Bucks News, Transactions, Trade Ideas

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

He was far and away the worst player in the NBA last year.

Stop saying this. Its false and absurd. You claim it in a way that role and money may make true but in any given year the sunk cost of an entire roster makes the premise he was the worst player in the league....all else equal.... the worst take ever.

I'd guess roughly 25 teams consider him a huge negative asset. The Kings (and Lakers) have always liked him, and we should cash that in.

Sure. Lets cash that in. The fact he has a market, even with his last year and current deal all the more absurd he had the worst year in the league. im all for a great deal for anybody on the roster. My issue is dumping him for people that are actually worse. Theres a gob of them in this league including people that make the same or more money.

He did not make us better, we were worse with him on the floor, including defensively. We were actually better defensively with Portis on than Kuzma on. Also, Portis was 2.1 VORP better than Kuz. These 2 players don't compare.

He was traded for, and had the expectation unfortunately.....of replacing khris middleton here. that was unfair. we could just as easily suggest ajax falied worse in that role. or that livingston is the worst player ever because he couldnt slide into khris role and succeed.

but what if the role changed if not the player? thats what i want to see. were going with a completely different style of starting lineup. kuzma offers the top defensive backup option as anybody on this roster behind giannis/turner. if his offense improves slightly he could very well be a better player for us than portis on flexibility alone. that is something we need to see. any take on the matterthere is not enough data to feel strongly about it.

In the deal we've discussed above, we added Keon Ellis. He's the best player in the deal, dramatically better than Kuzma. If you think Ellis is trash, you need to watch more ball.

i dont have a thought on ellis. what i know is monk is dead weight. massive dead weight. targeting contracts that even sacramentos had enough of is bad business.

im all for trading kuzma...soon....but let his contract age half a season or until next offseason. he becomes an asset we can flip for something great instead of the trash being suggested

[ShootingtheJ]

He was far and away the worst player in the NBA last year.

Stop saying this. Its false and absurd. You claim it in a way that role and money may make true but in any given year the sunk cost of an entire roster makes the premise he was the worst player in the league....all else equal.... the worst take ever.

I'd guess roughly 25 teams consider him a huge negative asset. The Kings (and Lakers) have always liked him, and we should cash that in.

Sure. Lets cash that in. The fact he has a market, even with his last year and current deal all the more absurd he had the worst year in the league. im all for a great deal for anybody on the roster. My issue is dumping him for people that are actually worse. Theres a gob of them in this league including people that make the same or more money.

He did not make us better, we were worse with him on the floor, including defensively. We were actually better defensively with Portis on than Kuzma on. Also, Portis was 2.1 VORP better than Kuz. These 2 players don't compare.

He was traded for, and had the expectation unfortunately.....of replacing khris middleton here. that was unfair. we could just as easily suggest ajax falied worse in that role. or that livingston is the worst player ever because he couldnt slide into khris role and succeed.

but what if the role changed if not the player? thats what i want to see. were going with a completely different style of starting lineup. kuzma offers the top defensive backup option as anybody on this roster behind giannis/turner. if his offense improves slightly he could very well be a better player for us than portis on flexibility alone. that is something we need to see. any take on the matterthere is not enough data to feel strongly about it.

In the deal we've discussed above, we added Keon Ellis. He's the best player in the deal, dramatically better than Kuzma. If you think Ellis is trash, you need to watch more ball.

i dont have a thought on ellis. what i know is monk is dead weight. massive dead weight. targeting contracts that even sacramentos had enough of is bad business.

im all for trading kuzma...soon....but let his contract age half a season or until next offseason. he becomes an asset we can flip for something great instead of the trash being suggested

Monk is better than Kuzma, has been for years, he just doesn't play the position we need, hence the 3 way trade.

Sacramento has decided Monk isn't a PG, which everyone else already knew, and its easier for them to move Monk than Lavine.

[midranger]

I’d be fine swapping Kuz for Klay Thompson in a 3 way with Monk. Would be great to get another small asset given Klay’s age and decline in play, but I wouldn’t need it.

Klay is a true 3 at this point and obviously still a lights out shooter who would benefit from Giannis gravity. He’s actually been fairly durable since he missed those two years over COVID. I also think he’s strong enough to play small ball 4 in spurts and brings championship experience. My guess is, when the chips are down in the playoffs, he could find another gear like Middleton did. We’d also get a small TPE, that I believe would allow us to absorb a minimum salary guy in case a team needed to dip below the 2nd apron or wanted tax savings at the deadline.

Cons: old and declining. May be a bit of a dick. Can’t see Thee Stallion being happy In Milwaukee winters.

[Prez]

Among players who played 25+ mpg last year, saying Kuzma was the worst in the league really isn't a crazy take at all. He might not have been literally the worst, but he's absolutely in the conversation. The dude was legitimately terrible last year and the numbers back it up.

[raferfenix]

I think GOS is right that the Bucks see Kuz’s value increasing as his contract wanes — especially if he settles in as an athletic defensive minded backup PF.

But I also think the Kings in particular could value Kuzma disproportionately considering how much of a mess they’ve made of their roster.

Problem is Monk seems like a negative value guy in today’s cap climate. And the Kings’ lottery protected 2030 pick which turns into a Prime Wemby Spurs 2031 swap is the sweetener they’re supposedly offering for Kuminga.

[JayMKE]

He sucks but there are worse contracts and worse fits than Kuzma, I’m not using any assets to dump him.

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

Among players who played 25+ mpg last year, saying Kuzma was the worst in the league really isn't a crazy take at all. He might not have been literally the worst, but he's absolutely in the conversation. The dude was legitimately terrible last year and the numbers back it up.

in his previous role he was really bad. i agree. but damn near every role on this team is about to change. if you compare him to guys getting less than 25 minutes he might still suck but at least one could argue his talent is near the top of that bunch. thats the allure for me. can he transition to a 15-20 minute backup role and become net even value?

if he can then his trade value will skyrocket as his contract declines and shortens into an expiring.

what really motivates me on this topic is...

1. next offseason leading into giannis extension i really want an expring contract with every last bit of our draft picks intact.
2. im in agreement with horst that i definitely want to see us play a certain way next year but we need more data. if we trade kuzma for a "better player" who doesnt have his size and athleticism we are goiung to really be small. i know thats how we want to go generally anyway but i dont like the idea we'd be forced or handcuffed for lack of size in the frontcourt. theoretically we have enough bodies with sims, who im high on....but if one guy goes down....were ****. kuzma is another guy who if he accepts a winning role could really be a winning player...in theory

[raferfenix]

Whether the Kings are actually refusing to put Keon Ellis into any of these trade offers is something I've been thinking about.

Keon reportedly was considered off limits in any of the Kuminga packages.

Sam Amick followed up his report about the Warriors shutting down Kuminga sign and trade talks with this which seems less cut and dry though:

So, it feels like that the focus for the Warriors, I mean, for one, I was actually told that that Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis have not even been discussed for what it's worth. And then on top of that, if the Warriors focus seems to be on the pick and if the Kings went the Warriors request is then go completely unprotected on the 2030 first rounder. And I think if the Kings obliged, then it feels like that deal would get done. And so it feels like the focus is more on the pick than it is them trying to get any other young prospects from the Kings.

https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/rumors/2025/08/03/keegan-murray-and-keon-ellis-not-discussed-in-jonathan-kuminga-trade-talks/85498574007/

Ellis is up for a Caruso-sized contract extension Feb. 1 before he hits unrestricted free agency.

Golden State does have apron considerations which theoretically could make him less attractive (and definitely comes into play with their Malik Monk valuation) than a good pick they could flip as part of a bigger package.

Possible Vivek cheaps out on paying what very well might be a long term backup for them that kind of money?

Ellis is coming off of his best NBA season thus far, during which he emerged as an exceptionally efficient and effective 3-and-D wing. As such, it would come as no surprise if the Warriors were to request for the 25-year-old to be included in a Kuminga sign-and-trade.

According to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, the Kings refuse to include Ellis or Keegan Murray in a sign-and-trade for Kuminga—making them all but untouchable in such negotiations.

"The Warriors would probably be quick to pull the trigger on a deal involving Keegan Murray or Keon Ellis. However, a source with knowledge of trade conversations told The Sacramento Bee that Murray and Ellis have not been discussed and both are considered off limits in talks for Kuminga."

For as appealing as that revelation may be to Kings fans who understand Ellis' value, there's one issue with the franchise's logic: Its offseason strategy has seemingly undermined his development.

Unfortunately, the fact remains that he played fewer than 25 minutes per game in 2024-25. His playing time admittedly increased to 28.1 minutes per contest after the All-Star Break, but his usage rate simultaneously decreased by 1.3 percent.

The truly alarming element of Ellis' usage, however, isn't what transpired a season ago—but what the Kings have done since then to potentially limit his opportunities.

Sacramento already had a crowded perimeter with DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Malik Monk operating as high-volume scorers in featured roles. The rotation became even more complex when the Kings drafted Nique Clifford and signed Dennis Schröder.

https://aroyalpain.com/kings-keon-ellis-stance-meaningless-reflected-court

Then again there's also this:

A Kings front office executive recently told Spotrac's Keith Smith that picking up Ellis' option rather than making him an RFA had been "a show of trust," and that the team is working on extensions for both him and Murray.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25230555-kings-keegan-murray-keon-ellis-reportedly-limits-jonathan-kuminga-trade-talks

[BigO]

All this Kuzma talk is bumming me out.

It's true he was one of the worst players I saw last season and he made it impossible to have any chance against the Pacers.

It's also true that he doesn't have the BBIQ or necessary skills to fill any role on a really good team.

But, the optimistic view is he can't get any worse and so any improvement will make him look like an all-star. Play him in small doses, tell him what he has to do and not do to get playing time and let's see what he does.

There, I'll crawl back in my hole and see you when the discussions get real.

[Matches Malone]

[Ron Swanson]

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[jakecronus8]

While I think the idea that Kuzma was the worst player in the league is a little bit of dramatic hyperbole, I would entertain the argument that with his salary you could make the case for him being one of the least valuable players in the league and one of the biggest net negative assets.

[Ron Swanson]

Are we conflating regular season and playoffs? Because there's zero argument for Kuzma being the "worst player in the league", relative to contract or otherwise, in the 30-some regular season games he played for us. If we're talking strictly playoffs, then yeah. I don't think there was a worse rotation guy getting 20+ minutes than him, although Miami has a couple candidates (Herro, Wiggins).

[soxperry]

Nothing will ever top Kuzma writing "the grind does not take vacation" while he is literally in the middle of a vacation that spans 4 different countries.

[MikeIsGood]

But the grind doesn't take vacation. Kuzma does, but the grind stays home. Ibizzzaaaaaa!

[Bernman]

Kuz-derangement syndrome's an issue. He was acknowledging he was on honeymoon/vacation/traveling due to his new wife being an international model. But pointing out he's finding time to get into the gym as much as possible. Spinning a neutral or positive into a negative. KDS.

[jakecronus8]

Nothing will ever top Kuzma writing "the grind does not take vacation" while he is literally in the middle of a vacation that spans 4 different countries.

I remember seeing a recent social post from Packers first rounder Matthew Golden about getting up early to grind a workout and it was like 11:30 AM.

[MickeyDavis]

Kuz-derangement syndrome's an issue. He was acknowledging he was on honeymoon/vacation/traveling due to his new wife being an international model. But pointing out he's finding time to get into the gym as much as possible. Spinning a neutral or positive into a negative. KDS.

Agenda's here never change. Never die. I understand critiquing Kuz, he was horrible for us last year. And I have little confidence he'll be a meaningful contributor this year. But yeah, twisting everything little thing into a negative is weird.

[crowhead76]

WIth the Fox extension in San Antonio and their recent draft pick additions, does the Vassell contract become one they would look to shed?

[emunney]

I’d be fine swapping Kuz for Klay Thompson in a 3 way with Monk. Would be great to get another small asset given Klay’s age and decline in play, but I wouldn’t need it.

Klay is a true 3 at this point and obviously still a lights out shooter who would benefit from Giannis gravity. He’s actually been fairly durable since he missed those two years over COVID. I also think he’s strong enough to play small ball 4 in spurts and brings championship experience. My guess is, when the chips are down in the playoffs, he could find another gear like Middleton did. We’d also get a small TPE, that I believe would allow us to absorb a minimum salary guy in case a team needed to dip below the 2nd apron or wanted tax savings at the deadline.

Cons: old and declining. May be a bit of a dick. Can’t see Thee Stallion being happy In Milwaukee winters.

Yeah, I've been thinking about this since you first mentioned it. If they want to kick us another contract they don't want, I'm fine with that. But adding Klay to the artillery brigade is self-justifying.