2025-26 Milwaukee Bucks / NBA Thread

[nate82]

To make things worse the Bucks only have Giannis for one more season after this season as Giannis can opt out of his contract in the summer of 2027 and pick the team he wants to go to.  The Bucks would get nothing if this were to happen.  

I wouldn't be surprised if teams short the Bucks because of this and the return for Giannis as I have been saying will be smaller than what people are expecting.  

[LouisEly]

20 hours ago, nate82 said:

I wouldn't be surprised if teams short the Bucks because of this and the return for Giannis as I have been saying will be smaller than what people are expecting.  

There's only one Giannis, and there's lots of teams who want him.  They aren't going to bid down each other.

[nate82]

26 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

There's only one Giannis, and there's lots of teams who want him.  They aren't going to bid down each other.

Sure but if they are only getting Giannis for 1.5 years they are not going to bid as highly.  I still believe if he gets traded it is a couple of first round picks and an expiring contract or two.  I don’t expect a young player to come back in a trade.

[adambr2]

11-17.

Doc Rivers sucks.

[sveumrules]

11 hours ago, adambr2 said:

11-17.

Doc Rivers sucks.

I'm by no means claiming Doc is some kind of coaching savant, but his two best players have been on the floor together for 46 minutes (not even one whole game) all season so I guess I'll just say I don't think the Bucks poor record is entirely a result of whatever coaching acumen one believes he does or doesn't possess.

The Bucks primary four man combo of Giannis | Turner | Green | Rollins has been +9.1 points per 100 possessions in 274 minutes on the floor together this year.

Throw Porter Jr. in there as the fifth and it jumps to +25.9 pts per 100 possessions, though in only 28 minutes of court time together on account of all the injuries.

[LouisEly]

3 hours ago, sveumrules said:

I'm by no means claiming Doc is some kind of coaching savant, but his two best players have been on the floor together for 46 minutes (not even one whole game) all season so I guess I'll just say I don't think the Bucks poor record is entirely a result of whatever coaching acumen one believes he does or doesn't possess.

That poster always blames the head coach for everything.

[GAME05]

The Giannis "will he or won't he" drama is quickly feeling like late-career Brett Favre. At some point I'll start hoping he gets traded just to be over it. Nor can any team play Finals-or-burst every season for 15 years without eventually losing all your draft picks and trading away every ounce of depth you have....oh wait. 

I would think the offseason would be a better time to finally bite the bullet with more teams seemingly in contention, draft orders getting flushed out and teams probably better able to navigate the luxury tax. 

Agreed it wouldn't be a worry about being lowballed. Not like other teams are unaware of what's going on, nor do you lowball for a clearcut HOF player still in his prime. Sadly the best trade for the Bucks would be to try and get some of their picks back.

Interesting the "tear it all down" strategy isn't some sure thing. OKC does it and they get maybe the best single-season team to have ever played. Utah does it and they're 10-16. But hopefully you all hid some nuts away because we're bound for a loooooong dry spell.

[CheezWizHed]

On 12/19/2025 at 6:21 PM, GAME05 said:

The Giannis "will he or won't he" drama is quickly feeling like late-career Brett Favre. At some point I'll start hoping he gets traded just to be over it. Nor can any team play Finals-or-burst every season for 15 years without eventually losing all your draft picks and trading away every ounce of depth you have....oh wait. 

Yeah, the timing of this injury (and then the 2x extension of the timeline) really seems like there is a fire burning because there is plenty of smoke rising.  

I'm sure the trade rumors of us improving are the front office checking with GA to see if any improvements will make him happy.  If that is the case, it is time to move on.  

Maybe I'm wearing a tinfoil hat, but something just isn't "right" with the situation. 

[adambr2]

On 12/19/2025 at 12:45 PM, LouisEly said:

That poster always blames the head coach for everything.

Hey, I found him. The world’s first Doc Rivers apologist.

I may put too much on the HC, but at least I’m not the poster with an injury/officiating excuse always at the ready.

[LouisEly]

21 hours ago, adambr2 said:

Hey, I found him. The world’s first Doc Rivers apologist.

I may put too much on the HC, but at least I’m not the poster with an injury/officiating excuse always at the ready.

At least I'm not the poster who thinks that a post that has absolutely nothing to do with Doc Rivers is about Doc Rivers.

[adambr2]

25 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

At least I'm not the poster who thinks that a post that has absolutely nothing to do with Doc Rivers is about Doc Rivers.

The whole conversation actually was originally about Doc Rivers, until you for whatever reason decided to interject into it with nothing substantial or fact based, just a personal insult, even though you weren’t in any way even involved in that conversation up to that point. 

[nate82]

Who says no between a Kuminga and Kuzma swap?

[adambr2]

3 hours ago, nate82 said:

Who says no between a Kuminga and Kuzma swap?

Definitely not me, I’d be happy to be rid of Kuzma.

[CheezWizHed]

But what is the upside in Kuminga vs Kuzma?  They look relatively even in stat contributions.  

Rumors are talking about Michael Porter Jr... that would get some attention.  

[nate82]

On 1/3/2026 at 9:43 AM, CheezWizHed said:

But what is the upside in Kuminga vs Kuzma?  They look relatively even in stat contributions.  

Kuminga can actually score unlike Kuzma.  Kerr basically just doesn't want to play him at all or just barely does play him when he does get to play.  

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/self-sabotage-cousins-says-kerr-144300829.html

 

Also Trae Young to the Wizards.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/trae-young-trade-hawks-wizards-cj-mccollum/

 

[jay87shot]

It seems like the Hawks really want to just be rid of Trae and save the future money. However if the front office is serious about adding to help Giannis I think we missed out. I get Young is having a rough year and has had the ball in his hands alot (ball dependant) however I think playing alongside Giannis could have really elevated his game. The fact that the Wizards didn't add in any draft picks would have made it a pretty low risk move. I don't quite know what would have been a better package but Kuzma and Bobby would have gotten close to what Young makes.

[jay87shot]

I would think the Warriors can do better than Kuzma, I would do that trade in a heartbeat though. The warriors appear to what wing help.

What about a 3 team deal

We get Kuminga and Buddy Heild the Warriors get Malik Monk and Cole Anthony and the Kings get Bobby and Gary Trent 

[CheezWizHed]

2 hours ago, jay87shot said:

It seems like the Hawks really want to just be rid of Trae and save the future money. However if the front office is serious about adding to help Giannis I think we missed out. I get Young is having a rough year and has had the ball in his hands alot (ball dependant) however I think playing alongside Giannis could have really elevated his game. The fact that the Wizards didn't add in any draft picks would have made it a pretty low risk move. I don't quite know what would have been a better package but Kuzma and Bobby would have gotten close to what Young makes.

I wanted no part of Trae.  It would be a worse version of Dame-Giannis. Especially when we have young PG/SGs in KPJ and Rollins that are growing and developing.  The biggest roster hole we have is at SF. 

[nate82]

2 hours ago, jay87shot said:

We get Kuminga and Buddy Heild the Warriors get Malik Monk and Cole Anthony and the Kings get Bobby and Gary Trent 

I think you have to include Kuzma in a trade as the Bucks would be over the cap if they don’t.  Kuminga and Kuzma have about equal salaries.  Also I don’t think the Warriors would trade away Heild.  

[jay87shot]

If I was the GM here is my proposal to Giannis on how I would attempt to fix this team. 1)A full reset of the entire team trade everyone, Giannis can pick 2 guys to stay. I am going to say he picks Bobby and Thanasis. 

Deadline Moves

1) Kuminga and Podziemzki, 2 2nds (one this one later) for Myles Turner and KPJ     The Warriors get a center that fits there lineup well and we get 2 young wings who can play well next to Giannis. They also get KPJ to play with Curry, as a free agent next I don't think KPJ has a ton of value so get Pod and a couple 2nd seems like trading high  on him.

2)Kuzma and Rollins for Jrue Holiday and 1st  Yes, Jrue is old and lost a step but he knows how to play with Giannis. The Blazers get out of a later year on Holiday and get Rollins to fit into there rotation well. We get a 1st for losing Rollins and taking on the extra year of Jrue.

Offseason Trade

1) Trade AJ Green for Zeke Nnaji and a 2nd     A wing for a big, I think Nnaji is very underrated as a young athletic big who is starting to shot it decently. I like Green well enough

Basically that leaves 

Jrue, Pod, Kuminga, Giannis, Bobby and Nnaji (Thanasis) as the players under contract by my math that is 161-162 million owed after adding in Lillard (Mijic .6). The cap is estimated at 166 with a luxury tax at 200 million (estimated) and 1st apron at 210. Let's say that gives us 38 million to sign a free agent (s) and draft picks

Free Agents

1) John Collins 2/30

2)Collin Sexton 2/30

Collins and Collin aren't real sexy free agent add but both are solid starter and relatively young 27/28. Both help with scoring and athletic ability.

Draft (go easy on the rankings, I am out of the loop a bit on college

1(11) our pick   F Nate Ament      1(14) Blazers      G Cameron Carr

Basically this is picking 2 upside wings to help Kuminga and Pod at the 2/3 spots. I would guess we could sign a couple Gary Trent/Taureen Prince style vets as well.

2(41) our 2nd     C Nate Bittle

2(45)Warriors    G Braden Smith

Here I just took a vet that could help out as depth at each spot. Basically name I know of player that should be decent role players

1)Sexton, Jrue, Smith

2)Pod, Carr, Jrue

3)Kuminga, Ament, Thanasis

4)Bobby, Collins

5)Giannis, Nnaji, Bittle

Add in a couple cheap vets and that looks 100 times better than where we are at.

[adambr2]

"There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment that I will come out and say, 'I want a trade,'" Antetokounmpo told the Athletic following Wednesday's 120-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors. "That's not in my nature."

"My plan is to be here for the rest of my career," Antetokounmpo said. "If they don't want me ... I'm not the one in charge. I am an employee."

"I am not [going anywhere]," Antetokounmpo told the Athletic. "I am invested in this team. I want to turn this team around. I want to play good basketball. I want to be healthy. I want to help my teammates. I want to win games. The last six games we've played, we're 4-2. We have a lot of games in front of us. I'm locked the f--- in. I'm locked in. My priority is just staying healthy."
 

——- Giannis, 1/7/26

“Body language experts tell sources at ESPN that Giannis’ intent to leave Milwaukee is more clear than ever after latest interview.

With Giannis ready to move on, speculation remains as to his next destination, perhaps in a Knicks or Warriors uniform.”

-ESPN tomorrow, probably 

 

[GAME05]

I hope they didn't even consider Trey Young. Giannis himself even noted the team is better when he's a PG. They need offensive rebounds, rebounds in general and just a couple workhorses to do all the dirty work, not another Damien Lillard type to chuck up more shots.

>If I was the GM here is my proposal to Giannis on how I would attempt to fix this team

Yeah, unfortunately the only real turnaround if Giannis stays isn't finding that one special FA to magically change everything, but two or three years of just crashing the team. Lotta those traded picks are Top-4 protected, aren't they?

[SeaBass]

Quote

Lotta those traded picks are Top-4 protected, aren't they?

My recollection is none of their traded picks are protected. They get their own pick every other season but have the pick swap deal with New Orleans in those seasons which are also not protected.

[HarryDoyle]

 

[adambr2]

2 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

 

It seemed inexplicable to me that we could ever miss the playoffs with Giannis. I always assumed the 6 seed was pretty much the floor if the supporting cast was total garbage.