Bucks News, Trade Ideas, Transactions - Livingston Back on a 1 Year Deal - Page 76

[BigO]

I'm interested to see how much Turner is gonna be able to overcome our crap offensive scheme going from Carlisle to Doc. We were a very effective pick & roll offense (6th best in efficiency) and yet we ran it so rarely (9th least possessions per game) for whatever reason. Now we're without the, statistically 2nd most efficient on the 9th highest volume P&R ball-handler from last season.

The offense should be built around Giannis/Turner high/low pick-and-pop and two-man game, but I fully expect that we're just gonna double down on dumb elbow touches and post-ups and be the #1 or #2 frequency post offense in the league again on mediocre efficiency. Maybe they can still bring in an innovative assistant who can just run the offense while Doc can day-dream about tee times, but that's probably wishful thinking.

There are just a few Bucks on the team who can post up, now that KM is gone. Obviously, GA and then BP. Perhaps KPJ against smaller guards.

They didn't use pick and rolls as much as they should have, but they need to have more motion. KPJ at his best would be someone who should be able to bring down his defender and find the open man.

[CharityStripe34]

I'm interested to see how much Turner is gonna be able to overcome our crap offensive scheme going from Carlisle to Doc. We were a very effective pick & roll offense (6th best in efficiency) and yet we ran it so rarely (9th least possessions per game) for whatever reason. Now we're without the, statistically 2nd most efficient on the 9th highest volume P&R ball-handler from last season.

The offense should be built around Giannis/Turner high/low pick-and-pop and two-man game, but I fully expect that we're just gonna double down on dumb elbow touches and post-ups and be the #1 or #2 frequency post offense in the league again on mediocre efficiency. Maybe they can still bring in an innovative assistant who can just run the offense while Doc can day-dream about tee times, but that's probably wishful thinking.

It all rests on the coaches running optimal lineups and sets that take advantage of the things this team can do well. Shoot and move the ball. Agree that high low needs to happen more often. Giannis loved finding brook cutting toward the rim on a ghost screen. Last year the team was excellent out of the pick and roll and 3pt shooting efficiency yet we did those things near the bottom of the league. Kind of impressive in a bizarre universe way.

[emunney]

Kuz and Dre for Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

The only 2 things that could hold this team back from 50+ wins are Giannis being out for a significant amount of games & Doc Rivers not putting players on the court who complement one another + can match-up w/ the opponent.

Besides that, we have the playmaking, outside shooting, & defense we need. The only inherent roster question I have is rebounding. Even as far as that, Horst could find a small forward who wouldn't cost the 1sts or Green that could ameliorate that issue.

Giannis was about as healthy as he has ever will be* and we only won 48 games last year with 8 in end of season garbage time. Let's not act like 50 is our floor, especially since we lost 2 starters and only got 1 back.

[BigO]

Livingston earned and deserved this spot. Worked on his game and his body, he's locked in

By having a few solid summer league games? The bar is low. He has shown exactly nothing on the actual NBA level over two years. He has earned and deserved absolutely nothing

You're right the bar is low but he performed in G- League, Training, Summer league... When one of our young guys actually develops he has earned it

You're right. Livingston has earned the right to another contract. Not because he worked hard (which he obviously did), but because he has steadily improved and no one, including myself, knows his ceiling yet.

It would be foolish to abandon him now, after seeing the amazing improvement in almost every aspect of his game.

His problem, as I mentioned before, is that he isn't elite in any aspect of the game. He is pretty good at everything.

If he can get a consistent jumper this year, he will deserve big league minutes.

I would be fine with him getting spot minutes this year with actual NBA talent, so we can see what he can do when the other players have to be guarded.

When you think about all the minutes Kuzma played, it's hard to complain about signing Livingston.

[CharityStripe34]

The only 2 things that could hold this team back from 50+ wins are Giannis being out for a significant amount of games & Doc Rivers not putting players on the court who complement one another + can match-up w/ the opponent.

Besides that, we have the playmaking, outside shooting, & defense we need. The only inherent roster question I have is rebounding. Even as far as that, Horst could find a small forward who wouldn't cost the 1sts or Green that could ameliorate that issue.

Giannis was about as healthy as he has ever been and we only won 48 games last year with 8 in end of season garbage time. Let's not act like 50 is our floor, especially since we lost 2 starters and only got 1 back.

You’re not wrong. There’s a fine line between 48-53 or so wins. Especially in the east which will be wide open. The Doc variance (besides health) will be crucial.

[Bernman]

The only 2 things that could hold this team back from 50+ wins are Giannis being out for a significant amount of games & Doc Rivers not putting players on the court who complement one another + can match-up w/ the opponent.

Besides that, we have the playmaking, outside shooting, & defense we need. The only inherent roster question I have is rebounding. Even as far as that, Horst could find a small forward who wouldn't cost the 1sts or Green that could ameliorate that issue.

Giannis was about as healthy as he has ever been and we only won 48 games last year with 8 in end of season garbage time. Let's not act like 50 is our floor, especially since we lost 2 starters and only got 1 back.

I didn't say it was our floor. Doc was the coach then, and he is now. That's what I said is the other thing that would be holding us back. He did make us a 17-19 team after we started 32-14 the prior season.

But we're better equipped this yr. The starter we gained is much better than the starter we lost. And KPJ showed to be a better fit. We were better w/out Dame in the regular season. Added more depth, Kuz should at least revert to norm & we're better positioned for a deadline move.

[Frank Nova]

Kuz and Dre for Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin

Good idea but not significant enough imo.

[Licensed to Il]

In the recent wiretap (bottom of the realgm ticker) Jon Horst is quoted as saying he's done "everything within my human possible power" to improve the Bucks this offseason. I'd like to point out this is exactly how I think an alien would talk (which would be good news, probably, that Horst was a "Men in Black" type creature using all his galactic wisdom on our behalf). But I'd also like to point out this is also how a guy would talk that was completely mailing it in and not trying at all and using AI to complete interviews.

What is the prevailing thought, around here, do we have an alien genius in our midst, or a depressed Ron Burgandy type wearing a bathrobe and making his intern send out generated quotes?

[raferfenix]

Kuz and Dre for Naji Marshall and Caleb Martin

Naji Marshall seems like he’d be a great target on paper though Dallas also appears happy with him.

Dare we dream Nico still values Kuz remotely that highly?

Who’d be a better fit with Cooper Flag matters too.

Will Marshall’s 3-point shot return to him in his second year with the Mavericks, or was his 38.5% mark in 2023-24 the aberration? Even regressing to his own career mark of around 30% would be an improvement from his first year in Dallas.

Otherwise, you’d have to squint pretty hard to find any glaring flaws in Marshall’s game. With Kyrie Irving on the shelf with a reconstructed ACL for a good chunk of the upcoming season, the Mavs may continue to look to Marshall (as well as Washington) to provide some significant scoring punch, to go along with his well-established bonafides on the defensive end. At age 27, he’s in his prime, but that doesn’t mean he can’t get better at one or two things.

Grade: A-

https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/5/5/24421154/naji-marshalls-first-season-with-the-mavericks-unfolded-like-a-double-edged-knife

[GoldenAntlers]

I don't see any evidence for him mailing it in. Dude made moves nobody on the board saw coming. Alien.

[Packbuckman]

The only 2 things that could hold this team back from 50+ wins are Giannis being out for a significant amount of games & Doc Rivers not putting players on the court who complement one another + can match-up w/ the opponent.

Besides that, we have the playmaking, outside shooting, & defense we need. The only inherent roster question I have is rebounding. Even as far as that, Horst could find a small forward who wouldn't cost the 1sts or Green that could ameliorate that issue.

Giannis was about as healthy as he has ever will be* and we only won 48 games last year with 8 in end of season garbage time. Let's not act like 50 is our floor, especially since we lost 2 starters and only got 1 back.

Ya but we also started prince all season and kuzma part of it now if Doc does that again then we will struggle. And I loved Lopez while he was here but Turner is a big up grade especially on D when he gets switched on

[emunney]

In the recent wiretap (bottom of the realgm ticker) Jon Horst is quoted as saying he's done "everything within my human possible power" to improve the Bucks this offseason. I'd like to point out this is exactly how I think an alien would talk (which would be good news, probably, that Horst was a "Men in Black" type creature using all his galactic wisdom on our behalf). But I'd also like to point out this is also how a guy would talk that was completely mailing it in and not trying at all and using AI to complete interviews.

What is the prevailing thought, around here, do we have an alien genius in our midst, or a depressed Ron Burgandy type wearing a bathrobe and making his intern send out generated quotes?

I think we've got a lunchpail GM who occasionally says in weird word orderings his talking

[Packbuckman]

By having a few solid summer league games? The bar is low. He has shown exactly nothing on the actual NBA level over two years. He has earned and deserved absolutely nothing

You're right the bar is low but he performed in G- League, Training, Summer league... When one of our young guys actually develops he has earned it

You're right. Livingston has earned the right to another contract. Not because he worked hard (which he obviously did), but because he has steadily improved and no one, including myself, knows his ceiling yet.

It would be foolish to abandon him now, after seeing the amazing improvement in almost every aspect of his game.

His problem, as I mentioned before, is that he isn't elite in any aspect of the game. He is pretty good at everything.

If he can get a consistent jumper this year, he will deserve big league minutes.

I would be fine with him getting spot minutes this year with actual NBA talent, so we can see what he can do when the other players have to be guarded.

When you think about all the minutes Kuzma played, it's hard to complain about signing Livingston.

Play Livingston at SF to see how he handles it with his size he should be a very good rebounding sf and yes he needs to keep working on that jumper it did lol a lot better this year in summer league.

[Ron Swanson]

Coming from Mr. "hit the ground like a rocket ship", I think he's just a weird, incredibly awkward public speaker lol.

[tedbrogen]

By having a few solid summer league games? The bar is low. He has shown exactly nothing on the actual NBA level over two years. He has earned and deserved absolutely nothing

You're right the bar is low but he performed in G- League, Training, Summer league... When one of our young guys actually develops he has earned it

You're right. Livingston has earned the right to another contract. Not because he worked hard (which he obviously did), but because he has steadily improved and no one, including myself, knows his ceiling yet.

It would be foolish to abandon him now, after seeing the amazing improvement in almost every aspect of his game.

His problem, as I mentioned before, is that he isn't elite in any aspect of the game. He is pretty good at everything.

If he can get a consistent jumper this year, he will deserve big league minutes.

I would be fine with him getting spot minutes this year with actual NBA talent, so we can see what he can do when the other players have to be guarded.

When you think about all the minutes Kuzma played, it's hard to complain about signing Livingston.

Also, being pretty good at everything isn’t a bad feature when you’re 6’7” with a 7’1” wingspan. That seems like someone who could be part of a rotation in the future.

[Matches Malone]

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[Licensed to Il]

I don't see any evidence for him mailing it in. Dude made moves nobody on the board saw coming. Alien.

LOL you all have to admit that its suspicious that he points out that he is human.

[MickeyDavis]

Good for KPJ. Put it behind you and LFG

[raferfenix]

Marc Stein:

Kuminga's holding pattern has generated the most media attention to date. His agent Aaron Turner has held numerous discussions with Warriors officials in Las Vegas, league sources tell The Stein Line, with the hope of securing a contract — even a short-term contract — that pays at least $25 million in average annual salary … whether that's to stay with the Warriors or switch teams via sign-and-trade. Sources say that the Warriors have expressed reluctance to go that high in price over a long-term agreement while also seeking some level of first-round draft compensation in any theoretical trade that ships Kuminga elsewhere.

Sources say Phoenix, meanwhile, is the latest team to express exploratory interest in a Kuminga sign-and-trade ... challenging as it would be for the Suns to make such a deal happen.

https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2025/07/17/kumingas-holding-pattern-has-generated-the-most-media/85257001007/