Free Agent, Trade, Buyout, Extension & Conversion Thread, 2025 con't

[Curmudgeon]

The problem with Kuzma is that he is awful at basketball. In the 2025 playoffs he was virtually unplayable.

[djFan71]

I think the full duck the tax takes some negotiating, and possibly pick 32. But this roster, with Luke at $6M fits.

KP, Jrue, Hauser outgoing.
WCJ, Naji Marshall, Brandon Williams incoming

Left with:

Pritchard, White, Brown, WCJ, Kornet
Williams, Scheierman, Marshall, Walsh, Queta
JD, 28, Tillman
* Tatum

14 guys, $186M total, about $1.8M left under the tax.

Pick 32 has lots of options:
- helps grease the wheels to BKN for KCP, or in a better world ORL pays that
- Flip it for future 2nds.
- Keep it at $1.95M and give Luke slightly less or (gasp) don't guarantee Walsh. Probably Luke.

Horford in this scenario would mean only minimum, no 32, and Luke takes less as well.

Spoiler:

Trade 1:
KP to ORL, WCJ to BOS, KCP to BKN. 2-3 future 2nds from ORL to pay ORL. Maybe we split 32 and help here too, but hopefully not.

Trade 2:
BOS out Jrue, in Marshall
ATL in: Gafford, Klay. Out: Niang
DAL in: Jrue, Niang. Out: Gafford, Klay, Marshall

May or may not need picks in here. Shouldn't be major if any. Could also take Niang instead of Marshall. Slightly less money/expiring, lesser player.

[threrf23]

If Giannis ends up staying is there any chance you guys would trade Jrue for Kuzma?

LOL, I feel for you tho (if you're a Bucks fan & not a Kings fan), Middleton for Kuzma was a headscratcher, the type of "culture move" that kills your team.

Not sure that Jrue for Kuzma would be worse, since Jrue doesn't have the same seniority that Middleton had, and the move would at least save us long term salary in addition to short term...whereas Kuzma actually costs you guys long term salary. But...

[165bows]

If Giannis ends up staying is there any chance you guys would trade Jrue for Kuzma?

LOL, I feel for you tho (if you're a Bucks fan & not a Kings fan), Middleton for Kuzma was a headscratcher, the type of "culture move" that kills your team.

Not sure that Jrue for Kuzma would be worse, since Jrue doesn't have the same seniority that Middleton had, and the move would at least save us long term salary in addition to short term...whereas Kuzma actually costs you guys long term salary. But...

Bucks are totally screwed imo.

[GoCeltics123]

If Giannis ends up staying is there any chance you guys would trade Jrue for Kuzma? With Tatum out Kuzma could fill in at the 3/4. Kuzma is much cheaper and would get you under the apron and he only has two years left while Jrue has three. Bucks get a guy they're comfortable with to step in while Lillard is out and make Giannis somewhat happy. Seems good for both parties involved.

Kuzma **** sucks, but I want to get off Jrue's contract...hope there are way better options than that

[brackdan70]

Kuzma?!?
WTF is going on in here. Get a grip lads.

[NotAKnicksFan]

I like kornet, as s 3rd string center

Any team starting kornet is doomed.

[NotAKnicksFan]

To me you go all out to get giannis

2ndary moves if no getting giannis

Trade for ja morant.

Ja Morant would be a buy low candidate , a young talent with injury concerns and off court issues

Either way

If you can get ja without brown - tatum - white

Thats a great unit

Morant
White
Brown
Tatum

That could be dynamic imo , the type of move to invigorate this team , we havent had someone who can get to the hole like ja with tatum or brown. Neither brown or tatum attack the paint like ja, will get the players more wide open looks on kickouts

[celtics543]

To me you go all out to get giannis

2ndary moves if no getting giannis

Trade for ja morant.

Ja Morant would be a buy low candidate , a young talent with injury concerns and off court issues

Either way

If you can get ja without brown - tatum - white

Thats a great unit

Morant
White
Brown
Tatum

That could be dynamic imo , the type of move to invigorate this team , we havent had someone who can get to the hole like ja with tatum or brown. Neither brown or tatum attack the paint like ja, will get the players more wide open looks on kickouts

Honestly I'm kind of warming up to the Ja idea if we could surround him with the shooters we already have. He'd be like SGA on our team with so many shooters around him to open up driving lanes.

[brackdan70]

Reality check.
We don’t have the assets to trade for Giannis unless Tatum is part of the package. Just facts of life.
Also we can’t aggregate or take back more Salary. It’s just not going to happen.

[Curmudgeon]

They could trade someone into cap space, e.g. Hauser, to get below the 2nd apron and then aggregate.

[FlatearthZorro]

They could trade someone into cap space, e.g. Hauser, to get below the 2nd apron and then aggregate.

I believe they need to cut ~ 24 mils... Hauser wont do it.. at all.

[Curmudgeon]

They could trade someone into cap space, e.g. Hauser, to get below the 2nd apron and then aggregate.

I believe they need to cut ~ 24 mils... Hauser wont do it.. at all.

Next year the second apron cutoff goes up to 208M (projected). But you are right: Hauser alone still wouldn't be quite enough.

[yeleven11]

FYI- only piece of celtics relevant news from the recent Jake Fischer article was celtics are “most definitely listening on calls for Jrue Holiday” (duh). That info was in the section about magic looking for a guard but didn’t make an explicit statement about any celtics-magic talks.

[SuperDeluxe]

Reality check.
We don’t have the assets to trade for Giannis unless Tatum is part of the package. Just facts of life.
Also we can’t aggregate or take back more Salary. It’s just not going to happen.

They could do it in separate trades: the first would be Jaylen for Giannis, and a second would be to trade someone good for someone sucky making the same salary.

Disclaimer: I'm clueless about the CBA so what I'm suggesting may not be allowed.

[brackdan70]

Reality check.
We don’t have the assets to trade for Giannis unless Tatum is part of the package. Just facts of life.
Also we can’t aggregate or take back more Salary. It’s just not going to happen.

They could do it in separate trades: the first would be Jaylen for Giannis, and a second would be to trade someone good for someone sucky making the same salary.

Disclaimer: I'm clueless about the CBA so what I'm suggesting may not be allowed.

In theory if they do it before 25/26 starts the could trade Giannis with Brown (Brown actually makes more this year) but then Bucks are hard capped at the first apron for this year which they are over. We have to include White (could be technically a separate trade) and all the picks to even come close to value and then take back Kuzma. Milwaukee is over the Apron so they can’t take back additional salary. They’d have to send a bunch of salary for a third team, and if the Cs are giving all their picks to the Bucks then there is nothing left to grease the wheels for that. It’s just not realistic.

[yeleven11]

Reality check.
We don’t have the assets to trade for Giannis unless Tatum is part of the package. Just facts of life.
Also we can’t aggregate or take back more Salary. It’s just not going to happen.

They could do it in separate trades: the first would be Jaylen for Giannis, and a second would be to trade someone good for someone sucky making the same salary.

Disclaimer: I'm clueless about the CBA so what I'm suggesting may not be allowed.

In theory if they do it before 25/26 starts the could trade Giannis with Brown (Brown actually makes more this year) but then Bucks are hard capped at the first apron for this year which they are over. We have to include White (could be technically a separate trade) and all the picks to even come close to value and then take back Kuzma. Milwaukee is over the Apron so they can’t take back additional salary. They’d have to send a bunch of salary for a third team, and if the Cs are giving all their picks to the Bucks then there is nothing left to grease the wheels for that. It’s just not realistic.

Celtics bucks pelicans 3 team trade using the 24-25 salaries is actually fairly straight forward from a pure apron perspective

McCollum + Olynyk + #7 pick + 2026 bucks swap + 2027 bucks swap, BOS 2025/2027/2031 picks to MIL

Jaylen Brown to NOP

Giannis to BOS

[brackdan70]

They could do it in separate trades: the first would be Jaylen for Giannis, and a second would be to trade someone good for someone sucky making the same salary.

Disclaimer: I'm clueless about the CBA so what I'm suggesting may not be allowed.

In theory if they do it before 25/26 starts the could trade Giannis with Brown (Brown actually makes more this year) but then Bucks are hard capped at the first apron for this year which they are over. We have to include White (could be technically a separate trade) and all the picks to even come close to value and then take back Kuzma. Milwaukee is over the Apron so they can’t take back additional salary. They’d have to send a bunch of salary for a third team, and if the Cs are giving all their picks to the Bucks then there is nothing left to grease the wheels for that. It’s just not realistic.

Celtics bucks pelicans 3 team trade using the 24-25 salaries is actually fairly straight forward from a pure apron perspective

McCollum + Olynyk + #7 pick + 2026 bucks swap + 2027 bucks swap, BOS 2025/2027/2031 picks to MIL

Jaylen Brown to NOP

Giannis to BOS

Do you think NOP gives that for Brown? Maybe.
I don’t think that’s enough for Giannis.

[yeleven11]

In theory if they do it before 25/26 starts the could trade Giannis with Brown (Brown actually makes more this year) but then Bucks are hard capped at the first apron for this year which they are over. We have to include White (could be technically a separate trade) and all the picks to even come close to value and then take back Kuzma. Milwaukee is over the Apron so they can’t take back additional salary. They’d have to send a bunch of salary for a third team, and if the Cs are giving all their picks to the Bucks then there is nothing left to grease the wheels for that. It’s just not realistic.

Celtics bucks pelicans 3 team trade using the 24-25 salaries is actually fairly straight forward from a pure apron perspective

McCollum + Olynyk + #7 pick + 2026 bucks swap + 2027 bucks swap, BOS 2025/2027/2031 picks to MIL

Jaylen Brown to NOP

Giannis to BOS

Do you think NOP gives that for Brown? Maybe.
I don’t think that’s enough for Giannis.

Was just making up a trade that works apron/cap wise using the 24-25 salaries. I think NO giving that up for Brown is more likely than that being enough for Giannis so we’re prob in agreement lol i think the pelicans are tired of losing so they’ll try to bring in another guy next to zion. The bucks part is tricky because if they want their picks back, they have to engage New Orleans so at least some part of the negotiation for any team is “who has the players or picks New Orleans wants?”

[GoCeltics123]

Not that it’s any surprise, but Jake Fischer says the Celtics are “most definitely” listening on trade calls for Jrue