2025-26 Milwaukee Bucks / NBA Thread

[adambr2]

13 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

You're close.

What Adrian Griffin got was the last stretch of healthy Middleton, with him playing 37 of those 43 games he coached.

Khris only played 16 of the the 36 games Doc coached after taking over midseason, then 23 of 49 games before being traded at the deadline the following season.

If NBA front offices believed Griffin was a true talent level .698 W% guy he would have gotten another HC gig by now.

I’m definitely not a member of the “bring back Adrian Griffin” club. But Khris Middleton is not the difference between this club being 30-13 and being a play-in tournament team.

The best thing I can say about the Bucks of this era is that they did win a championship. So it was not all for nothing.

But at this point, yeah. There’s really no path forward except to trade Giannis, take some major lumps in the next 5 years, invest entirely in a youth movement and hopefully by 2031 when you have 1sts again you’ve found a building block or two to start with. 

[nate82]

Is it time now to start worrying about Turner?

[sveumrules]

25 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

I’m definitely not a member of the “bring back Adrian Griffin” club. But Khris Middleton is not the difference between this club being 30-13 and being a play-in tournament team.

Last time Middleton was healthy in 2023-24 the Bucks main lineup of Dame | Beasley | Khris | Giannis | Brook was +15.6 points per 100 possessions. The trio of just Dame / Khris / Giannis was +17.0 points per 100 possessions.

The Celtics main lineup in 2023-24 of Holiday | White | Brown | Tatum | Porzingis when they won it all was +11.3 points per possessions.

When the Nuggets won it all in 2022-23 their main lineup of Murray | KCP | MPJ | Gordon | Jokic was +12.6 points per 100 possessions.

OKC's five man Championship lineup last year with SGA | Williams | Dort | Chet | Hartenstein was +14.4 points per 100 possessions.

When Khris, Giannis and Dame were all healthy the team was Championship calibre as intended.

The Bucks recent seven game skid has been a schedule loss with a B2B after an In Season Tourney game, Giannis got hurt game, Giannis misses four games, Giannis first game back (probably too early) on the road at NY. Before that they were right where they were supposed to be at 8 W - 5 L even with KPJ down and out after the first nine minutes of the season 

If Giannis can stay healthy enough to hit the 65 games needed to get his 8th consecutive 1st Team All NBA nod (can only miss ten games rest of the way) they shouldn't have a problem getting back up to the six seed. 

 

[sveumrules]

28 minutes ago, nate82 said:

Is it time now to start worrying about Turner?

No, still way too early.

Over the first 13 games when they were 8 W - 5 L and Giannis was healthy Turner was +55 cumulative in On/Off the eleven games he played with Giannis.

During this seven game losing streak with limited to no Giannis he has been -46 cumulative in On/Off.

Myles was brought in to be a complement to Giannis, not a stand alone player. So far in his minutes on the court with Giannis the Bucks are +8.3 points per 100 possessions.

If they can both stay mostly healthy the rest of the season and keep playing at that level when on the court together Turner will have done exactly what he was brought here to do.

[adambr2]

9 minutes ago, sveumrules said:

Last time Middleton was healthy in 2023-24 the Bucks main lineup of Dame | Beasley | Khris | Giannis | Brook was +15.6 points per 100 possessions. The trio of just Dame / Khris / Giannis was +17.0 points per 100 possessions.

The Celtics main lineup in 2023-24 of Holiday | White | Brown | Tatum | Porzingis when they won it all was +11.3 points per possessions.

When the Nuggets won it all in 2022-23 their main lineup of Murray | KCP | MPJ | Gordon | Jokic was +12.6 points per 100 possessions.

OKC's five man Championship lineup last year with SGA | Williams | Dort | Chet | Hartenstein was +14.4 points per 100 possessions.

When Khris, Giannis and Dame were all healthy the team was Championship calibre as intended.

The Bucks recent seven game skid has been a schedule loss with a B2B after an In Season Tourney game, Giannis got hurt game, Giannis misses four games, Giannis first game back (probably too early) on the road at NY. Before that they were right where they were supposed to be at 8 W - 5 L even with KPJ down and out after the first nine minutes of the season 

If Giannis can stay healthy enough to hit the 65 games needed to get his 8th consecutive 1st Team All NBA nod (can only miss ten games rest of the way) they shouldn't have a problem getting back up to the six seed. 

 

And that’s the ceiling, which is kind of the problem. 

[sveumrules]

1 minute ago, adambr2 said:

And that’s the ceiling, which is kind of the problem. 

Once Middleton's health failed him for good (& then Giannis got hurt right before the 2024 playoffs) the Championship window was realistically closed.

Last year would have taken a miracle, this year will take a miracle. Some might say the eight seed Heat, five seed Mavs and four seed Pacers making the Finals in B2B2B years took some kind(s) of miracle(s).

The Bucks went All In to placate their Superstar, it didn't work out just like the majority of All In pushes don't work out, and now we're experiencing the ugly aftermath.

All that really matters at this point is Giannis staying healthy enough to play out the season through its conclusion (whatever that may be) or at least until the trade deadline if the front office tries to cash in before something major befalls him.

[Joseph Zarr]

KPJ has returned to the basketball court in the Bucks starting line-up. Was absolutely not expecting that so soon! Let's hope they can start winning some games again. 

[jay87shot]

14 hours ago, adambr2 said:

Well at least we can dream on hitting it big with all our upcoming lottery pi….

Oh, wait.

I believe this years pick is a swap with the Pelicans (Hawks now own?). Since the Pelicans have like 3 wins we can get a lotto pick not #1 however.

[jay87shot]

Giannis, Thanasis, and Trent to San Antionio

Devin Vassell to Miami

Bucks get Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Terry Rozier (expiring contract) 26' pick swap (ATL/SAS) from Spurs, 27' ATL pick from Spurs, 28' pick swap (Bos/SAS) from SA, and 26' pick from Miami and Kasperus Jakucionis

The spurs gets a big 3 with lots of good rotation guys to go around them or trade for other pieces

The Heat get a quality young player for a late 1st round pick and Jakuc who hasn't played.

 

We 2 star young guards and 1 young unknown , future salary relief and 4 1sts to build back out reserves.

Trade Bobby in the offseason for a pick and there is a good young core with a couple vets to guide them.

[CheezWizHed]

This season is pretty ugly, but at least we aren't capped out anymore and can take on salary.  The main thing we need is a competent SF.  A three-and-D SF would help a lot since we seem to get lit up by larger SG/SF types.  GTJ has been atrocious this year playing SF.  Green has been decent, but not quite a starting caliber SG for a championship team.  Perhaps having KPJ and Rollins both starting will help there. 

We are a pretty long-shot this year unless we get a gift SF and Miles kicks in a bit more (hello rebounds?), but it isn't like a few years ago with no draft picks and hamstrung on the salary cap. 

[nate82]

Can’t even beat the Wizards.  Seriously??

[jay87shot]

On 11/30/2025 at 6:00 PM, CheezWizHed said:

This season is pretty ugly, but at least we aren't capped out anymore and can take on salary.  The main thing we need is a competent SF.  A three-and-D SF would help a lot since we seem to get lit up by larger SG/SF types.  GTJ has been atrocious this year playing SF.  Green has been decent, but not quite a starting caliber SG for a championship team.  Perhaps having KPJ and Rollins both starting will help there. 

We are a pretty long-shot this year unless we get a gift SF and Miles kicks in a bit more (hello rebounds?), but it isn't like a few years ago with no draft picks and hamstrung on the salary cap. 

I would agree that we need a 3 and probably a 2 upgrade. The problem is we dont have much. We could probably trade Bobby, Cole, or Kuzma for an iffy 2/3 but they likely wont be the impact players we are looking for. We dont have much in the way of trade assets. KPJ looked great tonight so maybe one of Rollins or KPJ could build some value.

But in reality we just lost to the 2-16 Wizards with a healthy roster and KPJ went 12-15 and 4-5 from 3. Marvin Bagley just destroyed us. I really really hate it but this team is trash and we'll be dismantled in a couple months. Doc should be fired any day as an only means to try and rejuvenate this team but that is about the only thing I can see that would work.

[CheezWizHed]

11 hours ago, jay87shot said:

I would agree that we need a 3 and probably a 2 upgrade. The problem is we dont have much. We could probably trade Bobby, Cole, or Kuzma for an iffy 2/3 but they likely wont be the impact players we are looking for. We dont have much in the way of trade assets. KPJ looked great tonight so maybe one of Rollins or KPJ could build some value.

But in reality we just lost to the 2-16 Wizards with a healthy roster and KPJ went 12-15 and 4-5 from 3. Marvin Bagley just destroyed us. I really really hate it but this team is trash and we'll be dismantled in a couple months. Doc should be fired any day as an only means to try and rejuvenate this team but that is about the only thing I can see that would work.

Rollins and KPJ are pretty close to untouchable, IMO.  Not that they are all-world players, but they are young, cheap, improving, and good on offense and defense. 

GTJ and Green at the 2 is "ok", but could be improved.  Both players at 3 gets overwhelmed by size.  We do have a future first round pick to deal with... but more importantly, we have cap room to take on a salary dump (Bucks are 25th in the league right now).  Cleveland is over both aprons.  Timberwolves are over the first apron... Maybe one of the teams at the high end would want to move a bit lower?

Not looking for the second coming of Khris, but a strong defender with a bit of size that isn't a total black hole on offense. 

As for the Wizards game... I think you need to ask Turner how the opposing C got 6 offensive rebounds while he only had 3 total rebounds.  He has never been a big rebound guy, but he has to wake up and see that Sims is mainly getting playing time because he won't rebound.  

Of course, Justin Champagnie also grabbed 6 OREBs which goes to my point about our SFs being outsized. Maybe it is time for AJJ to get a chance? 

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Turner is a flop. The only path forward for this franchise is trading Giannis. Some very bad basketball will follow that for a bit of a time, but it has to happen.

[Joseph Zarr]

1 hour ago, OldSchoolSnapper said:

Turner is a flop. The only path forward for this franchise is trading Giannis. Some very bad basketball will follow that for a bit of a time, but it has to happen.

Well, he did delete all tweets dating back to 2021 after last night's debacle in Capita(c)l(e). He is listed as an 'NBA Level Athlete' - I don't really visit twitter at all but a small bit during the MiLB season. Did he always list himself this way? I think the NBA higher ups made it quite clear with the way they've manipulated the whistle of Bucks opponents this season: you may not like it but we need you in a bigger market to close your career. All the groundwork was laid by Shams in the off-season. This is blatantly obvious and the NBA knows they have Haslam and Horts to screw anything and everything up beyond Hort's ability to find meaningful fringe FA and UDFA roster additions.

SO, given that this certainly appears to be the way this is headed - Bucks paying three coaches and employing the worst HC and coaching staff (very arguably) in the NBA - while completely fumbling Giannis' late years as a Buck driving Him to request a trade, I have to lean on Horts and his general incompetence (certainly his lack of autonomy to execute GM duties - I think we all know he has stayed as long as he has because he is a consummate 'Yes' man fall guy personality). The team I keep hearing that matches up best is Atlanta - their young assets and their draft capital. The obvious headliner would be Jalen Johnson and some premium draft capital. Given this, I can't help but think Horts will do right by his aging superstar and headline around Kennard and Porzingis and a handful of second rounders. Feels on brand. Maybe then sign Glenn to a three year extension to give Him a chance fight for that coveted play-in scenario? Spit balling here.

Either way, I'll be extremely happy for Giannis if he can find a workable scenario giving him another chance at rings. This organization never deserved his amazingness but man did we luck out and he gave us fans an unlikely Championship ring - never ever thought I'd see that day in my lifetime - and did he give his heart and Soul as a representative of the city. I fully expect the Bucks and their higher ups to absolutely undoubtedly fumble this entire situation magnificently.

Never. Trust. The. Bucks. I have clearly thrown in the towel. 😅 Here I was just hoping and praying we could get Buy-Out Khash back in the fold for a run...Glenn can't even manage that. Good god he is such a tragically bad NBA basketball coach.

[nate82]

Remember Giannis holds all the cards and will dictate where he will be traded.  I believe he said his preferred destination would be to the Knicks or so the rumor stated.  Still Giannis will be able to pick the team he wants to go to.

At best you are looking at mid to late first round draft picks and then expiring contracts in a Giannis trade.  I wouldn’t expect anything more than that.  He will be traded to a contender and not to someone who will have an early first round draft picks.  
 

Something like this is what I would expect:

[Samurai Bucky]

On 11/29/2025 at 8:09 AM, adambr2 said:

The irony is that the turning point for this team was when they fired Adrian Griffin.

They were 30-13 at that point in the 2023 season. Really not that long ago. That was even with all the defensive issues and Giannis and Dame really not meshing.

Not saying Griffin was the right guy, but Doc has come in and completely run this team into the ground.

Yeah, but they had the easiest strength of schedule (SOS) up to the point he was fired.  After that they had the hardest or second hardest SOS.  That was one thing that was mentioned a few times, but wasn't really focused on because that really didn't fit the narrative.

That doesn't mean that Rivers was / is the man for the job, nor does it say that Griffin wasn't the guy.

[Joseph Zarr]

And so it begins...

Or, according to Windy, so it continues...

Sighs. It feels like just yesterday our young Buckaroo was just tasting smoothies and frozen yogurt for the first time!

As stated above,

I fully anticipate the Bucks to absolutely scree the pooch on compensation. Holding iut the slimmest amount of hope they get the sweetheart Mavs Doncic deal.

Can not for the life of me, however, believe there is a world whereby the Bucks ship off the Legendary HOF Once in a Lifetime G-Man while keeping a roster with Kooooooooz and Bobby. And, alas, here we are. I got Horts n Haslam all up in muh Bucks life!😅

[nate82]

I am fully expecting a bunch of expiring contracts and two picks from the Knicks as the compensation for Giannis.  Then in the offseason a 2nd round pick and an expiring contract for Turner.  

[wallus]

Seeing how Giannis left the court after the loss to the Wizards, this isn't surprising.

Atlanta, San Antonio and the Thunder look to have the best assets in a trade.

[wallus]

On 12/2/2025 at 11:25 AM, nate82 said:

Remember Giannis holds all the cards and will dictate where he will be traded.  I believe he said his preferred destination would be to the Knicks or so the rumor stated.  Still Giannis will be able to pick the team he wants to go to.

At best you are looking at mid to late first round draft picks and then expiring contracts in a Giannis trade.  I wouldn’t expect anything more than that.  He will be traded to a contender and not to someone who will have an early first round draft picks.  
 

Something like this is what I would expect:

That trade is god awful. End of round 1st round picks don't hold a lot of value in the NBA. I would let Giannis sit and tank before making that trade.

[nate82]

10 minutes ago, wallus said:

Atlanta, San Antonio and the Thunder look to have the best assets in a trade.

I think you can remove Atlanta and San Antonio as destinations.  Thunder sure I could see Giannis accepting going there.  If a list of teams come out it will probably be Heat, Knicks and Celtics as his approved teams.

[wallus]

3 minutes ago, nate82 said:

I think you can remove Atlanta and San Antonio as destinations.  Thunder sure I could see Giannis accepting going there.  If a list of teams come out it will probably be Heat, Knicks and Celtics as his approved teams.

He doesn't have a no trade clause. Other than us doing him a solid, we should trade him to wherever we get the best return. He isn't sitting out the season.

[adambr2]

Unfortunately this is going to happen. The writing is on the wall too much at this point. The Bucks failed Giannis and my concern is that same people who failed him are in charge of trading him. So I expect a poor return.

This is going to be a sad day. I truly believe Giannis would have spent his entire career here if we could have continued to build around him well.

[nate82]

1 hour ago, wallus said:

He doesn't have a no trade clause. Other than us doing him a solid, we should trade him to wherever we get the best return. He isn't sitting out the season.

He may not have a no trade clause but the NBA is ran by the stars of the league and not the teams.  Giannis will definitely get a say on where he is going and the final say in that.