but have room to grow/develop.

This is a logical and realistic plan. Disagree on the draft targets but the outline is good. Also think we need to move one of Portis or Lopez for a wing defender. Not sure who but a DFS type. Also would look to try to move up in this under valued draft. Does Portis plus 23 move into the top 12? If so and their is guy the FO sees as immediate fit get it done. Devin Carter is my draft crush and is a perfect fit on paper.

My good friend who knows the CBA like the pledge of allegiance threw some cold water on me when I asked him about the Bucks and the second apron. Here’s his response.


“The Bucks are locked in at being over the second apron for the rest of the 2023-2024 season which goes through June 30th. There is literally nothing we can do between now and then. Even if we did dump that salary to a team that could absorb it, it wouldn't matter because for the second apron calculation the salary on the date of the last game played in that season is what is used. That is a new rule in the current CBA to close some of the loopholes that creative CBA enthusiasts like myself used to love to exploit. Likewise with Middleton's bonuses that he didn't achieve even though it's literally impossible for him to achieve them those bonuses that are technically considered unlikely still count towards the second apron until the new season starts on July 1st. The Bucks technically will have spent less in this past season then the second apron threshold because Middleton didn't achieve all of his bonuses, but it doesn't matter because of how restrictive and punitive the second apron provisions and rules are. We can get under the second apron for next season which starts on July 1st once the July moratorium is over and trades can be made but it will take more than just dumping marjan's salary at that point because we will have either cap holds or contracts from the draft picks that we make unless we trade those draft picks while unsigned for future picks and or cash considerations. We can make a trade or two to bring us underneath the second apron threshold and allow us to then subsequently make a trade where we utilize salary aggregation, but if we do that we are also hard capped at the second apron for the remainder of that season.“

[bdpecore]

By using the TPMLE this offseason, will the Bucks be hard cap for the 2024-25 season?

[gswhoops]

By using the TPMLE this offseason, will the Bucks be hard cap for the 2024-25 season?

Yes. TPMLE would hard cap you at the second apron.

[WargamesX]

I hate to say it but I think they trade either Lopez and send out draft capitol (2nds or a protected 1st) or they trade Portis to get some draft capitol back. One of those two will need to go because they need some space under the 2nd apron to breathe.

[Astaluego]

I think I should move 1 of Portis/Brook.. I'll go with Brook...

THUNDER
In:B.Lopez
Out:K.Williams/Future FRP meh(Prot)

perfect fit on the court + adding a veteran to the locker room .

PISTONS
In:Connaughton+Bucks FRP+34
Out:Sasser/Stewart

Gets another FRP and a 3D veteran

BLAZERS
In:FRP(Prot)by Thunder
Out: Thybulle + 34

Get a future FRP and open a roster spot and savings

BUCKS
In:K.Williams/M.Sasser/Thybulle/I.Stewart
Out:BUCKS FRP/López/Pat

Lillard/Sasser
Thybulle/
KM/Jackson
Giannis/K.Williams
Portis/Stewart