Giannis Thread - On Asking for a Trade - "I am not this kind of guy, they would have to kick me out”.

[dbrodz7]

Kind of ironic but fitting that I am reading about Giannis' new contract extension.

And the blurb right below it is ''Montrezl Harrell waived by Sixers.''

LOL.

Same thing happened to me, a little bit of karma huh?

I was on Nike's website with my wife ordering us each a pair of Freak shoes and I submitted the order and came on RealGM to see that this thread was created, that was some wild timing for us.

[greekbuck34]

4 years of Dame and Giannis in a row. Lets get it!

[KidA24]

I have to post this again.

[ReasonablySober]

Miami is just waiting to pounce in 2027-2028. The Godfather has it all planned out. You'll see. #HeatCulture

Tyler Herro will totally be old enough to drive by then

How I read that.

[GHOSTofSIKMA]

good news!

[MickeyDavis]

A month ago: Our team is kind of meh and Giannis might leave.

Now: Giannis is a Buck for life and Dame Lillard is our 2nd best player.


This is already one of my favorite seasons as a Bucks fan and we haven't even played a game yet.

I'm not used to seeing you so positive. I could get used to this.

Don't get used to it

[MickeyDavis]

Read on Twitter

[Profound23]

Has anyone mentioned the Athletic article that dropped today about the Lillard trade and Giannis extension?

"When Lillard was convinced that Miami was off the table, Goodwin wanted to know if the Bucks were among the teams in serious pursuit of his seven-time-All-Star client. They weren’t.

But when that backchannel blessing was given, with the Bucks learning that Lillard would be excited about a possible partnership with the Bucks, the chase was on. And so the work began for Horst and his small group of trusted front office associates.

Their days would often start before 7 a.m. and end after the local pubs closed at 2 a.m., with the Bucks analyzing the possible addition of Lillard — and the loss of Holiday and Allen — from every possible angle. The two-hour time zone difference between Portland and Milwaukee played a part in the late hours, as Horst wanted Cronin to be able to call and share ideas whenever he so pleased. For nearly two weeks, the process of landing Lillard consumed them."

Horst set up a secret office in the lockerroom because they couldn't have it publicly leaked that Holiday was involved and they were working on it from 7am to 2am for two weeks.

Crazy sh** how that all worked out.

[RESPERT]

When we were eliminated back in spring this is what we were facing - the window was essentially already closed, just waiting to be latched

- Khris FA
- Brook FA
- Jae FA
- Jrue at 33 and probably trending down, coming off a horrid playoff performance
- Bud continuing to run a scheme the league had solved, coming off a horrid playoff performance
- Last pick in the draft and nothing else
- No real free agency money to spend regardless of who came back
- Barely any young talent (which seemed destined to atrophy anyway under Bud)
- Rival GMs looking to weaken the team and turn up the heat on Giannis in 2024
- Uncertainty about the ownership group's willingness to spend, or at least spend big

Just an utterly amazing few months, we'll remember this forever. The FO's version of a successful offseason has come a long way from "trade for Corey Maggette, blow our cap space on Drew Gooden in the first hour of free agency, call it a wrap"

[tedbrogen]

Has anyone mentioned the Athletic article that dropped today about the Lillard trade and Giannis extension?

"When Lillard was convinced that Miami was off the table, Goodwin wanted to know if the Bucks were among the teams in serious pursuit of his seven-time-All-Star client. They weren’t.

But when that backchannel blessing was given, with the Bucks learning that Lillard would be excited about a possible partnership with the Bucks, the chase was on. And so the work began for Horst and his small group of trusted front office associates.

Their days would often start before 7 a.m. and end after the local pubs closed at 2 a.m., with the Bucks analyzing the possible addition of Lillard — and the loss of Holiday and Allen — from every possible angle. The two-hour time zone difference between Portland and Milwaukee played a part in the late hours, as Horst wanted Cronin to be able to call and share ideas whenever he so pleased. For nearly two weeks, the process of landing Lillard consumed them."

Horst set up a secret office in the lockerroom because they couldn't have it publicly leaked that Holiday was involved and they were working on it from 7am to 2am for two weeks.

Crazy sh** how that all worked out.

All because Dame’s agent upset the Blazers and Riley is so accustomed to getting his way that he thought Lowry/Herro/one first was enough to get the deal done.

[tedbrogen]

When we were eliminated back in spring this is what we were facing - the window was essentially already closed, just waiting to be latched

- Khris FA
- Brook FA
- Jae FA
- Jrue at 33 and probably trending down, coming off a horrid playoff performance
- Bud continuing to run a scheme the league had solved, coming off a horrid playoff performance
- Last pick in the draft and nothing else
- No real free agency money to spend regardless of who came back
- Barely any young talent (which seemed destined to atrophy anyway under Bud)
- Rival GMs looking to weaken the team and turn up the heat on Giannis in 2024
- Uncertainty about the ownership group's willingness to spend, or at least spend big

Just an utterly amazing few months, we'll remember this forever. The FO's version of a successful offseason has come a long way from "trade for Corey Maggette, blow our cap space on Drew Gooden in the first hour of free agency, call it a wrap"

This rivals the truly bizarre 2013 offseason:
Draft Giannis
S&T Jennings for Knight & Midds
Sign an already injured Delfino to a three year deal
Amnesty Godden
Trade for Caron Butler
Let Monta Ellis and JJ Reddick walk for nothing
Sign OJ Mayo
Sign Zaza to a bargain deal
Sign Gary Neal
Hire a truly awful head coach
Accidentally tank while dreaming of the 8th seed to get another crack at LeBron’s Heat

[tedbrogen]

Also to once again quote a laughing Kendrick Perkins, “Miami Heat fans, I’m sorry for your loss!”

[GrandAdmiralDan]

The consensus in the national media was that it made zero financial sense for Giannis to sign an extension this offseason. Everyone repeated that as if it was 100% fact. Giannis did. So did I. I didn't delve deeper into it. I assumed that many experts had looked at it, I would be wasting my time.

Jon Horst, on the other hand, came in with the greatest "Well, actually..." of all time.

Read on Twitter

?t=i5gfiK878GJiE0gXi5RNCA&s=07

[GrandAdmiralDan]

I should have looked into the financials myself. I've been too busy with stuff. I should never have assumed people would dig as deep as I would.

Especially after the national media narrative was that we had nothing to offer in a trade for Lillard, and I looked into it and posted (here, and elsewhere ), "actually we can trade all of THIS" and then that is exactly what we traded (minus Beauchamp, somehow, who I listed in the obvious assets we would have to trade. Praise be to Horst)

[Plossum]

Read on Twitter

[Matches Malone]

Marks bringing up the "hidden" agenda of ESPN trying to drive Giannis out of Milwaukee saying it's not real. Sureeeee bobby.

Watch on YouTube

[El Pooch Grande]

Giannis/Dame 2024

What a time to be alive

[old skool]

I was surprised that Antetokounmpo signed a 3 year extension now, thinking he would wait for the 4 year extension next summer. But I had little doubt that he would re up with the Bucks, because he has repeatedly said 1. that he he wants to spend his career in Milwaukee and 2. that he wants to play for a contender that is committed to winning. He never said that he would leave for the Knicks or Heat if the Bucks failed to win. He wants to play for a committed contender.

As the team with the winningest record in the NBA last season, Milwaukee is clearly a contender. Are they doing everything in their power to win? It looks like it to me.

I don't think this changes Milwaukee's trajectory, but I think it shuts up the broader media and fan bases lusting after a Giannis free agency. It underscores the silliness of teams clearing cap space for....... what? On that front, the extension is a highlight. Big picture, it is not that big of a deal because I was not expecting Giannis to want out of Milwaukee.

[aboveAverage]

Giannis and Horst are Milwaukee legends. What a deal for the Bucks and what an incredible offseason (minus the Griffin hiring, but I’ll give them time on that).

I couldn’t believe the news when I saw it. Giannis just keeps impressing and surprising me. We’ve got a HOF’er MVP NBA legend who is committed to staying in Milwaukee.

[old skool]

This past summer when Antetokounmpo reiterated that he wants to play for a contender and he hopes that contender is in Milwaukee, I was surprised that the media exclaimed "wow, now the Bucks front office will have to do something".

What? Years ago Jon Horst was talking about his job as Bucks GM and said that every day he thought of what he could do to make sure that Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to continue to play for the Milwaukee Bucks. He didn't say that dramatically or like someone should be surprised. He said it matter of factly, but emphatically. Like the obvious statement that it was and is.

Horst gets it. That is his job #1. Everything else is secondary. When he signs Crowder, Connaughton, Lopez and Middleton to new contracts, he is doing his job. When he replaces Budenholzer with Griffin, he is doing his job. When he trades for Lillard, he is doing his job. The media and fans looked at the Bucks and shrugged their shoulders saying there is not much that Milwaukee can do to improve. Horst looked at every possibility and improved the Bucks odds of winning in ways that virtually no one could imagine.

On July 1, what were the odds that the Bucks would resign all of their core free agents, add a top 75 all-time NBA superstar, and extend the best player in franchise history through 2027-28? Are you kidding? Any one of those would have been pop the champagne high five celebrations for a job well done. All three - that only happens to the elite big market franchises. That only happens in your dreams. Fantasyland.

But Horst made it happen. The Bucks continue to be serious contenders for the next several years. Antetokounmpo and Lillard are locked up for the foreseeable future. A solid core is in place. Complete commitment from ownership on down. A focus on winning at every level, propelled by this series of high stakes investments at every opportunity. Always striving for better. Never settling for good enough.