Bucks News, Transactions, Trade Ideas

[-Jragon-]

Spoiler: The Grind is an after hours club in Ibiza

This is great lol

[Plossum]

**** me the Kings are a depressing basketball team. In just two years they went from third in the west with Fox, Sabonis, Monk, Murray and the Red Mamba to Lavine, DDR and now WB?

If you simulated this **** a thousand times it might be about the worst outcome they could’ve planned for.

[raferfenix]

What do we think of the Mavs as a trade partner?

Looks like Cooper Flagg will play a lot of SF for them and they have a bunch of wings but few guards until Kyrie comes back (they also have a roster crunch and could use an open spot or two).

Thinking about something where Kuzma goes to the Kings with Dallas involved.

Expect Flagg to start at small forward next to Anthony Davis and a center and to be used frequently on the ball; the Mavericks should be trying to find Flagg on fast breaks as often as possible.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6512382/2025/07/25/nba-summer-league-vegas-takeaways-cooper-flagg-dylan-harper/

[engelmartin]

“The Russell Westbrook Sweepstakes”? Can I trade it in for the cash value if I win?

[midranger]

What do we think of the Mavs as a trade partner?

Looks like Cooper Flagg will play a lot of SF for them and they have a bunch of wings but few guards until Kyrie comes back (they also have a roster crunch and could use an open spot or two).

Thinking about something where Kuzma goes to the Kings with Dallas involved.

Expect Flagg to start at small forward next to Anthony Davis and a center and to be used frequently on the ball; the Mavericks should be trying to find Flagg on fast breaks as often as possible.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6512382/2025/07/25/nba-summer-league-vegas-takeaways-cooper-flagg-dylan-harper/

Bucks:
Klay Thompson
PJ Washington

Dallas:
Monk
Ajax

Sacto:
Kuzma
(Sign Westbrook to replace Monk)

Can’t imagine we’d get PJ for Kuz, but maybe Dallas REALLY wants to get off of Klay’s corpse. This deal would save them almost 10 million + all the tax savings. Monk becomes their Kyrie fill in and then 6th man? No idea

[tedbrogen]

“The Russell Westbrook Sweepstakes”? Can I trade it in for the cash value if I win?

If this were TPIR, the taxes on the prize are worth more than the prize.

[tedbrogen]

What do we think of the Mavs as a trade partner?

Looks like Cooper Flagg will play a lot of SF for them and they have a bunch of wings but few guards until Kyrie comes back (they also have a roster crunch and could use an open spot or two).

Thinking about something where Kuzma goes to the Kings with Dallas involved.

Expect Flagg to start at small forward next to Anthony Davis and a center and to be used frequently on the ball; the Mavericks should be trying to find Flagg on fast breaks as often as possible.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6512382/2025/07/25/nba-summer-league-vegas-takeaways-cooper-flagg-dylan-harper/

Bucks:
Klay Thompson
PJ Washington

Dallas:
Monk
Ajax

Sacto:
Kuzma
(Sign Westbrook to replace Monk)

Can’t imagine we’d get PJ for Kuz, but maybe Dallas REALLY wants to get off of Klay’s corpse. This deal would save them almost 10 million + all the tax savings. Monk becomes their Kyrie fill in and then 6th man? No idea

This is interesting but the Bucks would almost want to send PJ to another team since GA and BP will already cover all the minutes at PF and it doesn’t seem like PJ could play SF. Klay providing spacing for GA would be unreal (one of the few trades I’ve seen where it is better for the spacing than simply giving all the SF minutes to GTJ and AJG) and he’s an actual SF but I’m assuming at this point his defense is pretty bad at 35 and after his injuries. Although he’d likely be a better team defender than Kuz, just probably too slow to make the rotations or stay in front of anyone.

[Daver]

I mean it’s not impossible Kuz is working harder then he has the past 3-4 offseasons like he says.

His career is on the brink but (at the moment at least) he’s on a winning team with as much of an opportunity to earn a role as he could ever hope for.

It's probable he's working harder, but when you've had a blah career (despite his earnings), you shouldn't be bragging about not training hard the last 3 years.

And in my book, training hard is not when you find a gym when you travel to exotic places. It's staying home with a trainer and not saying a word. Maybe I'm too old school.

You mean like midds when he was here and how hard he worked at not being in shape when the RS started

[midranger]

The most recent Kuz Kontrol:

This has been one of my best summers basketball-wise in probably the last 3-4 years…

No matter where I am—Germany, Ibiza, France—I'm always finding a gym and a weight room. The grind doesn't take vacations.

It's been all about getting back to the basics. A lot of shots, a lot of focus.

I'm excited about where my game is heading. The work is showing, and I can feel the difference.

Looking svelte:

Just thinking about this some more.

It’s hard to overstate the lack of self awareness in this quote.

If he thinks having a great summer “basketball wise” is finding a weight to move somewhere in Ibiza, just get him off the team. Having a brainless dude like this around can infect the whole locker room, especially a locker room that will be highly reliant on a guy like KPJ who has certainly had his own issues.

Sure Giannis goes to Greece, but my guy flies out a cadre of trainers and teammates so he can continue to do actual NBA stuff, not crushing a schnitzel and 4 mugs of beer and then putting up 100 shots at Das Fitnessstu-Stu-Studio.

[raferfenix]

Naji Marshall seems highly valued in Dallas but (as this recap of his season points out) they’ve got a crowded front court which could make him expendable.

Season recap

The 27-year-old Marshall stands at 6’6 and weighs in at 220 pounds. He chipped in 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and three assists per game in his first year with the Mavs. He played in 69 games, starting 31 of them. He is one of only three Mavericks players that logged more than 1,900 minutes on the season (Spencer Dinwiddie and Klay Thompson were number one and two, respectively), When considering a multi-game suspension factored into some of his missed time, a suspension he earned while living up to an enforcer role, his durability proved to be a valuable characteristic. He connected on 50.8% of his shots; a figure that was actually pulled down by a woeful 27.5% from three.

Contract status

Marshall is entering the second year of a three year deal and is set to earn $9 million this upcoming season. In 2026-2027 he will earn close to $9.5 million before becoming an unrestricted free agent the following offseason.

How he fits

Marshall came to Dallas this past offseason and did a little bit of everything for the Mavericks – enforcer, defender, three-point shooter (albeit a streaky one), even point guard. He remains one of the most versatile players on the roster and is just entering his prime. For a team that desires rangy, versatile players in a league that trends toward being more position-less as time goes on, Marshall is nothing short of prototypical. When the Mavs could barely roll out a team, Marshall slid from his spot at forward to start at point guard. His ability to drive and finish a variety of unpredictable floaters adds versatility to the offense and he often came up with clutch shots to stop another team’s run late in the season when he took on a bigger role. Coming off a career year shooting the three, he dropped dramatically on that front once he arrived in Dallas. He’s clearly capable, and some of his worst shooting nights from beyond the arc came in the midst of being injured. Regardless, for a team that shoots threes as much as Dallas does, he would be a better fit still if he can hit the three ball at a more reasonable clip.

Final verdict: Love him

Marshall is too versatile and too affordable to cut loose. It’s unlikely he will shoot so poorly from beyond the arc again, which will only add to his effectiveness going forward. On the other hand, he has a very tradable contract and if the Mavs front office is to be believed in respect of wanting to keep Washington and Gafford, Marshall may find himself playing elsewhere next year. Short of Cooper Flagg showing off heretofore unknown skills as a shooting guard, it’s a tall task to envision how everyone can remain. Between Marshall, Flagg, Washington, Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively there are not a lot of minutes left over in the frontcourt, a fact further complicated by how many of those players are sure-fire starters. Having said all that, Marshall brings a lot to the table – both tangibly and intangibly – and has a plus-value contract. For a team dangerously close to the second apron, having a player of his caliber on a team-friendly deal provides value on and off the court. I can’t quite figure what degree of wizardry it will take to keep everyone, but if GM Nico Harrison can manage to pull it off, the Mavs will be better for it. Marshall is a fan-favorite, brings a unique skill set, is on a favorable deal, isn’t afraid to take on tough defensive assignments and doesn’t necessarily need to compete for a starting spot. The Mavs would be well served to keep him around.

https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/6/24/24451912/naji-marshall-trade-pj-washington-daniel-gafford-cooper-flagg-duke

[Badgerlander]

I like Marshall but he’s another guy thats not worth a first

[raferfenix]

Can’t imagine we’d get PJ for Kuz, but maybe Dallas REALLY wants to get off of Klay’s corpse. This deal would save them almost 10 million + all the tax savings. Monk becomes their Kyrie fill in and then 6th man? No idea

This is interesting but the Bucks would almost want to send PJ to another team since GA and BP will already cover all the minutes at PF and it doesn’t seem like PJ could play SF. Klay providing spacing for GA would be unreal (one of the few trades I’ve seen where it is better for the spacing than simply giving all the SF minutes to GTJ and AJG) and he’s an actual SF but I’m assuming at this point his defense is pretty bad at 35 and after his injuries. Although he’d likely be a better team defender than Kuz, just probably too slow to make the rotations or stay in front of anyone.

There are Klay + Naji Marshall scenarios that work.

Whether or not Klay is a negative contract the Mavs are hoping to drop is also a question in my mind.

How he’d integrate in Milwaukee is another, especially if he’d be coming in with an ego.

That and Klay’s now very publicly dating Texas-based Megan Thee Stallion.

Challenge is getting a deal to work with apron restrictions without him.

[Ron Swanson]

I desperately want Kuzma gone but this amount of psycho-analyzing a completely innocuous quote about offseason workouts ain't it.

[raferfenix]

Spotrac trade machine is acting a little weird so not positive this actually works:

Mavs trade: Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Mavs receive: Malik Monk, salary relief, open roster spots they reportedly want

Kings trade: Malik Monk
Kings receive: Kyle Kuzma, Prosper, minutes for Westbrook

Bucks trade: Kyle Kuzma, waive Ajax
Bucks receive: Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin


I hadn’t realized how bad Caleb Martin was in Dallas and he’s got a lot of years left on his deal if that’s an opportunity.

Brutal F grade season review here:

Caleb Martin was so bad he almost made the Luka Doncic trade look OK

https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/5/16/24428339/caleb-martin-was-so-bad-he-almost-made-the-luka-doncic-trade-look-ok

[neiLz]

Kuz could end world starvation and come up with a cure for cancer and someone on this board will pick it apart and somehow turn it into a negative. We get it, dude is a massive douche that most people dont like. It's not like he abuses wome....... nvm

[BigO]

I mean it’s not impossible Kuz is working harder then he has the past 3-4 offseasons like he says.

His career is on the brink but (at the moment at least) he’s on a winning team with as much of an opportunity to earn a role as he could ever hope for.

It's probable he's working harder, but when you've had a blah career (despite his earnings), you shouldn't be bragging about not training hard the last 3 years.

And in my book, training hard is not when you find a gym when you travel to exotic places. It's staying home with a trainer and not saying a word. Maybe I'm too old school.

You mean like midds when he was here and how hard he worked at not being in shape when the RS started

I'll take an out of shape and hobbling KM over Kuzma.

[ShootingtheJ]

I mean it’s not impossible Kuz is working harder then he has the past 3-4 offseasons like he says.

His career is on the brink but (at the moment at least) he’s on a winning team with as much of an opportunity to earn a role as he could ever hope for.

It's probable he's working harder, but when you've had a blah career (despite his earnings), you shouldn't be bragging about not training hard the last 3 years.

And in my book, training hard is not when you find a gym when you travel to exotic places. It's staying home with a trainer and not saying a word. Maybe I'm too old school.

You mean like midds when he was here and how hard he worked at not being in shape when the RS started

Comparing healthy Kuzma to Middleton after major surgery? Seems fair.

[engelmartin]

I love Marshall and would be ok with a first for him. I don’t think it’d ever happen.

[crowhead76]

Spotrac trade machine is acting a little weird so not positive this actually works:

Mavs trade: Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Mavs receive: Malik Monk, salary relief, open roster spots they reportedly want

Kings trade: Malik Monk
Kings receive: Kyle Kuzma, Prosper, minutes for Westbrook

Bucks trade: Kyle Kuzma, waive Ajax
Bucks receive: Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin


I hadn’t realized how bad Caleb Martin was in Dallas and he’s got a lot of years left on his deal if that’s an opportunity.

Brutal F grade season review here:

Caleb Martin was so bad he almost made the Luka Doncic trade look OK

https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/5/16/24428339/caleb-martin-was-so-bad-he-almost-made-the-luka-doncic-trade-look-ok

Bucks In : Marshall, Murray
Kings in: Kuzma, Prosper, Caleb Martin, Bucks 2031 1st
Mavs in: Monk

[German Athens]

Someone brought up Brice Sensabaugh the other day, and he’s someone I’d been looking into more as of late. We’d have to include something of value to get him of course, but our first would be too much for him alone, imo.

What more from Utah would y’all want to make that work?