Bucks News, Transactions, Trade Ideas

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

For those that say Poole sucks, keep in mind that he was the ONLY offensive threat on a team full of young guys. He was much better in year 2 for the Wiz and has been, by all accounts, a great vet for the young guys. Poole can play for sure.

Poole doesn't suck but he also is basically just like a dumber, C list version of the guy he'd be replacing, who many believe didn't help the team in the first place.

poole has won pretty much everywhere hes been until he was with the wizards fwiw.

[Frank Nova]

Feels like the prophecy of Bruce Brown will fulfill itself in Milwaukee this offseason.

[Baddy Chuck]

For those that say Poole sucks, keep in mind that he was the ONLY offensive threat on a team full of young guys. He was much better in year 2 for the Wiz and has been, by all accounts, a great vet for the young guys. Poole can play for sure.

Poole doesn't suck but he also is basically just like a dumber, C list version of the guy he'd be replacing, who many believe didn't help the team in the first place.

poole has won pretty much everywhere hes been until he was with the wizards fwiw.

Don't really have problems with Poole. I don't think he's the guy I'd be targeting with our assets but like I said, I don't think he sucks (like say Kuzma). The funny part to me is just that if you're looking to change the roster up around Giannis, swapping Dame for Poole might be as hilarious a 1 for 1 regarding the things people hate about Dame being the things Poole brings to the table.

[Ron Swanson]

For those that say Poole sucks, keep in mind that he was the ONLY offensive threat on a team full of young guys. He was much better in year 2 for the Wiz and has been, by all accounts, a great vet for the young guys. Poole can play for sure.

Poole doesn't suck but he also is basically just like a dumber, C list version of the guy he'd be replacing, who many believe didn't help the team in the first place.

poole has won pretty much everywhere hes been until he was with the wizards fwiw.

I mean sure, he was in one other place and that was as a role-player in the winningest NBA organization in recent history. And once he got paid they couldn’t wait to get rid of him.

[Matches Malone]

I guess Bill is out here stealing Ron Swanson's ideas lol. Not the biggest MPJ fan but if you could swap Kuzma and PC for him I'd probably do it.

Read on Twitter

[machu46]

Poole doesn't suck but he also is basically just like a dumber, C list version of the guy he'd be replacing, who many believe didn't help the team in the first place.

poole has won pretty much everywhere hes been until he was with the wizards fwiw.

I mean sure, he was in one other place and that was as a role-player in the winningest NBA organization in recent history. And once he got paid they couldn’t wait to get rid of him.

I'm guessing he means high school and college as well

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[raferfenix]

Ok. What do we really think about MPJ?

Reading up:

MPJ contract has become untenable

Porter Jr. made just about $36 million this season; he’ll make $38.3 million next season, and over $40 million the following season. That’s star-level money, and in this CBA, you can’t afford to pay star-level money to a non-star. Sadly, that’s exactly what Porter Jr. has settled in as, a role player.

The improvement just hasn’t come, and MPJ has flatlined as a solid but not great player. He is still an elite movement shooter with great height, but his ball-handling and playmaking skills simply haven’t even improved. He has also stagnated as a defender and rebounder, rendering himself a fairly one-dimensional player.

While elite 3-point shooting at 6’10” is a nice dimension, it doesn’t warrant the contract MPJ is getting. He just hasn’t come along enough, and at this point, he’s about to enter his age-27 season. The Nuggets need to rebalance the roster and their finances, and MPJ is the obvious starting point.

Nuggets need to move Porter Jr. this offseason

Denver has to get off that contract one way or another. Unfortunately, his value around the league won’t be high, but they just need to move the money and turn it into multiple role players to build depth on the roster.

The team needs a major reshuffle as extensions for Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are about to kick in. Nikola Jokic is already on a supermax contract. And Christian Braun is about to be due for a large extension of his own.

https://nugglove.com/michael-porter-jr-may-have-just-played-final-game-nuggets

[Ron Swanson]

Ok. What do we really think about MPJ?

Reading up:

MPJ contract has become untenable

Porter Jr. made just about $36 million this season; he’ll make $38.3 million next season, and over $40 million the following season. That’s star-level money, and in this CBA, you can’t afford to pay star-level money to a non-star. Sadly, that’s exactly what Porter Jr. has settled in as, a role player.

The improvement just hasn’t come, and MPJ has flatlined as a solid but not great player. He is still an elite movement shooter with great height, but his ball-handling and playmaking skills simply haven’t even improved. He has also stagnated as a defender and rebounder, rendering himself a fairly one-dimensional player.

While elite 3-point shooting at 6’10” is a nice dimension, it doesn’t warrant the contract MPJ is getting. He just hasn’t come along enough, and at this point, he’s about to enter his age-27 season. The Nuggets need to rebalance the roster and their finances, and MPJ is the obvious starting point.

Nuggets need to move Porter Jr. this offseason

Denver has to get off that contract one way or another. Unfortunately, his value around the league won’t be high, but they just need to move the money and turn it into multiple role players to build depth on the roster.

The team needs a major reshuffle as extensions for Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are about to kick in. Nikola Jokic is already on a supermax contract. And Christian Braun is about to be due for a large extension of his own.

https://nugglove.com/michael-porter-jr-may-have-just-played-final-game-nuggets

Kuzma and Pat, come on down.

[RRyder823]

I guess Bill is out here stealing Ron Swanson's ideas lol. Not the biggest MPJ fan but if you could swap Kuzma and PC for him I'd probably do it.

Read on Twitter

Im doing that deal.and saying no take backs because well no more Kuzma

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[El Pooch Grande]

Kuz/Pat for MPJ in a heartbeat right?

[tydett]

It's also another Jr. to potentially add to the team in exchange for two non-Juniors.

[tedbrogen]

Kuz/Pat for MPJ in a heartbeat right?

For sure. MPJ is such a better fit with Giannis than Kuz. Assuming he’d be the SF, you can then let GTJ walk, focus all efforts on retaining KPJ, give AJG the starting SG role, let Brook walk, retain Bobby, retain Sims, retain Rollins.

KPJ/Rollins
AJG/???
MPJ/???
Giannis/Smith
Bobby/Sims

Pick up a backup 2/3 with what’s left of the MLE, pick up another backup big with the BAE.

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

Poole doesn't suck but he also is basically just like a dumber, C list version of the guy he'd be replacing, who many believe didn't help the team in the first place.

poole has won pretty much everywhere hes been until he was with the wizards fwiw.

I mean sure, he was in one other place and that was as a role-player in the winningest NBA organization in recent history. And once he got paid they couldn’t wait to get rid of him.

college and high school too i meant. hes been successful at every level

[ShootingtheJ]

Poole doesn't suck but he also is basically just like a dumber, C list version of the guy he'd be replacing, who many believe didn't help the team in the first place.

poole has won pretty much everywhere hes been until he was with the wizards fwiw.

I mean sure, he was in one other place and that was as a role-player in the winningest NBA organization in recent history. And once he got paid they couldn’t wait to get rid of him.

Averaging 18 ppg on 60 TS% as a 22 year old on the winningest team in the league is a pretty good role to have, and leads to that organization giving you a huge contract.

All that said, I'm hoping for players with more defensive chops, no more Dames. Poole doesn't do enough defensively.

[ShootingtheJ]

MPJ is a break from the goal of getting more complete players, but I guess anything to get rid of Kuzma.

However, a few games in to MPJs Bucks career, and we'll be devising ways to get that softy off the Bucks.

[raferfenix]

6’10 movement shooter SF in his prime who’s never had a change of scenery or opportunity to be the #2 guy seems like a serious option for us to consider on paper.

But how do we play out a MPJ trade from Denver’s perspective?

Have seen RonSwanson (all props on scenario including making its way to Bill Simmons) post a couple different 3-way trades, but basic idea seems to be:

- Denver shaves some cap with Kuzma’s descending deal.

- Pat Connaughton’s ending contract

- Bucks also can absorb someone they don’t want with our TPE for more savings.


The Nuggets actually valuing Kuzma or Pat (or players they’d get for them in a multi-team deal) sure would help!

If the Bucks needed to include additional assets that’d be another variable.

[raferfenix]

To what extent MPJ is actually available is another variable:

I don’t think the Nuggets will trade Porter this summer.

I’m never going to say it’s impossible. The Timberwolves wouldn’t have thought last August that Karl-Anthony Towns would be traded by training camp.

But Josh Kroenke’s public comments since the season ended have been illuminating. It’s clear that ownership is leaning toward giving the “core four” another year together, while hoping to patch together a better depth chart via some combination of player development and free agency discount shopping. “I think a lot of our answers are internal right now,” Kroenke said.

Read those tea leaves and consider that Porter’s importance to Denver’s current roster — Positional size! Volume 3-point shooting! — exceeds what his value would be on the trade market. To 29 other teams, he’s still a questionable contract with a dubious medical record. What you have is a likely outcome where, even if the Nuggets entertain MPJ trades, they don’t find one that satisfies them.

https://www.denverpost.com/2025/06/06/nuggets-general-manager-search-ben-tenzer-trade-candidates-2025-offseason/amp/

[pifhluk23]

MPJ is another low BBIQ player, again the opposite of what we need, just like Poole... And he's owed insane money for what he brings. Pat is valuable as an expiring and Kuzma may actually have value at the deadline if he can show something and he'd have 1.5 years left. No way in hell I'm trading them for MPJ unless were getting a 1st back in the deal.

[BigO]

1) If Poole had a decent BBIQ, he'd be a valuable player. As is, I wouldn't want him near a team that's trying to win and become a TEAM (emphasis added).

2) It's a tough call, because I hate Kuzma's game so much, but there's no way I see the Bucks taking on a big contract like MPJ. But I'm assuming they learned their lesson on Luzma and I'm probably wrong.

[Frank Nova]

Not even really sure if MPJ is much of an upgrade over Kuzma. He’s a super streaky shooter that doesn’t offer much else besides spacing and I’m not sure about his defensive prowess but I know it’s nothing to write home about. Doesn’t help with playmaking or rebounding, our 2 biggest holes going off last year. Idk, I’d probably make the trade but it’s no home run.