Alright, I'll post my offseason.

[ReasonablySober]

I blow this bastard up. Rather than go with high priced vets, I opt to try to cut salary and go young. We aren't winning much next season, but my eye is on 2009 and beyond. Let Hammond and Skiles find their own kind of players to build around.

Draft night:

Milwaukee trades:
Michael Redd
Dan Gadzuric
2008 2nd round pick

Cleveland Trade:s
Wally Szerbiak
Anderson Varejao
Delonte West
2008 1st round pick

*The pick is the tough thing to judge on this one. I'd do it without the pick, but I'd ask for it first and not include our 2nd. If they say no I add the 2nd rounder. I think a lot of salary relief, a hustle big man and a serviceable combo guard is a nice package.

This summer:

Milwaukee trades:
Mo Williams
Desmond Mason
Charlie Villanueva

Portland trades:
Raef LaFrentz
Martell Webster
Jarrett Jack
2009 1st round pick

*My thought on this deal is Villanueva/Mason and Webster/Jack cancel each other out. All four players are expiring, none are likely long term solutions on their teams. The two young forwards need changes of scenery and a fresh start. Raef is a large expiring, but Mo Williams plays a position they desperately need help at, and he fits well next to a facilitator in Roy and in front of a rim protecting defensive force in Oden. That requires a pick.

I'd actually sit on the MLE for this summer and go into next season with an assload of cap space. Depending on the free agent class, it might be a better move to flip Wally and/or Raef for more young talent and/or picks.

Roster:

PG: Sessions / West / Jack
SG: Gordon (#7) / Bell / Webster
SF: Szerbiak / Simmons / Alexander (#19)
PF: Varejao / Jianlian
C: Bogut / LaFrentz

My main issue is the backcourt is quite a bit crowded. I also don't know if I can see Sessions playing in front of West (or possibly even Jack). Another season in the NBDL might not be the worst idea for him.

I also failed to get rid of Simmons, though I think he's a deal killer. I don't think either Redd or Mo are good enough players to allow for the Bucks to also include Simmons in a deal.

If you really want to take it out there, though, maybe you include Simmons and the #19 pick in a separate trade. I don't know.

But regardless, these are the players on expiring deals heading into '09:

Ramon Sessions
Delonte West
Jarrett Jack
Martell Webster
Wally Szerbiak
Andrew Bogut
Raef LaFrentz

under contract:

Eric Gordon
Joe Alexader
Charlie Bell
Bobby Simmons
Anderson Varejao
Yi Jianlian

[Matches Malone]

Why is everybody so obsessed with making some type of deal with Cleveland?

[ReasonablySober]

Why is everybody so obsessed with making some type of deal with Cleveland?

Fit. They've already shown interest in signing Redd to a huge contract and they need a second banana. The Bucks could stand to shed some salary and get inexpensive role players. In my deal the Bucks get an enormous amount of cap relief, a valuable and versatile big man and a draft pick that can be used to fill a need in a deep draft.

[benultimate]

I like it. Probably wouldn't draft Gordon, would prefer Gallinari, Randolph or even Donte Green if Mayo and Bayless are off the board. I think Webster would probably be good enough to start at SG. Then draft a backup C with the cavs pick (McGee, Robin Lopez?).

[Mags FTW]

I dont want a 6' 3" SG.

[worthlessBucks]

I dont want a 6' 3" SG.

I think Gordon measures out closer to the higher side of 6'4 (based on Gordon/Rose side by side pictures), still undersized a bit, but his athleticism obviously will help him out on the defensive end.

[DanoMac]

I dont want a 6' 3" SG.

Neither did the Pistons, Nuggets, or Raptors when they passed up Dwyane Wade.

[midranger]

Gordon would be a better defensive player than Redd from day 1. 6'3 or not.

[El Duderino]

I like it. Probably wouldn't draft Gordon, would prefer Gallinari, Randolph or even Donte Green if Mayo and Bayless are off the board. I think Webster would probably be good enough to start at SG. Then draft a backup C with the cavs pick (McGee, Robin Lopez?).

Webster's not very good. He's nothing more than a guy who shoots spot up three pointers. He also doesn't rebound well and he's averaged .8 assists in his career so far. Webster should be coming off the bench on a good team.

I'm with you though on being very leery of drafting Gordon. I know he was a freshman and generally it's not smart to judge players on a few games, but he really really vanished in a few big games i saw. It's not just that he was missing shots in those games, he looked mentally weak and almost scared with the ball in his hands.

[El Duderino]

Roster:

PG: Sessions / West / Jack
SG: Gordon (#7) / Bell / Webster
SF: Szerbiak / Simmons / Alexander (#19)
PF: Varejao / Jianlian
C: Bogut / LaFrentz

My main issue is the backcourt is quite a bit crowded. I also don't know if I can see Sessions playing in front of West (or possibly even Jack). Another season in the NBDL might not be the worst idea for him.

That team would be terrible and lose a ton of games. If that was the route Hammond took, blowing things up for cap space, it would make no sense to play career backup type of point guards in West/Jack, while sending Sessions to the NBDL vs seeing if he can play well over a full season when games actually matter. That's a 20-25 win team and the highest priority for miserable teams should be to get young players with talent some playing time.

[Sigra]

That team would be terrible and lose a ton of games. If that was the route Hammond took, blowing things up for cap space, it would make no sense to sign coach like Skiles. Skiles came here to win games. If our goal is to lose games then we should keep Krystkowiak.

[ReddManBogieMan]

Watching Cleveland vs. Boston, Delonte west looks awful, same goes for Wally world. Call me crazy, call me nuts but I'd rather have Redd than those and a pick that is about 25ish.

I love the deal with portland though.

[paulpressey25]

I like Luke's offseason better where we get proven guys like Howard, Haslem and Mike Miller. But I have no clue if those deals are realistic or pipedreams. Your deals might be more realistic.

With Cleveland looking bad, the pressure will be on them as well to make a big deal to get that second scorer in either Redd or Mo. I could make that deal if there wasn't anything else.

[Wise1]

That team would be terrible and lose a ton of games. If that was the route Hammond took, blowing things up for cap space, it would make no sense to sign coach like Skiles. Skiles came here to win games. If our goal is to lose games then we should keep Krystkowiak.

Good point. I don't see the Bucks blowing things up completely and going with youth across the board. The message to Hammond and company has to be win now. The franchise has been stuck in the mud for the greater part of 20 years.

I think the Bucks have to make some kind of a splash next season to re-energize a fanbase that has eroded, if not by raw numbers, in mind share. How much more losing will the fanbase tolerate? Redd will stay unless he nets Howard/Stack or Baron Davis (my choice). I love the Mo Williams portion of DB's deal. Portland would be a great trade partner.

[PaBuck]

Wise, couldn't have said it better myself. Saved me some typing.

[paulpressey25]

-= Redd will stay unless he nets Howard/Stack or Baron Davis (my choice). .

I agree with this.

[ReasonablySober]

I hope that Hammond doesn't feel his goal should be 'win-now'. Bad moves are born out of desperation, and bringing in high-priced third tier talent is the equivalent of reshuffling the deck on the Titanic.

If the Bucks want to be a 42 win team and be a good team's first round whipping boy, they don't need to trade anyone. I'm confident that good coaching and a strong philosophy, coupled with natural progression from our players (we do have a young roster, afterall) this team could have a .500 record. But I also think that's going to be the case whether we swap Redd and Williams our with Josh howard and/or Mike Miller.

Say the Bucks, somehow, with a combination of Yi, #7, Redd and Williams brought back Baron Davis and Elton Brand. I don't see that core beating the Celtics or Pistons next season. I'd also take the Magic now and in the future, as well. Then you have to consider what Cleveland is likely to do to appease LeBron. They'll be a Eastern contender. Miami has Wade, Marion and is about to add a stud through the draft. I could see them getting back to 50 wins in a hurry.

My point is that moves to win 42-50 games may get you to feel good about your team in the regular season, but it means dick if you don't have some serious top 10 type talent in May and June.

Personally, I have faith in Milwaukee fans. I think they'll support a loser so long as they know the team has direction. Yea, they'll come out if the team goes all-in and tries to shoot for 45 wins and the playoffs. But next May we'll still be doing exactly what we're doing now: watching other teams in the Eastern finals. Meanwhile the roster will be older and pricier.

I'll always maintain a better direction is to accumulate young talent, NOT invest big money in players that aren't legit stars, and try to put together a team that can win a title in three years.

[paulpressey25]

I'll always maintain a better direction is to accumulate young talent, NOT invest big money in players that aren't legit stars, and try to put together a team that can win a title in three years.

I'm always torn on this issue of the discussion. I know that we will never win a title without a superstar. I'm just not sure how we get that person. We tanked our asses off and ended up with Bogut and Yi. i.e. not bad but not great.

Luke's offseason might be a pipedream, but I think a core of Josh Howard, Mike Miller, Haslem, Yi, Bogut, Sessions, Stackhouse, Simmons, Bell, Duhon (or Diop) and #7 pick under Skiles could be a 52-55 game winner that could go to the ECF for 3 or 4 years. That is a young yet experienced core. Those guys aren't guys like Baron or Brand who are on their last legs. I'd take that scenario.

[LUKE23]

To me the deal on my offseason that is somewhat unlikely is CV/Mason for Miller. It all depends on how badly they want a young PF there and how salary-conscious they are being right now. Mason gives them $5.5M expiring and CV gives them a year on a rookie scale to show them what he can do.

I think Mo for Haslem is more than fair and more than realistic given Miami's pursuance of him in the offseason and the fit Mo would have there.

Redd/#37 for Howard Stack I also think is a plausible deal, given that Dallas needs to shake things up a bit, that is basically Redd/Dorsey or something like that for Howard/Stack, which is more than fair.

Basically, my goal is to improve the defense and versatility of the core without making a huge sacrifice on offense. I also think Miller and Howard are about as perfect a complement as you can get.

[Chuck Diesel]

DB, I completely disagree with that philosophy. I think there is a lot to be said for a team that plays well enough in the regular season to win more than half of its games and reach the playoffs. You think there is no middle ground between being in the lottery and being a title contender?
What about the playoff race, what about actually getting excited about regular season games after the all-star break? What about watching your team pull off a 6 or 7 game-winning streak? And once the playoffs do begin, you never know what can happen. Most of my friends are Wizards fans. They've had the excitement of watching their teams in the playoffs for four straight years, and even though they've only gotten out of the first round once, the regular season has been magnified and they've gotten to enjoy an extra two weeks of exciting playoff basketball. Tell any of them that the team was better off in the Mitch Richmond, Chris Whitney era and they'd tell you your crazy. All that losing got the was guys like Kwame Brown, Jared Jeffries and Jarvis Hayes. Great accumulation of 'young talent' there The draft is nothing more than an educated guess.

I'd take 42+ wins over being in the lottery any day of the week. As everyone keeps reminding us, the team has been above .500 exactly once in 20 years.