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

German Athens · Post #541 » by **German Athens** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 12:57 pm

Trade board proposed Dame for Dejounte and Olynyk.

I’d consider that. Dejounte is coming off a season ending injury, but Kelly is on an expiring deal, and I think Dejounte could still end up being some type of positive player for us who will be making about 23m less than Dame.

We’d have some cap space to play with next off-season.

pilprin · Post #542 » by **pilprin** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:09 pm

The Dame injury really bummed me out…largely due to the fact he likely can’t be moved. The path forward feels like a significant retool and getting younger. I am not saying rooms, but Kuzma’s age who play better. Could they make a run with Giannis and a retooled lineup with a HC who isn’t a clown? Not sure, but the chances are a hell of a lot better with Giannis than they are without him.

LUKE23 · Post #543 » by **LUKE23** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:15 pm

There really isn't any path to re-tooling without trading GA. Dame is untradeable and eats up $54M. Nobody is taking Kuzma's contract. Even if Porter and Portis opt out, we are barely under the cap.

If you are advocating keeping GA, you are basically saying, "I'm good with a GA/Kuzma and mostly minimum level guys for the 2025-26 season".

pilprin · Post #544 » by **pilprin** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:17 pm

Trading GA gets this franchise nowhere….and unless we would get players and a bunch of picks, the team is screwed. Trading superstars never works out.

LUKE23 · Post #545 » by **LUKE23** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:20 pm

pilprin wrote:Trading GA gets this franchise nowhere….and unless we would get players and a bunch of picks, the team is screwed. Trading superstars never works out.

How do you figure it gets us nowhere if we clear our cap and get a combinaton of youth/high picks? How is the better scenario waiting another two years, watching him walk while we suffer through two more first round exits, and getting nothing for him a better option for the Bucks future?

I get the loyalty aspect of all of this, what GA means to Milwaukee, etc. I'm talking strictly from a basketball standpoint - trading him gives the Bucks a much better chance of contending 5-6 years down the road than keeping him does. Obviously, you don't move him for a few late lottery picks.

ShootingtheJ · Post #546 » by **ShootingtheJ** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:26 pm

LUKE23 wrote:There really isn't any path to re-tooling without trading GA. Dame is untradeable and eats up $54M. Nobody is taking Kuzma's contract. Even if Porter and Portis opt out, we are barely under the cap.

If you are advocating keeping GA, you are basically saying, "I'm good with a GA/Kuzma and mostly minimum level guys for the 2025-26 season".

Dame can be waived and stretched. We can use exceptions. We have a $7.2 million TPE.

Not great options, but we have some, and that's more than most contenders.

pilprin · Post #547 » by **pilprin** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:27 pm

I just can’t see a positive scenario that doesn’t put this team in purgatory…maybe that is better than a first round exit. I would try everything possible to retool, but without being able to move Dame, maybe it’s not.

chonestown · Post #548 » by **chonestown** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:29 pm

To add to the sting, AJJ looks to be a viable POA defender.

Looking more and more like this decade's Grievance deal, and no, this does not hinge on Young 'Keem becoming a Norm-level player.

Anyway, cycling season kicking up. Less taxing to watch, scenery is unmatched, no Kevin Harlan screaming about a biker riding too high a gear. Much recommended.

LUKE23 · Post #549 » by **LUKE23** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:31 pm

ShootingtheJ wrote:
Dame can be waived and stretched. We can use exceptions. We have a $7.2 million TPE.

Not great options, but we have some, and that's more than most contenders.

They need to add like 5 rotation players. They also don't have any first round pick. I would love to see a scenario where we fill out this roster to anything that is above a play-in team.

German Athens · Post #550 » by **German Athens** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:41 pm

ShootingtheJ wrote:
LUKE23 wrote:There really isn't any path to re-tooling without trading GA. Dame is untradeable and eats up $54M. Nobody is taking Kuzma's contract. Even if Porter and Portis opt out, we are barely under the cap.

If you are advocating keeping GA, you are basically saying, "I'm good with a GA/Kuzma and mostly minimum level guys for the 2025-26 season".

Dame can be waived and stretched. We can use exceptions. We have a $7.2 million TPE.

Not great options, but we have some, and that's more than most contenders.

Wonder if we could nab Dean Wade with that.

fansinceforever · Post #551 » by **fansinceforever** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:44 pm

ShootingtheJ wrote:
LUKE23 wrote:There really isn't any path to re-tooling without trading GA. Dame is untradeable and eats up $54M. Nobody is taking Kuzma's contract. Even if Porter and Portis opt out, we are barely under the cap.

If you are advocating keeping GA, you are basically saying, "I'm good with a GA/Kuzma and mostly minimum level guys for the 2025-26 season".

Dame can be waived and stretched. We can use exceptions. We have a $7.2 million TPE.

Not great options, but we have some, and that's more than most contenders.

We're not a contender.

Brewhoopfan · Post #552 » by **Brewhoopfan** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:46 pm

The Bucks led the NBA during the regular season in 3 pt shooting percentage: 38.7%

Lillard - 37.6% - Best since 20-21
Portis - 36.5%
Prince - 43.9%
Trent Jr - 41.6%
Porter Jr - 40.6% (as a Buck)
Green - 42.7%
Lopez - 37.3%
Rollins - 40.8%

The Bucks shot 37.9% from 3 against the Pacers in the playoffs.

Can we finally throw the last shovel of dirt on 'just surround Giannis with shooters'?

LUKE23 · Post #553 » by **LUKE23** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:51 pm

If PC opts in, the roster next year is:

GA
Kuzma
PC
Green
AJax
Livingston
Smith

That is two playable players, GA and Green. Explain to me how we build this roster with no picks and no cap space.

SirChurros · Post #554 » by **SirChurros** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 1:54 pm

fansinceforever wrote:
ShootingtheJ wrote:
LUKE23 wrote:There really isn't any path to re-tooling without trading GA. Dame is untradeable and eats up $54M. Nobody is taking Kuzma's contract. Even if Porter and Portis opt out, we are barely under the cap.

If you are advocating keeping GA, you are basically saying, "I'm good with a GA/Kuzma and mostly minimum level guys for the 2025-26 season".

Dame can be waived and stretched. We can use exceptions. We have a $7.2 million TPE.

Not great options, but we have some, and that's more than most contenders.

We're not a contender.

And no coach is changing that.

I agree that Doc should go, but scapegoating coaches is something this board has done for like 4 years now. It’s a flawed, old and limited roster.

ABucksFan · Post #555 » by **ABucksFan** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 2:00 pm

I'm riding with GA and Kuz then taking a shot the following year with Dame coming back. We already know how life was before GA, I can go a year...decade...being bad again. I want Giannis and Dame to get another crack. Not like thissss

Siefer · Post #556 » by **Siefer** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 2:08 pm

Brewhoopfan wrote:The Bucks led the NBA during the regular season in 3 pt shooting percentage: 38.7%

Lillard - 37.6% - Best since 20-21
Portis - 36.5%
Prince - 43.9%
Trent Jr - 41.6%
Porter Jr - 40.6% (as a Buck)
Green - 42.7%
Lopez - 37.3%
Rollins - 40.8%

The Bucks shot 37.9% from 3 against the Pacers in the playoffs.

Can we finally throw the last shovel of dirt on 'just surround Giannis with shooters'?

I don't think that's the right takeaway. We internalized a team identity of "Taurean Prince is a real threat from 3" and were 17th in the league in attempts. This was our least threatening three-point shooting team since JKidd got airlocked.

th87 · Post #557 » by **th87** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 2:15 pm

LUKE23 wrote:
pilprin wrote:Trading GA gets this franchise nowhere….and unless we would get players and a bunch of picks, the team is screwed. Trading superstars never works out.

How do you figure it gets us nowhere if we clear our cap and get a combinaton of youth/high picks? How is the better scenario waiting another two years, watching him walk while we suffer through two more first round exits, and getting nothing for him a better option for the Bucks future?

I get the loyalty aspect of all of this, what GA means to Milwaukee, etc. I'm talking strictly from a basketball standpoint - trading him gives the Bucks a much better chance of contending 5-6 years down the road than keeping him does. Obviously, you don't move him for a few late lottery picks.

1. He won't walk if his relationships remain good.

2. We have a puncher's chance in any series, provided Prince, Kuzma, Lopez minutes are eliminated.

3. Youth/high picks - won't be high or impactful enough to matter, and as a base case, you end up with Bogut, Wiggins, Parker, Barnes level players and squarely on the treadmill and end basketball in Milwaukee.

JimmyTheKid · Post #558 » by **JimmyTheKid** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 2:16 pm

Brewhoopfan wrote:The Bucks led the NBA during the regular season in 3 pt shooting percentage: 38.7%

Lillard - 37.6% - Best since 20-21
Portis - 36.5%
Prince - 43.9%
Trent Jr - 41.6%
Porter Jr - 40.6% (as a Buck)
Green - 42.7%
Lopez - 37.3%
Rollins - 40.8%

The Bucks shot 37.9% from 3 against the Pacers in the playoffs.

Can we finally throw the last shovel of dirt on 'just surround Giannis with shooters'?

I mean not really. You gotta be able to defend too. The Brook thing will forever define Doc's tenure in Milwaukee. We had a chance to win this series. We had the guys even without Dame. Too little too late.

kanyon · Post #559 » by **kanyon** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 2:20 pm

I woke up from a Nightmare that Doc Rivers was the coach but then I checked and he was still the coach.

ShootingtheJ · Post #560 » by **ShootingtheJ** » Wed Apr 30, 2025 2:20 pm

LUKE23 wrote:If PC opts in, the roster next year is:

GA
Kuzma
PC
Green
AJax
Livingston
Smith

That is two playable players, GA and Green. Explain to me how we build this roster with no picks and no cap space.

We don't need cap space to resign a bunch of our players, we can create cap space, and we have numerous exceptions. We have a tradeable 1st, a tradable 1st round pick swap, and 3 tradable 2nds.

It's not great, but don't continue to act like we have no options, when we factually do.