Bucks News, Transactions and Trade Ideas - 2025 Off-season

[Be Here Now]

I don't know If I've seen it mentioned here, but if Giannis wants to stay I would consider a trade similar to what Phoenix did with Utah (3 protected 1sts for 2031 unprotected).

Actually drafting some talent on the level of Podz, McCain, Ware, Eason, etc would be a godsend.

[BroncoBuck]

How do we get the Heat and Spo to mutually part ways? He could help save the Giannis era.

Introduce him to one of the Bucks dancers

[paulpressey25]

I don't know If I've seen it mentioned here, but if Giannis wants to stay I would consider a trade similar to what Phoenix did with Utah (3 protected 1sts for 2031 unprotected).

Actually drafting some talent on the level of Podz, McCain, Ware, Eason, etc would be a godsend.

Sounds interesting. Except that our scouting department hasn't made a good draft pick since Brogdon in the 2nd round in 2016 and maybe Donte in 2017.

[Bernman]

I don't know If I've seen it mentioned here, but if Giannis wants to stay I would consider a trade similar to what Phoenix did with Utah (3 protected 1sts for 2031 unprotected).

Actually drafting some talent on the level of Podz, McCain, Ware, Eason, etc would be a godsend.

Sounds interesting. Except that our scouting department hasn't made a good draft pick since Brogdon in the 2nd round in 2016 and maybe Donte in 2017.

Donte was definitely a good pick. And AJ Johnson's on a decent trajectory. Jury's still out. Only thing I questioned was the strategy. But that asset would look nice now.

Past questionable results are not an excuse to go away from the right process, if you think that's what you think this is (idk, may be short-sighted again). Hire a better scouting department and let them make the picks instead of whoever's been point man in the past, either Horst or owners.

[DingleJerry]

Just thought the other night as I watched him contributing to another winning playoff team, that much bashed Julius Randle sure would've looked good here rather than the route the Bucks ended up going. That said, it seems the Bucks are just completely enamored with Brook so if they can't get that off their mind then he wouldn't have fit here very well at all. And I wouldn't trust the Bucks not to hand out a ridiculous overpay contract to randle

[emunney]

Absolutely can’t stand lazy media claiming this is just like the “Kevin Garnett” situation. Giannis won a damn title and had a ton of stellar years where he carried us. KG’s last two seasons (he was healthy) the Wolves won 32 and 33 games. Media implication is that Giannis needs to leave Milwaukee to ever ‘win’ as if he’s never ‘won’ before.

It's more like the Steph situation. He never asked for a trade, and they've re-emerged multiple times after their initial dynastic run.

Steph had other quality assets around him. The Bucks don't.

They may have had assets but to the extent they were more valuable than what we have, they didn't deploy them to any great effect. Their playoff rotation when they won their next title was:

Steph
Klay (returned from catastrophic injury)
Draymond
Wiggins (Minnesota paid a lottery pick to drop him)
Poole (late 1st)
Looney (late 1st)
Porter (vet minimum)
Payton (street FA)
Bjelica (vet minimum)

Steph was 33.

[BUCKnation]

GSW also blew all their actually good assets by trading Poole for mid/poor year of CP3 and using their early picks on nothing (Wiseman) and someone who's barely in their rotation in Kuminga.

[BigO]

How do we get the Heat and Spo to mutually part ways? He could help save the Giannis era.

Offer them Kuzma. He's really athletic and his defense is as good as Herro.

If you can tell, I'm Kuzma obsessed. The idea that one would trade a first round draft choice and Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma belongs in the Onion.

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

I don't know If I've seen it mentioned here, but if Giannis wants to stay I would consider a trade similar to what Phoenix did with Utah (3 protected 1sts for 2031 unprotected).

Actually drafting some talent on the level of Podz, McCain, Ware, Eason, etc would be a godsend.

Sounds interesting. Except that our scouting department hasn't made a good draft pick since Brogdon in the 2nd round in 2016 and maybe Donte in 2017.

I hate to defend Horst here, but take a look at the past ten years on hit rate for picks 20-30. It has to be like <10% for a multi-year rotational player on a playoff team. He only had ...what....4 picks in that range and the rest traded?

As for the Suns trade they got the 29th pick this year, probably a 20-30 in 2027, and same in 2029. The chances they get anyone that can contribute in the next 5 years is probably 15%. They are more likely to hit on a vet FA on the min that those draft picks.

The Suns acquired picks in 2025 (least favorable of Cleveland, Minnesota, or Utah), 2027 (least favorable of Cleveland, Minnesota, or Utah), and 2029 (least favorable of Cleveland, Minnesota, or Utah).

[rilamann]

I think this will be the loyalty test from both sides to stay together.

Some considerations:
- it took 50 years for us to find someone as good as KAJ
- it may take 50 more years to find someone as good as Giannis
- solid players may take discounts to play with Giannis (e.g. Trent)
- trading him may relegate us to FTD year ceilings, like old times

Looking back on the 2018-2019 roster, our non-Giannis core players were acquired:
- Middleton: as a throw-in in the Knight trade (sure it took some time to bake)
- Bledsoe: via bad contract, future first
- Lopez: as an unwanted FA for cheap
- Brogdon: via second round pick
- Connaughton: as a cheap FA

This team was an overtime away from a likely title.

And none of these core guys required major assets we don't currently have or couldn't get. Just great moves on the margins.

There is no reason we couldn't do it again.

Great post.

IMO, even if you made no roster moves and simply just replaced Doc with a competent head coach, the Bucks are immediately in contention for the #3 seed and are a team that could beat the Pacers or Knicks and at least give the Cavs and Celtics a series.

The people who thought I was a pessimistic jerk 6 months ago because I thought the Bucks would only win 50 games and only had a 2nd round ceiling, are probably going to think I am crazy for having such high exceptions if we simply just replaced Doc.

But I digress.....lol.

Entertaining the idea of trading Giannis because we sucked under Doc Rivers is pure insanity. Doc Rivers is a joke. I feel like I am in a fever dream reading some these posts.

Exactly. Judging any aspect of this team by how it played under Doc Rivers is a huge, huge mistake. I mean, Adrian Griffin went 30-11 (or whatever) with a team Doc could barely crack .500 on.

It's clear what the problem is!

And I read your posts not as pessimistic, but as lamenting the team not reaching its potential. I agree most of the time - the players are rarely put in position to maximally succeed, being saddled with bad coaches, bad schemes, etc.

You bring up another great point, if Adrian Griffin could go 30-13 with - for the most part - the same roster, what does that say about Doc Rivers.

As for my posts being pessimistic, they get labeled as that but it's more me just being honest and calling it how I see it. And like you said, lamenting the team for not reaching their potential and squandering a once in lifetime player like Giannis.

Now if I kept saying things like The Bucks have a 2nd round ceiling and the Bucks kept reaching the NBA Finals every season, then you could probably say that I was just being pessimistic.

But I am saying things like The Bucks have a 2nd round ceiling and they keep getting beat in the 1st round.

Based on end results, you could actually make more of a case that I am being too optimistic....lol.

[JayMKE]

Narrator: Chet and Williams were core pieces for a contender.

And the OKC fans will scream “you only get one of them” or they might scream “we won a title already without Giannis”

Those two would be the highest ceiling duo we could get. My issue goes to your other point, Chet’s health. Feels like it will continue to be an issue.

They definitely will say they don’t want to trade both but even hypothetically having the 2, what kind of ceiling do you realistically think a team has led Williams and Chet with only mid or late picks for next however many years to improve ? They are definitely roleplayers, they’re not franchise players. I don’t see a playoff team. If that’s the best return then you just stick with Giannis, we’re not missing out on anything. You know this team is **** when even trading Giannis won’t net enough assets to seed the team going forward.

I'll give you Chet may be a role player, which is why i would try to flip him to Spurs for Castle, but Williams is not - The Guy would be the #1 option on have the teams in the league.

If your telling me a team, lets just say the Spurs make the Chet trade, lead by Williams/Castle/Porter/ with good role players of Portis/Green and Ajax/Smith plus the two picks isn't a playoff team, i cant help you

It might be a good team to put around Giannis but I’m definitely not buying it as a team you can build a contender out of. I see a mediocre team missing a franchise player with little hope of getting one, very Kohl-esqe. Horst would probably **** around and end up trading for Jaylin Williams as the center piece too oof. OKC’s bounty “assets” are highly overrated. We need a pathway to a top 10 player to be a contender otherwise it’s just spinning wheels, I’d rather see Giannis play out his career than hop back on the treadmill.


Jalen and Chet are both due for big extensions after next season too, Jalen likely being a max player and who knows what Chet gets. They’re not taking a team anywhere on their own for sure and they won’t be cheap either soon enough.

[Be Here Now]

Sounds interesting. Except that our scouting department hasn't made a good draft pick since Brogdon in the 2nd round in 2016 and maybe Donte in 2017.

Indeed. This fact makes our predicament so much worse. I feel like if Bob Myers is getting hired next week this move would make a ton of sense.

I just don't see many other avenues to acquire meaningful talent over the next 5 years.

[pifhluk23]

https://youtube.com/shorts/qYDw7tNBa-E?si=OoRmsVGl1157cYbi

And no one on here wants to talk about how Giannis seems to want to only play for Doc type coaches. Can't say anything bad about Giannis, not allowed, despite there being several signs that he's difficult to work with and his lack of bbiq.

[RiotPunch]

https://youtube.com/shorts/qYDw7tNBa-E?si=OoRmsVGl1157cYbi

And no one on here wants to talk about how Giannis seems to want to only play for Doc type coaches. Can't say anything bad about Giannis, not allowed, despite there being several signs that he's difficult to work with and his lack of bbiq.

Many here have been very critical of Giannis with regard to his coaching preferences. He should see the proof in the pudding by now that he is better off with more of a micromanager, organizer type than he is with a former player coaching based on vibes. Bless him, but GM Giannis has not been a success.

I do really fear that we are in for another year of Doc, though. Fans need to get louder about firing him.

[JayMKE]

Even if Doc got canned I don’t have much confidence in them hiring a replacement, it’s a depressing situation right now

[tsamo]

It's insane to suggest trading Kuz this offseason, especially if we're dealing Giannis. We're supposed to be the 1s taking on bad contracts to get assets attached. And it was considered a decent contract just last season before having career worsts practically across the board.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10109209-kyle-kuzma-reveals-he-rejected-mavs-trade-to-stay-with-wizards-following-nba-rumors

See if he recovers. Then trade him (or not).

This idea that Kuzma was good before this year has to stop. He has never been good.

His career shooting percentage is 45% and 33% on threes.

His assist to turnover ratio is horrible.

His free throw percentage is 72% .

His rebounding is ok at 6 per game.

He will never get appreciably better. I can buy the idea to keep him so we can tank for a few seasons, but let's not kid ourselves. He's a player no GM should ever trade for.

We have two more seasons of him at 22 and 20 million. That isn't reasonable and never was. BP is much, much better than Kuzma and is getting appreciably less.

Damn, Imagine how bad down we are that those average seem amazing right now compared to what we've see from him so far this series.
He's averaging 6/1.5/1 on 33/12/50 shooting,on 23 minutes per game, lol.

[mlloyd10]

They definitely will say they don’t want to trade both but even hypothetically having the 2, what kind of ceiling do you realistically think a team has led Williams and Chet with only mid or late picks for next however many years to improve ? They are definitely roleplayers, they’re not franchise players. I don’t see a playoff team. If that’s the best return then you just stick with Giannis, we’re not missing out on anything. You know this team is **** when even trading Giannis won’t net enough assets to seed the team going forward.

I'll give you Chet may be a role player, which is why i would try to flip him to Spurs for Castle, but Williams is not - The Guy would be the #1 option on have the teams in the league.

If your telling me a team, lets just say the Spurs make the Chet trade, lead by Williams/Castle/Porter/ with good role players of Portis/Green and Ajax/Smith plus the two picks isn't a playoff team, i cant help you

It might be a good team to put around Giannis but I’m definitely not buying it as a team you can build a contender out of. I see a mediocre team missing a franchise player with little hope of getting one, very Kohl-esqe. Horst would probably **** around and end up trading for Jaylin Williams as the center piece too oof. OKC’s bounty “assets” are highly overrated. We need a pathway to a top 10 player to be a contender otherwise it’s just spinning wheels, I’d rather see Giannis play out his career than hop back on the treadmill.


Jalen and Chet are both due for big extensions after next season too, Jalen likely being a max player and who knows what Chet gets. They’re not taking a team anywhere on their own for sure and they won’t be cheap either soon enough.

Hot Take for you - Williams is a top 25 player in the league and might even be closer to top 15 if he was the #1 option. He's better than both Jaylen Brown and Cade Cunningham and just below guys like ANT and Tatum

[tedbrogen]

I mean, I’d probably do any deal that gets them the good Williams, Thompson, or #1 overall pick this year. There would be other assets of course but the centerpiece is more important than getting a bunch of not great future picks.

[BigO]

It's insane to suggest trading Kuz this offseason, especially if we're dealing Giannis. We're supposed to be the 1s taking on bad contracts to get assets attached. And it was considered a decent contract just last season before having career worsts practically across the board.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10109209-kyle-kuzma-reveals-he-rejected-mavs-trade-to-stay-with-wizards-following-nba-rumors

See if he recovers. Then trade him (or not).

This idea that Kuzma was good before this year has to stop. He has never been good.

His career shooting percentage is 45% and 33% on threes.

His assist to turnover ratio is horrible.

His free throw percentage is 72% .

His rebounding is ok at 6 per game.

He will never get appreciably better. I can buy the idea to keep him so we can tank for a few seasons, but let's not kid ourselves. He's a player no GM should ever trade for.

We have two more seasons of him at 22 and 20 million. That isn't reasonable and never was. BP is much, much better than Kuzma and is getting appreciably less.

Damn, Imagine how bad down we are that those average seem amazing right now compared to what we've see from him so far this series.
He's averaging 6/1.5/1 on 33/12/50 shooting,on 23 minutes per game, lol.

LOL -You're right. My point is that even if he returned to his average stats, that's not good.

The idea that Doc, after all this evidence of what happens when Kuzma starts, is going to keep starting him, is on another level of bad coaching.

[Ron Swanson]

Ok sure, it's Fansided, but this is an interesting thought to throw out there. Miami's in much worse shape than we are. Maybe, just maybe....

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/giannis-and-the-bucks-might-only-be-saved-by-a-heat-full-rebuild/ar-AA1DRtjP?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=c94076b4cd894ace91393efba83039a9&ei=10

Losing Jimmy Butler may have been the final blow to their old identity. Now it’s time to build a new one.

And, of course, if the Heat blow it up, the Bucks could be right there to snatch up Spoelstra and finally put an elite coach with Giannis and start rebuilding in earnest. Spoelstra and Giannis together aren't enough to put the Bucks over the top but it's a stable core, one that could attract talent and free agents and help give a Milwaukee a leg up as they change the roster.