Bucks looking at Bledsoe, probably.

[Chuck Diesel]

And we don't need a 29-32 year old "key piece" next to a couple guys who are 19-22.

29-32 is not old.

I'm not saying it is. I'm saying that adding a player like that when you aren't going to be a championship team is foolish, especially a good player who adds a substantial amount of wins.

But yet you're willing to add Eric Bledsoe under the assumption he'll be a Buck for the next nine years?

[Baddy Chuck]

29-32 is not old.

I'm not saying it is. I'm saying that adding a player like that when you aren't going to be a championship team is foolish, especially a good player who adds a substantial amount of wins.

But yet you're willing to add Eric Bledsoe under the assumption he'll be a Buck for the next nine years?

I think you want to maximize a players prime years. Dragic is in his and will probably be in it for a couple more seasons. Giannis and Parker aren't close. With Bledsoe you will likely have a meshing of those primes that you won't get with Dragic. I realize it's putting a lot of stock in Giannis, Parker, as well as Bledsoe but I like the risk. I'd also be perfectly content with trading everyone (Sanders, Ersan +++) and just tanking like a mad man for a few more seasons. Dragic is that in between that I think is atrocious line of thinking.

[Kerb Hohl]

Yeah, Bledsoe seems like the right choice. I'd like to see him grow with the other 2. He's a few years older but that's fine. I'd rather that than Dragic.

Absolute best case scenario that Giannis and Parker are studs along with Bledsoe, maybe the billionaire owners pony up on Bledsoe ages 29-32 as Giannis and Parker hit their primes. That's better than having to decide what to do with Dragic at 32+.

[Chuck Diesel]

I'm not saying it is. I'm saying that adding a player like that when you aren't going to be a championship team is foolish, especially a good player who adds a substantial amount of wins.

But yet you're willing to add Eric Bledsoe under the assumption he'll be a Buck for the next nine years?

I think you want to maximize a players prime years. Dragic is in his and will probably be in it for a couple more seasons. Giannis and Parker aren't close. With Bledsoe you will likely have a meshing of those primes that you won't get with Dragic.

Ok. So you believe signing a good player who adds substantial wins to a team like ours (unready for championship contention) is foolish, but you are willing to make an exception with Bledsoe because his second contract would better mesh with the prime years of Giannis and Jabari. Understood.

[[MIKE C]]

Thank you for the history lesson.

Still won't convince me it's a good idea to sign a 29 year old guy to go with our 20 year old core as a good idea.

I still need convincing that signing a complimentary piece to our "core" without actually knowing what we have in our "core" for max dollars is a good idea. Does anyone really think Bledsoe is going to be a superstar here?

Everyone here wanted the ball in Giannis's hands more last season to help coax along his development. Putting the ball in Bledsoe's hands isn't conducive to that. Bledsoe isn't going to be the one that makes or break our franchise. Parker and Giannis will, and they need to be given every opportunity to do that.

I think that is the hope. Superstar might be a strong word, but I think the reason you'd be willing to make a move like this for Bledsoe is because you believe he is more than a complimentary piece and would be a part of the core with Parker and Giannis.

[Kerb Hohl]

Ok. So you believe signing a good player who adds substantial wins to a team like ours (unready for championship contention) is foolish, but you are willing to make an exception with Bledsoe because his second contract would better mesh with the prime years of Giannis and Jabari. Understood.

It's pretty sound logic. I can hear an argument that they should keep tanking/waiting for a younger PG, but if you are OK signing one, then get a guy that will have 8 years of prime for Parker/Giannis' 8 years here (all ideally).

With Dragic you're doing neither. You're adding wins and he's going to be a tough contract decision in the back half. Bledsoe may add wins but you are shooting for an 8 year window.

Of course if it fails he's gone as well after 4 (or earlier) and you figure something else out then.

[Baddy Chuck]

Ok. So you believe signing a good player who adds substantial wins to a team like ours (unready for championship contention) is foolish, but you are willing to make an exception with Bledsoe because his second contract would better mesh with the prime years of Giannis and Jabari. Understood.

I also know how hard it is for a team in Milwaukee to sign a legit difference maker and I believe having 4 years of growing with this team gives us a gigantic advantage with his next contract. Along with having his rights in 4 years when we might not even be in a position cap wise to add a good player otherwise.

[Chuck Diesel]

Ok. So you believe signing a good player who adds substantial wins to a team like ours (unready for championship contention) is foolish, but you are willing to make an exception with Bledsoe because his second contract would better mesh with the prime years of Giannis and Jabari. Understood.

It's pretty sound logic. I can hear an argument that they should keep tanking/waiting for a younger PG, but if you are OK signing one, then get a guy that will have 8 years of prime for Parker/Giannis' 8 years here (all ideally).

With Dragic you're doing neither. You're adding wins and he's going to be a tough contract decision in the back half. Bledsoe may add wins but you are shooting for an 8 year window.

Of course if it fails he's gone as well after 4 (or earlier) and you figure something else out then.

Again, the whole Dragic thing (or Rondo or any other potential 2015 target) was only put out as an option after and in addition to another year of tanking for a top pick. If Jabari and Giannis are as good as people think they're going to be, this probably be our last shot to tank. At some point we're going to have to put some pieces around them. To me, a veteran borderline All-Star point guard would be the type of piece that makes the most sense. If we're not adding Dragic to a core of Giannis, Jabari & 2015 top 7 pick then I hope we'll be adding Mike Conley or someone like that a year later. I feel those type of guys in addition to a top 2015 lottery pick is more impactful and makes more sense than Eric Bledsoe right now.

[Baddy Chuck]

I feel those type of guys in addition to a top 2015 lottery pick is more impactful and makes more sense than Eric Bledsoe right now.

Impactful towards what though? What does a 29 year old Rondo or Dragic add to that young core? It's oil and water. Unless you got a once in a generation player to ease them together at no point will they mix.

[Down To Buck]

I also know how hard it is for a team in Milwaukee to sign a legit difference maker

I think this is the main point of contention. You seem fairly certain that Bledsoe is the kind of guy who "moves the needle". But there are lots of things to point to that bring that into question or at least make it not a certain thing. And you don't want to hamstring the team's development with a max-contract Knight version 1.5 (version 3 or 4 is what we'd be looking for). People complain all the time about the ridiculous sums paid after a contract year and I feel like that could happen easily.

If we do sign him and the Suns don't match, I guess I'll be fine with it. Until his knees explode à la Rose.

[Baddy Chuck]

I think this is the main point of contention. You seem fairly certain that Bledsoe is the kind of guy who "moves the needle". But there are lots of things to point to that bring that into question or at least make it not a certain thing. And you don't want to hamstring the team's development with a max-contract Knight version 1.5 (version 3 or 4 is what we'd be looking for). People complain all the time about the ridiculous sums paid after a contract year and I feel like that could happen easily.

If we do sign him and the Suns don't match, I guess I'll be fine with it. Until his knees explode à la Rose.

I understand that reasoning completely, it's one of the reasons why I think adding a guy like Lance Stephenson is just as atrocious as adding a guy like Dragic would be even though he's 22 or whatever.

[eagle13]

Why do any of you believe Bledsoe would sign with us rather than Suns? Because you think the Suns won’t offer the max? OK maybe. Why do any of you believe the Suns won’t match? Because they drafted Enis? No way. Hear of BPA? After Bledsoe is matched watch Suns trade Enis. Hopefullly Bucks land him!

[emunney]

I feel those type of guys in addition to a top 2015 lottery pick is more impactful and makes more sense than Eric Bledsoe right now.

Impactful towards what though? What does a 29 year old Rondo or Dragic add to that young core? It's oil and water. Unless you got a once in a generation player to ease them together at no point will they mix.

I don't understand this. Why can't a 29 year old and a 21-22 year old play basketball together? You're acting as if this has never happened before.

[RiotPunch]

Why do any of you believe Bledsoe would sign with us rather than Suns? Because you think the Suns won’t offer the max? OK maybe. Why do any of you believe the Suns won’t match? Because they drafted Enis? No way. Hear of BPA? After Bledsoe is matched watch Suns trade Enis. Hopefullly Bucks land him!

You said it yourself. If the Suns feel like he's not worth the max, and another team signs him to the max, it stands to reason that the Suns would not match. That said, they hold the cards and they would surely threaten to match and orchestrate a sign and trade before they would let Bledsoe walk for nothing.

[Baddy Chuck]

Why do any of you believe Bledsoe would sign with us rather than Suns? Because you think the Suns won’t offer the max? OK maybe. Why do any of you believe the Suns won’t match? Because they drafted Enis? No way. Hear of BPA? After Bledsoe is matched watch Suns trade Enis. Hopefullly Bucks land him!

If I'm them I'd have two reasons why I might decline. I have no top tier young talent for the future and I'm not currently in a position to contend. If they sign him they're putting a lot of eggs in the basket of getting towards that contender status through their cap space and middling prospects, which is probably a longshot. If I question if I can become a contender it boils down to what I think of Bledsoe as an asset at a max contract vs. what I could get in a sign and trade. I would never let him just walk.

[Baddy Chuck]

I feel those type of guys in addition to a top 2015 lottery pick is more impactful and makes more sense than Eric Bledsoe right now.

Impactful towards what though? What does a 29 year old Rondo or Dragic add to that young core? It's oil and water. Unless you got a once in a generation player to ease them together at no point will they mix.

I don't understand this. Why can't a 29 year old and a 21-22 year old play basketball together? You're acting as if this has never happened before.

If our 21-22 year olds were a 29 year old player away from contending I'd have no problem, I don't think ours are. I think adding a 29 year old "star" to ours puts you in that awful middle level of the NBA and then when you are ready to contend in a couple years that 29 year old "star" is a 33 year old washed up vet and you got literally nothing out of his prime.

[Chuck Diesel]

I feel those type of guys in addition to a top 2015 lottery pick is more impactful and makes more sense than Eric Bledsoe right now.

Impactful towards what though? What does a 29 year old Rondo or Dragic add to that young core? It's oil and water. Unless you got a once in a generation player to ease them together at no point will they mix.

No. Oil is Lance Stephenson. Oil would be bringing in a guy like Gerald Henderson next summer. Oil is not a borderline All Star veteran point guard who can effectively run an offense, get guys easy buckets and make life easier for his teammates. Jabari and Giannis would be twenty three and our 2015 pick twenty two after four years playing with a Dragic or Rondo. At that point you assess the situation and look search for an upgrade, the same thing we'd likely be doing four years from now if we were to acquire Bledsoe.

[emunney]

Impactful towards what though? What does a 29 year old Rondo or Dragic add to that young core? It's oil and water. Unless you got a once in a generation player to ease them together at no point will they mix.

I don't understand this. Why can't a 29 year old and a 21-22 year old play basketball together? You're acting as if this has never happened before.

If our 21-22 year olds were a 29 year old player away from contending I'd have no problem, I don't think ours are. I think adding a 29 year old "star" to ours puts you in that awful middle level of the NBA and then when you are ready to contend in a couple years that 29 year old "star" is a 33 year old washed up vet and you got literally nothing out of his prime.

What if you just trade him when he's 30? If you have the opportunity to get a legit all-star for cap space, you always do that. Add value to the roster, it's a no-brainer. You don't have to keep him forever.

[Baddy Chuck]

No. Oil is Lance Stephenson. Oil would be bringing in a guy like Gerald Henderson next summer. Oil is not a borderline All Star veteran point guard who can effectively run an offense, get guys easy buckets and make life easier for his teammates. Jabari and Giannis would be twenty three and our 2015 pick twenty two after four years playing with a Dragic or Rondo. At that point you assess the situation and look search for an upgrade, the same thing we'd likely be doing four years from now if we were to acquire Bledsoe.

I think then you just wasted 4 years of potentially adding another young star through the draft for a guy you likely won't keep as a key component for your contending core. You just meddled in the Herb Kohl sweet spot with a slim chance of wavering either way and unlike with Bledsoe, you aren't left with a potential core piece and are taking a completely unguided swing in the dark at adding that player. I think that 4 years growing with this team does a lot towards that next contract and just going out and adding that player, especially in a place like Milwaukee, is a much harder proposition. That's also assuming you are in a position to add that player without his rights.

[Baddy Chuck]

What if you just trade him when he's 30? If you have the opportunity to get a legit all-star for cap space, you always do that. Add value to the roster, it's a no-brainer. You don't have to keep him forever.

I mean sure that's an option but I can't think of many situations where a young team added a 29 year old veteran on a presumably very large deal just to use as an asset.