Bucks looking at Bledsoe, probably.

[paulpressey25]

Mayo blows. Why is anybody talking about Mayo?

If we kept Larry Drew or hired some non-descript stat nerd as our coach, I would have full faith that Mayo would simply collect his paycheck next year.

For me though, all bets are off with Kidd as coach. I think Sanders, Ersan and Mayo all have a chance to return to form because they don't want to face Kidd's wrath. Those three are classic examples of players that can and will turn it around for a great coach but will sputter with a crap coach.

[xTitan]

Which is why Pheonix won't let him go, they would match any offer.

That's where Kidd comes in. He recruits Bledsoe and gets in his head that Milwaukee has a brighter future now than the Suns along with telling Bledsoe that he'll be the man at PG here in MKE and he won't have to share billing with Dragic. Then Bledsoe goes to his agent and tells him to let Phoenix know that he wants out and they should explore a sign and trade.

The Suns need to either land LeBron and/or Bosh or tank. I just don't buy the idea that the Morris twins and Alex Len are any sort of sustainable contender in the West. I think Hornacek got them to massively over-perform last season in a year when they were supposed to win 22 games and get a top five pick. I just see them maxing out Bledsoe and Dragic and ending up a 42-45 win team in no man's land.

I think they max out Bledsoe and end up dealing Dragic

[Nycballa2k]

I would say the odds of them playing close to their level of play last year is much more likely than them returning to their peak levels.

No way.

First off I fully expect Sanders to return to form. He was simply hurt there is no reason he cannot.

Ersan has years of proof that he's a better player and he also was hurt most of the year.

Mayo is the only one that I am not sold that they can or will return to form but my take on him is that he saw us effectively tanking and he started tanking it himself. I think he can return to form its just can he do it here?

Larry is coming off multiple injuries, is a documented headcase, and has problems with the league substance abuse policy. No faith in him.

Ersan put up good numbers on an awful Bucks team in which he was often the tallest guy on the court. He's been extremely overrated and even if he does "return to form" he's just a guy, not at all a significant difference maker.

Mayo blows. Why is anybody talking about Mayo?

he doesn't have any serious chronic injuries, and yes he's a headcase but so have many other great NBA players in the past. And I'm really not tripping on a guy smoking weed in 2014....sorry. You make it sound like he's smoking crack or leaving dirty syringes in the locker room.

[ampd]

I would say the odds of them playing close to their level of play last year is much more likely than them returning to their peak levels.

No way.

First off I fully expect Sanders to return to form. He was simply hurt there is no reason he cannot.

Ersan has years of proof that he's a better player and he also was hurt most of the year.

Mayo is the only one that I am not sold that they can or will return to form but my take on him is that he saw us effectively tanking and he started tanking it himself. I think he can return to form its just can he do it here?

Larry is coming off multiple injuries, is a documented headcase, and has problems with the league substance abuse policy. No faith in him.

Ersan put up good numbers on an awful Bucks team in which he was often the tallest guy on the court. He's been extremely overrated and even if he does "return to form" he's just a guy, not at all a significant difference maker.

Mayo blows. Why is anybody talking about Mayo?

Why would Larrys injuries to his hand and face degrade his future play? It's not like he blew out his knee

[paulpressey25]

I think they max out Bledsoe and end up dealing Dragic

Well then let's put the 4-year/$64 million dollar deal on the table and make the Suns spend it all like the Bulls and Heat did with us and Tim Thomas or the Cav's did with Michael Redd or the Heat did it to us with Mo Williams and Charlie Bell. No harm in screwing up the salary structure of other teams you compete with. We've had it done enough to us.

[xTitan]

Mayo blows. Why is anybody talking about Mayo?

If we kept Larry Drew or hired some non-descript stat nerd as our coach, I would have full faith that Mayo would simply collect his paycheck next year.

For me though, all bets are off with Kidd as coach. I think Sanders, Ersan and Mayo all have a chance to return to form because they don't want to face Kidd's wrath. Those three are classic players that can and will turn it around for a great coach but will sputter with a crap coach.

I believe that the Bucks are exploring guys like Lin and Vasquez because they believe they only have 2 versatile guards in Wolters and Knight, I am not sure they are viewing Mayo as a member of this team/rotation now, they are trying to deal Mayo we have heard.

[PANDEMONEUM]

i think im with the "no to Bledsoe" group
i think he is too good for us, right now
he will ruin the draft and build process that we are in
i would prefer a top 5 pick in 2015
top 10 2016
lottery 2017
thats 3 more picks, with Giannis and Jabari
we hope 3 of that group will become all stars

i totally understand those that want Bledsoe

my question is, who is more valuable...

Bledsoe, or the draft pick we will get next year ?

[xTitan]

I think they max out Bledsoe and end up dealing Dragic

Well then let's put the 4-year/$64 million dollar deal on the table and make the Suns spend it all like the Bulls and Heat did with us and Tim Thomas or the Cav's did with Michael Redd or the Heat did it to us with Mo Williams and Charlie Bell. No harm in screwing up the salary structure of other teams you compete with. We've had it done enough to us.

The other thing to consider is that perhaps Bledsoe would sooner sign an offer sheet with another team.

[theFireBlanket]

I am reading people want to give Bledsoe a contract like Michael Redd. Redd was love by everyone until he became max Redd and even though Redd was a good player it hurt the team because of his contract.

Redd got more than the regular max. He got the super max.

And people may have been fine with the deal if not for the injuries and if he was surrounded by a supporting cast who could win a lot of games, like this one may w/ Parker, Giannis, and Sanders. In their prime that core may win 50 games by itself and with solid role players.

So it's an apples and oranges situation.

Sanders is a turd and Giannis has done nothing and shown nothing. Good prospect that is it. He is unknown on what he will do in the NBA. Giannis is Bucks fans overrated player of the year or two. Where every year everyone overrates and over values a player on the Bucks and claims them untradable.

Before Giannis it was Henson. Everyone would say I wouldn't trade Henson for a top 5 pick in the draft. Henson is a valuable untradable player. Even though Henson has done nothing in the NBA.

Giannis was a good pick for the middle of the first round will he work we'll see.

Henson played far less than Giannis did. Add to that he came from 3 years at UNC and was relatively older as well. Their*(damnit!) situations are really not comparable. It doesn't matter if claims about trade status are similar because of the numbers that Henson did put up when he got floor time.

J. Henson would actually be able to put up big numbers if he put in consistent effort every night (or was present, as the coaching staff had alluded to last season). I don't see how posters over rated him. They couldn't forecast him mailing in his conditioning or on court effort. When his minutes were capped, he put in a lot of effort when he did receive court time.

His per 36#s were also considerably better than Giannis but I wouldn't project him to be a better player. After all Henson was 21/22 in his rookie year and Gianni was 18/19, both coming from relatively different experiences

[ampd]

i think im with the "no to Bledsoe" group
i think he is too good for us, right now
he will ruin the draft and build process that we are in
i would prefer a top 5 pick in 2015
top 10 2016
lottery 2017
thats 3 more picks, with Giannis and Jabari
we hope 3 of that group will become all stars

i totally understand those that want Bledsoe

my question is, who is more valuable...

Bledsoe, or the draft pick we will get next year ?

I hate to say this but if we are still a mid 30 wins lotto team 3+ years from now it means Jabari and giannis were busts and the rest of our moves were failures (unless all our other moves were to totally jettison any other talent to make it impossible for them to succeed). If you have put together legit talent it doesn't take 5 years for it to take you out of the lotto.

As far as who is better I'd say bledsoe is overwhelmingly likely to be better than anyone we draft outside maybe 1 or 2. If I had to put a number on it I'd say 80% or more barring injury he's as good or better. Which is why I think it's it's a great move unless you think we can be the worst team again next season.

[paulpressey25]

The other thing to consider is that perhaps Bledsoe would sooner sign an offer sheet with another team.

Maybe, but again I think the Bucks have an interesting mojo at the moment. Lasry can take guys like Kidd and Bledsoe up to his Ghostbusters penthouse in NYC and regale them with stories about he won $10 million the other night in a hand of poker before heading out to golf with Bill Clinton.

As he does that, he tells said acquisition target that he and Edens are committed to being the next great NBA owners. I think that story sells really well, unless a year or two from now Lasry and Edens perhaps make some stupid mistakes and the team ends up being really terrible. But right now they can play uber powerful NBA celebrities, that's why I'd like them to take advantage of it with Bledsoe.

Besides, Bledsoe might not be getting a $64mm offer from any other team. Bledsoe needs to cash in now. He's not an established superstar who has already made be $$ and has endorsement money flowing in. The difference between a 4/$48 deal and a 4/$64 deal is huge to a guy like that. He'll overlook any reservations about Milwaukee for that $$.

[FlagsFlyForever]

I hate to say this but if we are still a mid 30 wins lotto team 3+ years from now it means Jabari and giannis were busts and the rest of our moves were failures (unless all our other moves were to totally jettison any other talent to make it impossible for them to succeed). If you have put together legit talent it doesn't take 5 years for it to take you out of the lotto.

As far as who is better I'd say bledsoe is overwhelmingly likely to be better than anyone we draft outside maybe 1 or 2. If I had to put a number on it I'd say 80% or more barring injury he's as good or better. Which is why I think it's it's a great move unless you think we can be the worst team again next season.

I see us at around 25 wins next year. 35 in 2016. 45 in 2017. Only better beyond that when we're a perennial playoff team and hopefully championship contender. I think (without Bledsoe) we're looking at one more high lottery pick and one more low lottery pick, and if we get Lin then possibly an additional 1st rounder.

Also, it's not who is better. It's who is more valuable. We'd have Bledsoe under (max) contract until 2018. We'd have the top pick until 2023.

[ampd]

I hate to say this but if we are still a mid 30 wins lotto team 3+ years from now it means Jabari and giannis were busts and the rest of our moves were failures. If you have put together legit talent it doesn't take 5 years for it to take you out of the lotto.

I see us at around 25 wins next year. 35 in 2016. 45 in 2017. Only better beyond that when we're a perennial playoff team and hopefully championship contender. I think (without Bledsoe) we're looking at one more high lottery pick and one more low lottery pick, and if we get Lin then possibly an additional 1st rounder.

I think we win 30-35 games this year if we don't get pummeled by injuries again. Which in the East might be good enough to get us out of the lotto entirely.

If we want to win 20 games we really need to make sure Larry and Ersan (the guys who carried us to our 8th seed 2 seasons ago) don't round back into form when healthy. Otherwise all it takes is Giannis having a break out year of any kind and we are in the post season picking 15th.

[Sky Bucks]

Whether you want Bledsoe or not, is it safe to say that it is a positive that the Bucks are going after big time players instead of going after old vets. The time of being the mockery of the NBA is soon to be over, if it isn't over already.

[ampd]

Besides, Bledsoe might not be getting a $64mm offer from any other team. Bledsoe needs to cash in now. He's not an established superstar who has already made be $$ and has endorsement money flowing in. The difference between a 4/$48 deal and a 4/$64 deal is huge to a guy like that. He'll overlook any reservations about Milwaukee for that $$.

What other teams have a glaring need at PG who also have nearly enough space to make that offer? Not very many.

[Chuck Diesel]

The other thing to consider is that perhaps Bledsoe would sooner sign an offer sheet with another team.

Maybe, but again I think the Bucks have an interesting mojo at the moment. Lasry can take guys like Kidd and Bledsoe up to his Ghostbusters penthouse in NYC and regale them with stories about he won $10 million the other night in a hand of poker before heading out to golf with Bill Clinton.

But with Herb they could've taken a tour of the creepy Pabst mansion & gotten an update on Bud Selig's prostate scare.

[Scoops]

-If Jabari truly is what we think he is, next year is likely our last shot at a top five pick. If Jabari isn't what we think he is, we're screwed anyways.

If Jabari sucks why is it better to bring in Bledsoe and win 35 games than to watch GA try to carry a team by himself and be top 5 pick bad?

[LedZepp007]

Milwaukee has unquestionably moved from the worst landing spot in the NBA into the top 15 IMHO. Crazy. Wonder if we will hear anymore about the FA situation for the Bucks tomorrow

[PANDEMONEUM]

Atlanta was the 8th seed
and got into the playoffs with a 38-44 record

the Bucks were 15-67
with Jabari, with more Sanders, with Kidd (but, idk how much of a positive, if any, he is)

25 wins ? 2014
only 2 other teams with 25 wins or less (philly, orlando)
so that should get us a top 5 pick in the 2015 draft

30 wins 2015
about 8th worst record, 12th pick at worse, in the 2016 draft

then, 2016, is a big question
do we make that jump into the playoffs, or just miss
miss, and its lottery
make and its playoffs

[Scoops]

Tallest guy on the court? What?

We played a bunch of small ball garbage lineups in 20 point blowouts where Ersan busted his and padded his stats. His inflated numbers led to his stupid 5 year 40 million dollar contract. On a real team asking him to helpnwin games instead of put up empty stats and he's JAG.