MIL-SAS

[pad300]

Ok, the first apron this year is $178 M, and the second is $189M,
https://www.nba.com/news/nba-salary-cap-set-2024-25-season

Milwaukee's salaries for this season are $187,634,776 (for 11 players and 3 two-ways). I believe they need to sign at least 2 more players (13 man roster minimum) and that puts them into the second apron.
https://hoopshype.com/salaries/milwaukee_bucks/

Their draft pick position is about as bad as it can be; they have very limited options to add cheap players through the draft up until about 2031 or so...

I doubt MIL fans will love it, but I think their management will need to do something to get below the 2nd apron.

SAS out - Zach Collins, 2025 SRP (SAS), 2025 SRP (Bulls), 2026 SRP (Least favorable of Jazz/Pelicans), 2026 (SAS), 2027 SRP (least favorable of Heat, Pacers, Rockets, Spurs, Thunder picks)
(I think I have the least favorable of which teams right - the deals are complicated)

MIL out - Brook Lopez, 2031 FRP (Top 2 protected)

https://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2gazrdlf

SAS upgrades at C, adds a future FRP, and makes more salary cap space in the 2025 offseason.

Mil gets out of the 2nd apron (and assorted penalties) while getting a replacement C (under contract for another year) and turns a future FRP into 5 near-term SRP's to fill out their bench.

[Godaddycurse]

seems like a terrible idea for milwaukee if they are trying to win

[Chinook]

Why are the Bucks giving a first-round pick here? I could KINDA see it if they were also moving Connaughton, but that still would be more like just take the picks out for both sides rather than MKE giving a first for seconds.

EDIT: I didn't see Connaughton had another year after this. That makes him a much less desirable trade piece, and I'd probably just prefer the Spurs to pay the seconds rather than taking him on. That doesn't change that I believe the first shouldn't come from Milwaukee though.

[pad300]

No team is going to let the bucks out of the second apron for free. So I figure this is the kind of deal that MIL can get. That may suck for MIL, but there it is.

Lopez to Collins is a downgrade, sure. MIL gets out of the 2nd apron, which opens up more possibilities to improve the roster.

Far future 1st to 5 near future seconds is roughly even (IMO). MIL like it given they are looking at a immediate window with Giannis. SAS likes it as they have a surplus of picks, and this moves the assets to the future...

[RiotPunch]

This just really does not factor in Brook Lopez being a good player with a coveted skillset, despite his age. Remove the 1st outgoing and it is at least worth considering, but still directionally DOA. If we're attaching a 1st to someone to get under the apron, it is Pat. There should be a strong market for Brook given how centers in FA have been getting paid and that options have now dried up.

[Bornstellar]

Yeah I don't see why MIL would include a 1st. But I'd happily trade Collins and 2nds for Lopez, assuming SA is actually trying to win games next season.

[Chinook]

This just really does not factor in Brook Lopez being a good player with a coveted skillset, despite his age. Remove the 1st outgoing and it is at least worth considering, but still directionally DOA. If we're attaching a 1st to someone to get under the apron, it is Pat. There should be a strong market for Brook given how centers in FA have been getting paid and that options have now dried up.

The issue is not a ton of win-now teams could absorb Lopez while sticking to the apron rules themselves. Like for example, I think the Knicks would love Lopez. But how would they get him? The Bucks can't take Randle back due to the first apron without sending someone like Connaughton. Doing that hard-caps them at the second apron, but they could probably make that work. But ignoring that Pat's contract is pretty bad, the Knicks can't take him due to their own apron issues. Even when all that set aside, what is the Bucks' center rotation?

I'm not sure a Lopez trade would see the team realizing the full value of his contract AND save enough money to drop below the apron. Trading him for a cheaper center makes the most sense. I'm not saying that has to be Collins, but I don't have a great sense of who else could fit there without the Bucks using their first.

[Texas Chuck]

Bucks simply aren't in a situation where they have to pay your favorite team to trade their very good player for your not very good player.

We see too many of these threads using really wild justification why only my team should benefit -- see 1000 Bruce Brown trades for instance. There are other teams who would take Lopez and pay for the privilege. The aprons don't mean only Zach Collins works and only if the Bucks give up an unprotected first once their stars are aged out...

[jbk1234]

No team is going to let the bucks out of the second apron for free. So I figure this is the kind of deal that MIL can get. That may suck for MIL, but there it is.

Lopez to Collins is a downgrade, sure. MIL gets out of the 2nd apron, which opens up more possibilities to improve the roster.

Far future 1st to 5 near future seconds is roughly even (IMO). MIL like it given they are looking at a immediate window with Giannis. SAS likes it as they have a surplus of picks, and this moves the assets to the future...

No team is taking Zach Collins contract for free.

[Blame Rasho]

I can’t believe that there isn’t a better way for the bucks to give so much to get under the 2nd apron.

[JonHeist]

yeah this stinks

giving up brook and a future 1st to get virtually nothing back is idiotic

[giannis and 1]

Ok, the first apron this year is $178 M, and the second is $189M,
https://www.nba.com/news/nba-salary-cap-set-2024-25-season

Milwaukee's salaries for this season are $187,634,776 (for 11 players and 3 two-ways). I believe they need to sign at least 2 more players (13 man roster minimum) and that puts them into the second apron.
https://hoopshype.com/salaries/milwaukee_bucks/

Their draft pick position is about as bad as it can be; they have very limited options to add cheap players through the draft up until about 2031 or so...

I doubt MIL fans will love it, but I think their management will need to do something to get below the 2nd apron.

SAS out - Zach Collins, 2025 SRP (SAS), 2025 SRP (Bulls), 2026 SRP (Least favorable of Jazz/Pelicans), 2026 (SAS), 2027 SRP (least favorable of Heat, Pacers, Rockets, Spurs, Thunder picks)
(I think I have the least favorable of which teams right - the deals are complicated)

MIL out - Brook Lopez, 2031 FRP (Top 2 protected)

https://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2gazrdlf

SAS upgrades at C, adds a future FRP, and makes more salary cap space in the 2025 offseason.

Mil gets out of the 2nd apron (and assorted penalties) while getting a replacement C (under contract for another year) and turns a future FRP into 5 near-term SRP's to fill out their bench.

Just a terribly biased trade. Bucks have way more options than making a trade like this.