It is absoloutely Negligent of the Milwaukee Bucks to not field Giannis offers

[pepe1991]

It would have to be a multi-team deal. When he is dealt I am willing to bet it won't be a two team deal. The teams giving back those picks to MIL will be getting something for it obviously.

And the Bucks would not be getting enough, like I said they’re not trading Giannis for the right to tank. Find me the future MVP centerpiece asset that’s coming back

Should Denver trade Jokic? That franchise has handled things more negatively and has little assets to improve, why do we never hear this narrative? the Bucks more than anything has been hampered by injuries to our star players.

You wish Bucks are in Nuggets position.

But no.

Nuggets control all of their first round picks. Bucks are doomed.
Nuggets have tradable players under age of 30. Bucks ....have Kuzma
Nuggets just passed first round of playoffs and gave OKC 7 games... Bucks didn't pass first round of playoffs in 3 years
Nuggets have best player in the world that can carry them to 50 wins even on West.... Giannis is great but isn't Jokić

Nuggets made some questionable decisions with coaching... Bucks hired Glenn


Thing is, Nuggets have more than enough wiggle room to retool roster. Bucks are done.

Bucks have like 5 men under contracts, no salary cap, no picks, one of players who is under contract costs $60M is 35 and blew up achilles.
Where can Bucks get talent from ? One MLE and disabled player provision that only allows them to sign somebody on one year deal.
47th pick?


Bucks are beyond screwed. They are unfixable for next 3 years. By that point GIannis will be 34-35 and too old to retool roster around ( not that you guys attract any FAs to being with),

Nobody is "crying " because you won't trade Giannis, normal people just find that decision bizarre.

In your head riding to sunset with Giannis sounds romantic ending of a movie. In reality you are gearing for 4-5 years of 30-35 wins at most, frustration by coaching , fans and Giannis himself as his talent fades away.
AND AFTER he retires, you still have to do damn rebuild that can't really start until 2031.

We talk about 6 years time frame of slow death to even start something new. 6 years ago Raptors were champions and Kawhi was alleged new face of nba.

Imo, at some point Giannis will still get too frustrated and ask out. And it will be for lower talent and haul you can get in trades today.

You mentioned Dirk, Dirk spent career on teams that were winning 50 + games, he only won title when he was 32 and they still had okey teams even when he was 35. At the tail end of his career Mavs got Luka from draft.
Guess who is not getting anything due no draft picks from 2031?

[JayMKE]

It would have to be a multi-team deal. When he is dealt I am willing to bet it won't be a two team deal. The teams giving back those picks to MIL will be getting something for it obviously.

And the Bucks would not be getting enough, like I said they’re not trading Giannis for the right to tank. Find me the future MVP centerpiece asset that’s coming back

Should Denver trade Jokic? That franchise has handled things more negatively and has little assets to improve, why do we never hear this narrative? the Bucks more than anything has been hampered by injuries to our star players.

You wish Bucks are in Nuggets position.

But no.

Nuggets control all of their first round picks. Bucks are doomed.
Nuggets have tradable players under age of 30. Bucks ....have Kuzma
Nuggets just passed first round of playoffs and gave OKC 7 games... Bucks didn't pass first round of playoffs in 3 years
Nuggets have best player in the world that can carry them to 50 wins even on West.... Giannis is great but isn't Jokić

Nuggets made some questionable decisions with coaching... Bucks hired Glenn


Thing is, Nuggets have more than enough wiggle room to retool roster. Bucks are done.

Bucks have like 5 men under contracts, no salary cap, no picks, one of players who is under contract costs $60M is 35 and blew up achilles.
Where can Bucks get talent from ? One MLE and disabled player provision that only allows them to sign somebody on one year deal.
47th pick?


Bucks are beyond screwed. They are unfixable for next 3 years. By that point GIannis will be 34-35 and too old to retool roster around ( not that you guys attract any FAs to being with),

Nobody is "crying " because you won't trade Giannis, normal people just find that decision bizarre.

In your head riding to sunset with Giannis sounds romantic ending of a movie. In reality you are gearing for 4-5 years of 30-35 wins at most, frustration by coaching , fans and Giannis himself as his talent fades away.
AND AFTER he retires, you still have to do damn rebuild that can't really start until 2031.

We talk about 6 years time frame of slow death to even start something new. 6 years ago Raptors were champions and Kawhi was alleged new face of nba.

Imo, at some point Giannis will still get too frustrated and ask out. And it will be for lower talent and haul you can get in trades today.

You mentioned Dirk, Dirk spent career on teams that were winning 50 + games, he only won title when he was 32 and they still had okey teams even when he was 35. At the tail end of his career Mavs got Luka from draft.
Guess who is not getting anything due no draft picks from 2031?

Obviously I do not care or respect your assessment of the Bucks and their future going forward, your projections are just **** from your ass to fling. I see no reason to address them, who are you? Why should I care? Go play 2K or something to tear it down.

Giannis will stay, the top of the east is historically weak and it has been shown that it’s more about who is healthy and who gets hot at the right time than paper rosters. The Bucks have had their best players injured in the playoffs every year since the championship, the Bucks aren’t winning without Giannis no matter who he has as sidekick.

[MrBigShot]

When you are a small market team in a destination most free agents generally don't want to go to, and you have an all time great player in his prime, naturally you'd want to do anything to keep him. So I don't blame the bucks or their fans one bit.

[Domz]

Outside of Giannis doing a 180 and say trade me, I would think this recent report of the Bucks planning to go over the luxury tag to retool their roster to help him should end the already-should've-ended speculation about him playing elsewhere.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25206285-bucks-reportedly-prepared-enter-luxury-tax-amid-giannis-trade-rumors-fa

[Packbuckman]

You are helping make his point for him. If Giannis stays, you really think 3x late round picks over three years is going to make Bucks a winner (championship team) better than other contenders? The cupboard is empty and Bucks can’t help Giannis become a champ again with limited resources.

No I am not because 1st rd talent is just that 1st rd talent. Now you got to develop that talent look at the top players today not all are lottery picks Giannis himself was 15th and with Giannis on your team you need shooters and the next few years their salary cap will get better to bring in free agents plus Dame will be back before the blood clots was having a great year. Play Giannis at pg and play the young guys like Doc finally did in playoffs but it was to late.

So your plan is HOPE. Hope Bucks can hit again on a one in a million lotto luck drafting another Giannis lite player late in the draft. And hope said lucky player found late in draft develops soon/fast enough before Giannis ages out. Hope all this unprecedented Bucks luck helps Giannis produce a team good enough to win a chip. Hope isn’t a plan.

Who said hope for superstar like Giannis I just want competent players to make up a team around Giannis. The pacers are showing you just need players that can shoot and are coachable. The bucks last year once Doc put the younger players in like AJ green Trent KPJ and Sims they held their own against the pacers. Doc just waited to long to bench prince and kuzma. Bucks fans were calling for him to do that in the regular season season. Giannis makes everyone better the bucks even without Dame will be a playoff team.

[Johnny Tomala]

Good that he is staying. That was my prediction. ESPN will be mad. I wonder when they will try to force Jokić out of Denver.

[doogie_hauser]

Good that he is staying. That was my prediction. ESPN will be mad. I wonder when they will try to force Jokić out of Denver.

Denver pushing OKC to 7 games in the West Semi Finals probably brought them some time from the media vultures to circle around Joker and The Nuggets

[Packbuckman]

Good that he is staying. That was my prediction. ESPN will be mad. I wonder when they will try to force Jokić out of Denver.

Denver pushing OKC to 7 games in the West Semi Finals probably brought them some time from the media vultures to circle around Joker and The Nuggets

Probably not long though when they finally realize Giannis is staying in Milwaukee they will need new story line.

[th87]

It would have to be a multi-team deal. When he is dealt I am willing to bet it won't be a two team deal. The teams giving back those picks to MIL will be getting something for it obviously.

And the Bucks would not be getting enough, like I said they’re not trading Giannis for the right to tank. Find me the future MVP centerpiece asset that’s coming back

Should Denver trade Jokic? That franchise has handled things more negatively and has little assets to improve, why do we never hear this narrative? the Bucks more than anything has been hampered by injuries to our star players.

You wish Bucks are in Nuggets position.

But no.

Nuggets control all of their first round picks. Bucks are doomed.
Nuggets have tradable players under age of 30. Bucks ....have Kuzma
Nuggets just passed first round of playoffs and gave OKC 7 games... Bucks didn't pass first round of playoffs in 3 years
Nuggets have best player in the world that can carry them to 50 wins even on West.... Giannis is great but isn't Jokić

Nuggets made some questionable decisions with coaching... Bucks hired Glenn


Thing is, Nuggets have more than enough wiggle room to retool roster. Bucks are done.

Bucks have like 5 men under contracts, no salary cap, no picks, one of players who is under contract costs $60M is 35 and blew up achilles.
Where can Bucks get talent from ? One MLE and disabled player provision that only allows them to sign somebody on one year deal.
47th pick?


Bucks are beyond screwed. They are unfixable for next 3 years. By that point GIannis will be 34-35 and too old to retool roster around ( not that you guys attract any FAs to being with),

Nobody is "crying " because you won't trade Giannis, normal people just find that decision bizarre.

In your head riding to sunset with Giannis sounds romantic ending of a movie. In reality you are gearing for 4-5 years of 30-35 wins at most, frustration by coaching , fans and Giannis himself as his talent fades away.
AND AFTER he retires, you still have to do damn rebuild that can't really start until 2031.

We talk about 6 years time frame of slow death to even start something new. 6 years ago Raptors were champions and Kawhi was alleged new face of nba.

Imo, at some point Giannis will still get too frustrated and ask out. And it will be for lower talent and haul you can get in trades today.

You mentioned Dirk, Dirk spent career on teams that were winning 50 + games, he only won title when he was 32 and they still had okey teams even when he was 35. At the tail end of his career Mavs got Luka from draft.
Guess who is not getting anything due no draft picks from 2031?

A healthy Giannis tops out at winning 30 games in the garbage East?

Stop embarrassing yourself.

[pepe1991]

Outside of Giannis doing a 180 and say trade me, I would think this recent report of the Bucks planning to go over the luxury tag to retool their roster to help him should end the already-should've-ended speculation about him playing elsewhere.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25206285-bucks-reportedly-prepared-enter-luxury-tax-amid-giannis-trade-rumors-fa

They traded MIddelton to avoid staying in second apron.
They talk about "keeping core", like who da hell is their core? 38 yeras old center or/and backup center?

Salary cap doesn't work how reporters want you to believe.
Bucks can't create salary pocket bigger than mid level exception to sign FA ( around $14M a year)

They can:
- use MLE worth 3 years , around $14m a year to sign FA ( probably gonna use on Portis or Trent)
- use trade exception worth $7M
- get player in sign & trade


What Bucks will actually have on roster to start off season:
Giannis
Lillard
Kuzma
Pat Con ( Probably)
AJ Green
Livingston
Jackson
Smith
47th pick


- maybe get disabled player provision ( probably won't get one because in theory Lillard could return next year)


Basically, Bucks can't even run back same roster ( minus Lillard) .

Best offseason they can scrap is returning Giannis, MLE on Portis, use trade exception for some Bey, Jevon Carter type of D level role player some team wants to dump for nothing, who makes below $7M in 2025-26) and use salary pocket to get free agent ( Tre Jones ? )

Maybe hope Brook does sign& trade for whatever reason ( UFA ).

No matter how you cut it, Bucks simply do not have assets to build team that is capable of winning more than 40-45 games on East, nor they are treat to do anything but lose in first round (again, for 4th time in a row).
It is way more realistic scenario where Bucks scrap some crappy roster, start season like last year, but without Brook, Lillard, Giannis killing himself to do everything gets hurt and Bucks finish season in great position for... Pelicans.

Hawks, Magic, Pistons, 76ers, Raptors. All of them will be better than whatever Bucks can build.

Bucks situation is so bad that even Presti would have hard time fixing it, instead your FO hires Glenn for coach and give some idiotic interviews how they will "go over cap " or "keep core" . They live in delulu land and don't even understand salary cap or how it works.

You can argue doing literally nothing, adding no long term contracts and praying every night until summer of 2027 that Giannis does not fall off cliff as player is best bet for Bucks better future, when they can finally use FA and have money for retooling.
That's why using MLE on somebody who is 30 like Portis isn't that smart.

But by far biggest Bucks problem are picks. Teams "retool" by sucking one year, intentionally or not, get some mid 1st round pick, attach future asset and get good player. For example, if Bucks have 2025 pick, they could use it to attach it to Kuzma and get NBA player off it. .. aside from hope that both Bucks and Pelicans will suck in 2025-26 and both picks will be juicy (as Bucks can keep worst between them) there is nothing to hope for until 2031.

[JayMKE]

Outside of Giannis doing a 180 and say trade me, I would think this recent report of the Bucks planning to go over the luxury tag to retool their roster to help him should end the already-should've-ended speculation about him playing elsewhere.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25206285-bucks-reportedly-prepared-enter-luxury-tax-amid-giannis-trade-rumors-fa

They traded MIddelton to avoid staying in second apron.
They talk about "keeping core", like who da hell is their core? 38 yeras old center or/and backup center?

Salary cap doesn't work how reporters want you to believe.
Bucks can't create salary pocket bigger than mid level exception to sign FA ( around $14M a year)

They can:
- use MLE worth 3 years , around $14m a year to sign FA ( probably gonna use on Portis or Trent)
- use trade exception worth $7M
- get player in sign & trade


What Bucks will actually have on roster to start off season:
Giannis
Lillard
Kuzma
Pat Con ( Probably)
AJ Green
Livingston
Jackson
Smith
47th pick


- maybe get disabled player provision ( probably won't get one because in theory Lillard could return next year)


Basically, Bucks can't even run back same roster ( minus Lillard) .

Best offseason they can scrap is returning Giannis, MLE on Portis, use trade exception for some Bey, Jevon Carter type of D level role player some team wants to dump for nothing, who makes below $7M in 2025-26) and use salary pocket to get free agent ( Tre Jones ? )

Maybe hope Brook does sign& trade for whatever reason ( UFA ).

No matter how you cut it, Bucks simply do not have assets to build team that is capable of winning more than 40-45 games on East, nor they are treat to do anything but lose in first round (again, for 4th time in a row).
It is way more realistic scenario where Bucks scrap some crappy roster, start season like last year, but without Brook, Lillard, Giannis killing himself to do everything gets hurt and Bucks finish season in great position for... Pelicans.

Hawks, Magic, Pistons, 76ers, Raptors. All of them will be better than whatever Bucks can build.

Bucks situation is so bad that even Presti would have hard time fixing it, instead your FO hires Glenn for coach and give some idiotic interviews how they will "go over cap " or "keep core" . They live in delulu land and don't even understand salary cap or how it works.

You can argue doing literally nothing, adding no long term contracts and praying every night until summer of 2027 that Giannis does not fall off cliff as player is best bet for Bucks better future, when they can finally use FA and have money for retooling.
That's why using MLE on somebody who is 30 like Portis isn't that smart.

But by far biggest Bucks problem are picks. Teams "retool" by sucking one year, intentionally or not, get some mid 1st round pick, attach future asset and get good player. For example, if Bucks have 2025 pick, they could use it to attach it to Kuzma and get NBA player off it. .. aside from hope that both Bucks and Pelicans will suck in 2025-26 and both picks will be juicy (as Bucks can keep worst between them) there is nothing to hope for until 2031.

Just simply wrong on the valuations and what they can do with the roster. You are talking out your ass and pretending to be an expert. Good job you know a salary cap of some sort and contracts exist, this doesn’t give you any insight and knowing a little bit can you make you look stupider than saying nothing at all. This is simply catastrophizing and concern trolling. A tantrum because you didn’t get your way.

The Bucks, Giannis, and our fans will be fine. They will still be more relevant than the Magic and that’s because we have Giannis while the Magic are building around guys like Franz Wagner. You don’t ever let go of your superstars, perhaps you are traumatized as an Orlando fan because all your stars walk away. Which is what you should do here.

[jokeboy86]

Good that he is staying. That was my prediction. ESPN will be mad. I wonder when they will try to force Jokić out of Denver.

Denver pushing OKC to 7 games in the West Semi Finals probably brought them some time from the media vultures to circle around Joker and The Nuggets

Probably not long though when they finally realize Giannis is staying in Milwaukee they will need new story line.

They'll never bring up Jokic because in their eyes he's elite but not a "star". As much as ESPN and others try to deny it because he plays in Milwaukee and does not team hop like they want, they know Giannis is a star. He's got the highlights, charisma and appeal they talk about a face of the league needs they just really wish he would keep moving like KD/Lebron.

Jokic to the national media is Duncan/Kareem 3.0 and he's also foreign. Absolutely nothing he does on the court or how he acts off the court is exciting or gets any needle moving in their eyes. The only reason they are forced to even acknowledge Jokic's existence is because of his play and the yearly MVP finishes. Jokic gives the media far less quotes than Giannis.

Plus I think there also some subtle bias going on with how the media covers players and stereotypes them. The media assumes that white European players will never asks to be traded or team hop. Even before the Finals last year they really didnt think that Luka would team hop and leave Dallas. They assume that elite white players(European or not) in general will never have a problem playing in small markets or staying with the teams that draft them while in their prime.

[RoyceDa59]

Negligent in which way?

They’re a pro basketball team trying to win, and the second best player in the world in his prime tells them he wants to stay.

Why on Earth would they trade him? It might be literally another thirty years before a team has the honor of having a player of his calibre on their team again.

Now they can look to retool around him.

[pepe1991]

Outside of Giannis doing a 180 and say trade me, I would think this recent report of the Bucks planning to go over the luxury tag to retool their roster to help him should end the already-should've-ended speculation about him playing elsewhere.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25206285-bucks-reportedly-prepared-enter-luxury-tax-amid-giannis-trade-rumors-fa

They traded MIddelton to avoid staying in second apron.
They talk about "keeping core", like who da hell is their core? 38 yeras old center or/and backup center?

Salary cap doesn't work how reporters want you to believe.
Bucks can't create salary pocket bigger than mid level exception to sign FA ( around $14M a year)

They can:
- use MLE worth 3 years , around $14m a year to sign FA ( probably gonna use on Portis or Trent)
- use trade exception worth $7M
- get player in sign & trade


What Bucks will actually have on roster to start off season:
Giannis
Lillard
Kuzma
Pat Con ( Probably)
AJ Green
Livingston
Jackson
Smith
47th pick


- maybe get disabled player provision ( probably won't get one because in theory Lillard could return next year)


Basically, Bucks can't even run back same roster ( minus Lillard) .

Best offseason they can scrap is returning Giannis, MLE on Portis, use trade exception for some Bey, Jevon Carter type of D level role player some team wants to dump for nothing, who makes below $7M in 2025-26) and use salary pocket to get free agent ( Tre Jones ? )

Maybe hope Brook does sign& trade for whatever reason ( UFA ).

No matter how you cut it, Bucks simply do not have assets to build team that is capable of winning more than 40-45 games on East, nor they are treat to do anything but lose in first round (again, for 4th time in a row).
It is way more realistic scenario where Bucks scrap some crappy roster, start season like last year, but without Brook, Lillard, Giannis killing himself to do everything gets hurt and Bucks finish season in great position for... Pelicans.

Hawks, Magic, Pistons, 76ers, Raptors. All of them will be better than whatever Bucks can build.

Bucks situation is so bad that even Presti would have hard time fixing it, instead your FO hires Glenn for coach and give some idiotic interviews how they will "go over cap " or "keep core" . They live in delulu land and don't even understand salary cap or how it works.

You can argue doing literally nothing, adding no long term contracts and praying every night until summer of 2027 that Giannis does not fall off cliff as player is best bet for Bucks better future, when they can finally use FA and have money for retooling.
That's why using MLE on somebody who is 30 like Portis isn't that smart.

But by far biggest Bucks problem are picks. Teams "retool" by sucking one year, intentionally or not, get some mid 1st round pick, attach future asset and get good player. For example, if Bucks have 2025 pick, they could use it to attach it to Kuzma and get NBA player off it. .. aside from hope that both Bucks and Pelicans will suck in 2025-26 and both picks will be juicy (as Bucks can keep worst between them) there is nothing to hope for until 2031.

Just simply wrong on the valuations and what they can do with the roster. You are talking out your ass and pretending to be an expert. Good job you know a salary cap of some sort and contracts exist, this doesn’t give you any insight and knowing a little bit can you make you look stupider than saying nothing at all. This is simply catastrophizing and concern trolling. A tantrum because you didn’t get your way.

The Bucks, Giannis, and our fans will be fine. They will still be more relevant than the Magic and that’s because we have Giannis while the Magic are building around guys like Franz Wagner. You don’t ever let go of your superstars, perhaps you are traumatized as an Orlando fan because all your stars walk away. Which is what you should do here.

It's not matter of me being "wrong" or "right" it's about what is possible and what isn't under current circumstances and what type of deals are legal and possible and what isn't possible.

Bucks, at least according to media, are promising Giannis bridge year and retool. That's falacity that they are selling, they simply don't have anything that would open them space for actual retool.

I didn't click on Bucks to "hate on fans and team", i'm not like that ( it was GB topic) i enjoy watching great product and great teams compete. Only reason why i even wrote anything here was as reaction to some of stuff that was said, that simply has no ground in reality. Your fellow fans throw around names like Grimes that you simply do not have money to go for ( as i said in past post, your salary situation is so limited that you can't even run back same roster even if you want to ).
I 'l just ignore ones who propose some epic moves like "Kuzma for Cam Johnson". Might as well try 47th pick for Jokić.

Resign Trent and Porter ( Who already opted out of player's option ) = hard capped
Use full MLE = hard capped

If you are hard capped, it means you aren't allowed to go over $196M ( first aprond ) by nba rules.

In that scenario your salary cap is:
GIannis $ 58,4
Lillard $57,6
Kuzma $ 21,8
Jackson, Livingston, Smith , Green = $ 8,7M
47th pick = around $2M

MLE player = $14,1 ( let's say it's Aldama for sake of argument)
Trade exception player = $7M

Resign of Trent for some $10M , resign of Porter on some $10M leaves you with $190M gone and $5M left to fill rest of roster spots ( 2 vet minimums, i assume you want to keep Sims, that's one).

That's why this whole FO talk about "ready to pay luxury" is either result of them flat out selling BS to Giannis, or being so damn terrible at their jobs that they don't even know rule book they had to follow. In both cases they are lying, because pretty much all re-signs lead them to hard cap and forbid them from going deeper than verge of first apron.



As for Magic, they are already more relevant than Bucks, would have been with 2 all stars this year if both didn't have same injury one after another, in first half of the season
Fear of leaving is a thing on small market, yet Franz just signed max, Paolo will get one after this season. Magic are legit PG away from being top 2 team on East. Magic are in good position. Still can screw it up, but Paolo + Franz + Suggs should be 50 wins team next season. Addition of actual PG could push them really far on not very good East.



Again, i have no horse in this race, i wrote my post to adress what things are *possible and realistic* and what things are complete BS that is spread around forums by people who don't understand nba or cap space or aprons, or hard cap or pretty much anything more than ball going through hoop = good thing.

[JayMKE]

They traded MIddelton to avoid staying in second apron.
They talk about "keeping core", like who da hell is their core? 38 yeras old center or/and backup center?

Salary cap doesn't work how reporters want you to believe.
Bucks can't create salary pocket bigger than mid level exception to sign FA ( around $14M a year)

They can:
- use MLE worth 3 years , around $14m a year to sign FA ( probably gonna use on Portis or Trent)
- use trade exception worth $7M
- get player in sign & trade


What Bucks will actually have on roster to start off season:
Giannis
Lillard
Kuzma
Pat Con ( Probably)
AJ Green
Livingston
Jackson
Smith
47th pick


- maybe get disabled player provision ( probably won't get one because in theory Lillard could return next year)


Basically, Bucks can't even run back same roster ( minus Lillard) .

Best offseason they can scrap is returning Giannis, MLE on Portis, use trade exception for some Bey, Jevon Carter type of D level role player some team wants to dump for nothing, who makes below $7M in 2025-26) and use salary pocket to get free agent ( Tre Jones ? )

Maybe hope Brook does sign& trade for whatever reason ( UFA ).

No matter how you cut it, Bucks simply do not have assets to build team that is capable of winning more than 40-45 games on East, nor they are treat to do anything but lose in first round (again, for 4th time in a row).
It is way more realistic scenario where Bucks scrap some crappy roster, start season like last year, but without Brook, Lillard, Giannis killing himself to do everything gets hurt and Bucks finish season in great position for... Pelicans.

Hawks, Magic, Pistons, 76ers, Raptors. All of them will be better than whatever Bucks can build.

Bucks situation is so bad that even Presti would have hard time fixing it, instead your FO hires Glenn for coach and give some idiotic interviews how they will "go over cap " or "keep core" . They live in delulu land and don't even understand salary cap or how it works.

You can argue doing literally nothing, adding no long term contracts and praying every night until summer of 2027 that Giannis does not fall off cliff as player is best bet for Bucks better future, when they can finally use FA and have money for retooling.
That's why using MLE on somebody who is 30 like Portis isn't that smart.

But by far biggest Bucks problem are picks. Teams "retool" by sucking one year, intentionally or not, get some mid 1st round pick, attach future asset and get good player. For example, if Bucks have 2025 pick, they could use it to attach it to Kuzma and get NBA player off it. .. aside from hope that both Bucks and Pelicans will suck in 2025-26 and both picks will be juicy (as Bucks can keep worst between them) there is nothing to hope for until 2031.

Just simply wrong on the valuations and what they can do with the roster. You are talking out your ass and pretending to be an expert. Good job you know a salary cap of some sort and contracts exist, this doesn’t give you any insight and knowing a little bit can you make you look stupider than saying nothing at all. This is simply catastrophizing and concern trolling. A tantrum because you didn’t get your way.

The Bucks, Giannis, and our fans will be fine. They will still be more relevant than the Magic and that’s because we have Giannis while the Magic are building around guys like Franz Wagner. You don’t ever let go of your superstars, perhaps you are traumatized as an Orlando fan because all your stars walk away. Which is what you should do here.

It's not matter of me being "wrong" or "right" it's about what is possible and what isn't under current circumstances and what type of deals are legal and possible and what isn't possible.

Bucks, at least according to media, are promising Giannis bridge year and retool. That's falacity that they are selling, they simply don't have anything that would open them space for actual retool.

I didn't click on Bucks to "hate on fans and team", i'm not like that ( it was GB topic) i enjoy watching great product and great teams compete. Only reason why i even wrote anything here was as reaction to some of stuff that was said, that simply has no ground in reality. Your fellow fans throw around names like Grimes that you simply do not have money to go for ( as i said in past post, your salary situation is so limited that you can't even run back same roster even if you want to ).
I 'l just ignore ones who propose some epic moves like "Kuzma for Cam Johnson". Might as well try 47th pick for Jokić.

Resign Trent and Porter ( Who already opted out of player's option ) = hard capped
Use full MLE = hard capped

If you are hard capped, it means you aren't allowed to go over $196M ( first aprond ) by nba rules.

In that scenario your salary cap is:
GIannis $ 58,4
Lillard $57,6
Kuzma $ 21,8
Jackson, Livingston, Smith , Green = $ 8,7M
47th pick = around $2M

MLE player = $14,1 ( let's say it's Aldama for sake of argument)
Trade exception player = $7M

Resign of Trent for some $10M , resign of Porter on some $10M leaves you with $190M gone and $5M left to fill rest of roster spots ( 2 vet minimums, i assume you want to keep Sims, that's one).

That's why this whole FO talk about "ready to pay luxury" is either result of them flat out selling BS to Giannis, or being so damn terrible at their jobs that they don't even know rule book they had to follow. In both cases they are lying, because pretty much all re-signs lead them to hard cap and forbid them from going deeper than verge of first apron.



As for Magic, they are already more relevant than Bucks, would have been with 2 all stars this year if both didn't have same injury one after another, in first half of the season
Fear of leaving is a thing on small market, yet Franz just signed max, Paolo will get one after this season. Magic are legit PG away from being top 2 team on East. Magic are in good position. Still can screw it up, but Paolo + Franz + Suggs should be 50 wins team next season. Addition of actual PG could push them really far on not very good East.



Again, i have no horse in this race, i wrote my post to adress what things are *possible and realistic* and what things are complete BS that is spread around forums by people who don't understand nba or cap space or aprons, or hard cap or pretty much anything more than ball going through hoop = good thing.

Bucks fans have the best understanding of it on the site, we are the most passionate and knowledgeable here. We know the roster. The situation is not ideal but you trying to sell that there is no hope and that the Bucks are negligent not to trade Giannis right now is obviously very biased and quite frankly stupid sounding. It is you and your biased opinion as fan of a middling eastern conference team that you want Giannis out of Milwaukee, that’s it.

What did Trent sign for last year? What about KPJ? You are talking out your ass about who can be brought back and who cannot. How weird it is that great players take less money to play with an all time great like Giannis. Maybe Jonathon Isaac can do some recruiting for your team.

You know as a Milwaukee fan who has actually seen my team win a championship, the prospect of being a vaunted 50 win team again is not that impressive or “relevant”. The Bucks had a disappointing season last year and won 48 games while that’s beyond your teams high point of the last 14-15 years. there are different levels to this you must understand and really the most important thing is health in the playoffs rather than winning a bunch more games during the long grind thru the increasingly meaningless regular season. The playoffs are a different animal, it’s not easy winning a championship. Orlando does not have an elite talent like a Giannis or Jokic or SGA, do you think Bonchero Wagner or Suggs make that leap? Good but not great does not cut it. You need to find your own Giannis to take the team to the next level, good luck with that. Hammond did it once before, were very familiar with his kind of team building. I don’t think Anfernee Simons or Jordan Poole are going to be that guy, not 37 year old Durant either. There is a ceiling but you still have hope, why? You believe in your players and the scratch off tickets you have to improve the team but there is zero guarantee and in all likelihood it’s not going to work. If you knew now that this core would never make an NBA finals, would you break them up?

[Daddy 801]

They can attach draft capital to Dame and/or Kuzma next summer, when there will be a lot of cap space league wide, and remake the roster around him. Of course, there's no guarantee that will work, and eating additional seed corn is risky even if they do get other players to commit, but there's a path to being competitive in 26-27.

They don't have the assets to pull off both in the same year

An expiring Dame (who may actually see the court before the end of the season) and an expiring Kuzma ($20M) can't get moved with an unprotected 31st and unprotected 32 swap?

I think they could. Again, I'm not saying it's prudent to do this. I'm saying there's a needle to be threaded if they really want to.

In this CBA no team is touching Dame without an unprotected pick coming back.

[hugepatsfan]

You don't trade Giannis until you have to. Granted, it does look bleak right now. It's hard to see them ever getting another championship with him because they're so spent assets wise. The Dame injury probably nuked them because instead of a star player they're getting nothing now and it's nuking their cap flexibility. BUT, all it takes is one star to shake loose next year for that expiring deal plus limited assets and they're right in the mix.

This board is obsessed with extremes. Either championship contender or fighting for 1st pick. Real business doesn't operate all or nothing like that.

[Bernman]

They don't have the assets to pull off both in the same year

An expiring Dame (who may actually see the court before the end of the season) and an expiring Kuzma ($20M) can't get moved with an unprotected 31st and unprotected 32 swap?

I think they could. Again, I'm not saying it's prudent to do this. I'm saying there's a needle to be threaded if they really want to.

In this CBA no team is touching Dame without an unprotected pick coming back.

The flip-side is Dame's contract is a huge asset at the following trade deadline. Here's 63m in relief for good players, if the Bucks want to play it that way. Otherwise they take the cap space in 2 seasons themselves. Maybe Dame would restructure if it gets them a 2nd star a yr earlier.

They have options in the near future. In the interim the plan would be to lean in on KPJ's +21 per 100 w/ Giannis & 21/7/7/2.3 per 36 slash line. + elite team shooting & solid d. In reality that's a path to still being good to very good. This 30-40 win talk, if Giannis plays 70+, is wildly ignorant.

If people actually cared about the Bucks they'd call for the firing of Doc. The Bucks were 32-14 before he arrived. 15-17 last season. 48-34 this one & in the playoffs he torpedoed the team w/ under-performing jumbo lineups. Could we at least see this for a half season post Doc & Dame?

[Daddy 801]

An expiring Dame (who may actually see the court before the end of the season) and an expiring Kuzma ($20M) can't get moved with an unprotected 31st and unprotected 32 swap?

I think they could. Again, I'm not saying it's prudent to do this. I'm saying there's a needle to be threaded if they really want to.

In this CBA no team is touching Dame without an unprotected pick coming back.

The flip-side is Dame's contract is a huge asset at the following trade deadline. Here's 63m in relief for good players, if the Bucks want to play it that way. Otherwise they take the cap space in 2 seasons themselves. Maybe Dame would restructure if it gets them a 2nd star a yr earlier.

They have options in the near future. In the interim the plan would be to lean in on KPJ's +21 per 100 w/ Giannis & 21/7/7/2.3 per 36 slash line. + elite team shooting & solid d. In reality that's a path to still being good to very good. This 30-40 win talk, if Giannis plays 70+, is wildly ignorant.

If people actually cared about the Bucks they'd call for the firing of Doc. The Bucks were 32-14 before he arrived. 15-17 last season. 48-34 this one & in the playoffs he torpedoed the team w/ under-performing jumbo lineups. Could we at least see this for a half season post Doc & Dame?

Problem with this is wasting a whole season of Giannis to hold onto an asset that is considered cap relief. Trading Dame now and bringing back two to three quality players could mean the Bucks are back in the White House. I still think Utah and the Bucks are perfect trade partners. Dame for Sexton and Collins. The Bucks can keep those guys if they fit well or let them walk. The Bucks send their 31st pick.

[PushDaRock]

And the Bucks would not be getting enough, like I said they’re not trading Giannis for the right to tank. Find me the future MVP centerpiece asset that’s coming back

Should Denver trade Jokic? That franchise has handled things more negatively and has little assets to improve, why do we never hear this narrative? the Bucks more than anything has been hampered by injuries to our star players.

You wish Bucks are in Nuggets position.

But no.

Nuggets control all of their first round picks. Bucks are doomed.
Nuggets have tradable players under age of 30. Bucks ....have Kuzma
Nuggets just passed first round of playoffs and gave OKC 7 games... Bucks didn't pass first round of playoffs in 3 years
Nuggets have best player in the world that can carry them to 50 wins even on West.... Giannis is great but isn't Jokić

Nuggets made some questionable decisions with coaching... Bucks hired Glenn


Thing is, Nuggets have more than enough wiggle room to retool roster. Bucks are done.

Bucks have like 5 men under contracts, no salary cap, no picks, one of players who is under contract costs $60M is 35 and blew up achilles.
Where can Bucks get talent from ? One MLE and disabled player provision that only allows them to sign somebody on one year deal.
47th pick?


Bucks are beyond screwed. They are unfixable for next 3 years. By that point GIannis will be 34-35 and too old to retool roster around ( not that you guys attract any FAs to being with),

Nobody is "crying " because you won't trade Giannis, normal people just find that decision bizarre.

In your head riding to sunset with Giannis sounds romantic ending of a movie. In reality you are gearing for 4-5 years of 30-35 wins at most, frustration by coaching , fans and Giannis himself as his talent fades away.
AND AFTER he retires, you still have to do damn rebuild that can't really start until 2031.

We talk about 6 years time frame of slow death to even start something new. 6 years ago Raptors were champions and Kawhi was alleged new face of nba.

Imo, at some point Giannis will still get too frustrated and ask out. And it will be for lower talent and haul you can get in trades today.

You mentioned Dirk, Dirk spent career on teams that were winning 50 + games, he only won title when he was 32 and they still had okey teams even when he was 35. At the tail end of his career Mavs got Luka from draft.
Guess who is not getting anything due no draft picks from 2031?

Obviously I do not care or respect your assessment of the Bucks and their future going forward, your projections are just **** from your ass to fling. I see no reason to address them, who are you? Why should I care? Go play 2K or something to tear it down.

Giannis will stay, the top of the east is historically weak and it has been shown that it’s more about who is healthy and who gets hot at the right time than paper rosters. The Bucks have had their best players injured in the playoffs every year since the championship, the Bucks aren’t winning without Giannis no matter who he has as sidekick.

The East is historically weak at the top? Did Boston and Cleveland not just both win over 60 games? Is Indiana not giving OKC everything they can handle in the finals?