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

[German Athens]

What I think I’d consider right now is trying to trade the ‘26 swap of a swap to a team that’s a contender right now, for one of their 1sts in ‘27.

I’m not sure which teams would outright offer up a 1st for a swap, but if that team also happened to be in cap hell, we could take back some salary if need be.

Then, I’d package that ‘27 1st, the ‘31 1st, and ‘32 swap for Lauri.

At least, those are the scenarios I’m working through right now.

[Bernman]

These Flagg-centric posts coming from all angles are pretty funny but I am looking forward to the lottery being over and done with so y’all can dial it in a bit.

Why? It would be going from strength-to-strength, for longer, w/ add-ons accompanied, especially if we go the absorbing bad salary route. He'd have someone to play w/, unlike Giannis. And certain teams have all but come out & said they'd do it. Giannis is their plan A. They don't have to wait.

[FrieAaron]

We're not trading Giannis' career though. We're trading his age 31-3(?) seasons. If we do somehow manage to get Flagg and Castle and Vassell (who I really like) plus picks that is absolutely a trade we can win.

He was just as good this year as he was 5 years ago. No reason to think he won't be arguably a top 2 player in the league next year as well.

[humanrefutation]

We're not trading Giannis' career though. We're trading his age 31-3(?) seasons. If we do somehow manage to get Flagg and Castle and Vassell (who I really like) plus picks that is absolutely a trade we can win.

He was just as good this year as he was 5 years ago. No reason to think he won't be arguably a top 2 player in the league next year as well.

I do worry about his lower leg injuries. That stuff is going to get worse as he gets older.

[Bernman]

Justin Garcia all but confirmed the Trey Crosby report Doc will be staying unless there's major personnel changes (Giannis). And I don't think they'd prompt the personnel changes, rather Giannis would. The only other thing it's possible they could be sold on is Flagg & friends.

So if we still go in this direction w/ Giannis, which most seem to want, then it's going to be w/ Doc in in the interim. Unless we embarrass the organization or there's an effective boycott, like season ticket holders collectively threatening to not renew.

[th87]

Justin Garcia all but confirmed the Trey Crosby report Doc will be staying unless there's major personnel changes (Giannis). And I don't think they'd prompt the personnel changes, rather Giannis would. The only other thing it's possible they could be sold on is Flagg & friends.

So if we still go in this direction w/ Giannis, which most seem to want, then it's going to be w/ Doc in in the interim. Unless we embarrass the organization or there's an effective boycott, like season ticket holders collectively threatening to not renew.

Time to shine

[MickeyDavis]

If you want to protest and put up a billboard about canning Doc, I'm all in on that. It won't matter but it's a way to vent and blow off steam. If you want to protest/billboards that we need to tank and rebuild, which means trading Giannis, I'll once again point out that we won a championship not with lottery picks, but with hitting the jackpot on a mid round pick, some astute trades and good free agent signings. I'm not trading a GOAT to have Horst botch more picks (I listed the first round lottery busts we've drafted yesterday. It's a long list). I know I bring this up often but it can't be overlooked. You ONLY trade Giannis if he says he is definitely leaving.

Giannis - mid round pick
Middleton - trade (as a throw-in)
Jrue - trade
Brook - free agent
Portis - free agent
Pat - free agent
Tucker - buy out

When they talk with Giannis about the direction of the team they will certainly talk to him about Doc. If he's fine with Doc and says he's here for the long run with whatever plan they present to him, then you roll with Doc. Otherwise Doc needs to be fired into space.

[Bernman]

Nobody has suggested protesting to rebuild this time/jettison Giannis (even if we think it'd be ideal). That's crazy. It'd obviously be disrespectful to the man & at least keeping him has a glimmer of hope. In a vacuum he helps you win a lot more now, maybe later after a gap.

But Doc does nothing. Catering to Giannis cuz of who he likes has always been short-sighted. He likes most people. He'll develop a relationship w/ the next coach. Ultimately what's going to drive him away is an inability to win 50-some & make playoff runs, which retaining Doc ensures.

[MickeyDavis]

Catering to Giannis because of who he likes in the interim has always been short-sighted. He likes most people. He'll develop a relationship w/ the next coach. Ultimately what's going to drive him away is an inability to win 50-some & make playoff runs, which retaining Doc ensures.

True and yet they fired Bud and traded for Dame and he signed an extension at the earliest possible time he could in October 2023. It wasn't a coincidence.

But Horst and Edens need to just have a conversation with him, explain Doc was brought in quickly as a temporary coach and it's time for him to go.

I wonder what Giannis' relationship with Jenkins was like.

I get you can't always appease your star but you at least have to make him feel like he's part of the process. He deserves that.

[MickeyDavis]

Nobody has suggested protesting to rebuild this time/jettison Giannis (even if we think it'd be ideal). That's crazy. It'd obviously be disrespectful to the man & at least keeping him has a glimmer of hope. In a vacuum he helps you win a lot more now, maybe later after a gap.

Correct, no one has suggested protesting specifically to trade Giannis but there is talk here about a billboard and the need to start rebuilding now. Which means trading Giannis.

[Bernman]

True and yet they fired Bud and traded for Dame and he signed an extension at the earliest possible time he could in October 2023. It wasn't a coincidence.

But Horst and Edens need to just have a conversation with him, explain Doc was brought in quickly as a temporary coach and it's time for him to go.

I wonder what Giannis' relationship with Jenkins was like.

I get you can't always appease your star but you at least have to make him feel like he's part of the process. He deserves that.

Giannis signed extensions after acquiring Dame & Jrue, because it theoretically gave them a better shot to contend, like firing Doc.

The other thing that would give the Bucks a better shot is selling '31 & '32. But thankfully Garcia poured cold water on that. At least they're done digging the hole even deeper. But that also means they should come to a realization they're too far down to likely climb out.

[German Athens]

Hey Mickey, can we get up another thread specifically to talk billboard ideas?

[MickeyDavis]

True and yet they fired Bud and traded for Dame and he signed an extension at the earliest possible time he could in October 2023. It wasn't a coincidence.

But Horst and Edens need to just have a conversation with him, explain Doc was brought in quickly as a temporary coach and it's time for him to go.

I wonder what Giannis' relationship with Jenkins was like.

I get you can't always appease your star but you at least have to make him feel like he's part of the process. He deserves that.

Giannis signed extensions after acquiring Dame & Jrue, because it theoretically gave them a better shot to contend, like firing Doc.

That's the hope, that he can see the light.

[MickeyDavis]

Hey Mickey, can we get up another thread specifically to talk billboard ideas?

We'll keep it here.

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

the lineup we played our final game with makes me wonder....

if lopez/dame/kuzma can all be moved out or replaced for upgrades and we play the best we can with a modern style....new coach sure....and giannis trusts his teammates like he did that last game and at the end of the reg season.....we go smaller...faster....shooting..... moving the ball.....

i want to see that. i want to see what that looks like.

i think i sell him on that. if he bites we **** make this team better this summer. we dont abort. we make the team better.

Doc is still going to start Kuzmas and Princes if given the option.

i mentioned wanting a new coach but if hes back its possible he saw what we did with the smaller faster lineup....with giannis running the offense.

its not my favorite with giannis in that role but if secondary guys can develop that know how to play off of him like jrue and midds figured out then we have something.

doc is hardheaded like the older coaches are but if he saw something different then maybe he spends his summer going with that philosophy. it was a pretty big play to pull lopez, kuzma and peince all thru that series.....and when he did it we instantly became competitive

[th87]

the lineup we played our final game with makes me wonder....

if lopez/dame/kuzma can all be moved out or replaced for upgrades and we play the best we can with a modern style....new coach sure....and giannis trusts his teammates like he did that last game and at the end of the reg season.....we go smaller...faster....shooting..... moving the ball.....

i want to see that. i want to see what that looks like.

i think i sell him on that. if he bites we **** make this team better this summer. we dont abort. we make the team better.

Doc is still going to start Kuzmas and Princes if given the option.

i mentioned wanting a new coach but if hes back its possible he saw what we did with the smaller faster lineup....with giannis running the offense.

its not my favorite with giannis in that role but if secondary guys can develop that know how to play off of him like jrue and midds figured out then we have something.

doc is hardheaded like the older coaches are but if he saw something different then maybe he spends his summer going with that philosophy. it was a pretty big play to pull lopez, kuzma and peince all thru that series.....and when he did it we instantly became competitive

It took Doc months and 4 playoff games to see what we instantly could see wasn't working.

That's not a great sign for our future success. Other things will happen that will require quick adaptations, and Doc again will likely be too slow to address them.

[James1980]

But why did it take until Game 5 to change to that Starting lineup when analytics supported it and eyeball test, we would always go down 10+ points in first quarter?

[Bernman]

Sign the Fire Doc Rivers petition! https://www.change.org/p/fire-doc-rivers-94187749-e4d6-423e-b8fd-786286e99765

(I added a note many of us will boycott their products. I didn't say all bcuz it's not an organized boycott. But note that you will upon signing).

Can this get its own thread, or just a general collective action one to fire Doc/enact change?

[MickeyDavis]

But why did it take until Game 5 to change to that Starting lineup when analytics supported it and eyeball test, we would always go down 10+ points in first quarter?

This board is all over the place about everything. Picks, trades, free agents. A wide variety of opinions. Some good, some crazy. The ONE thing this board universally agreed on was the need to change up the starting lineup. And we were right. If Doc got his head out of ass sooner we could be discussing game 6 right now.

[th87]

Nobody has suggested protesting to rebuild this time/jettison Giannis (even if we think it'd be ideal). That's crazy. It'd obviously be disrespectful to the man & at least keeping him has a glimmer of hope. In a vacuum he helps you win a lot more now, maybe later after a gap.

Correct, no one has suggested protesting specifically to trade Giannis but there is talk here about a billboard and the need to start rebuilding now. Which means trading Giannis.

Yeah, my protest/billboard desire is strictly to retire Doc and to bring in effective coaching/GMing around Giannis.

It would be interesting to somehow illustrate Horst wanted Atkinson, but was overruled by ownership, and the resulting difference in our respective outcomes. A pro-Horst billboard maybe?

It appears positive (which people like), but embarrasses the team by highlighting internal discord, and now introduces actual discord/a power struggle, just after Horst (who I don't particularly care for, but trust infinitely more than Rivers) was able to gain some leverage.

Chaos is a ladder.

Of course, I fear the proverbial monkey paw could curl, where Doc would indeed leave, but that means Giannis does too somehow.