2026-27 Milwaukee Bucks / NBA Thread

[CheezWizHed]

35 minutes ago, patrickgpe said:

The bucks deal with Motorolla must be up. ULINE is now on the jerseys with a blue patch. I don't like it when there such contrast between the patch and the teams primary colors. Similar to Culvers on the Badgers. 

I noticed the Motorola sponsorship in the NFL is over too (headsets).  I wonder if they aren't doing well?  I worked there 8 years, but don't have any stock anymore... 

[nate82]

Good news Doc has retired again from coaching.

Bad news he will be an analyst on NBC games.

[patrickgpe]

2 hours ago, nate82 said:

Good news Doc has retired again from coaching.

Bad news he will be an analyst on NBC games.

The good news is that the bucks will not be on NBC for a while :)

[Joseph Zarr]

8 minutes ago, patrickgpe said:

The good news is that the bucks will not be on NBC for a while :)

Not going to lie, I was just hoping he signed on to NBC to be a golf analyst. Definitely a better fit.

[patrickgpe]

5 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Not going to lie, I was just hoping he signed on to NBC to be a golf analyst. Definitely a better fit.

I think Doc is a fine analyst. His press conferences here were mostly engaging (when he stuck to basketball). He was a lousy coach. 

I looked it up the 2 heat games are on national TV this season (ESPN and prime) and thats it

[Joseph Zarr]

2 minutes ago, patrickgpe said:

I think Doc is a fine analyst. His press conferences here were mostly engaging (when he stuck to basketball). He was a lousy coach. 

I looked it up the 2 heat games are on national TV this season (ESPN and prime) and thats it

[jay87shot]

There was an a small update on the Gart Trent investigation, basically just that a law firm was designated to investigate and that the Bucks and Klutch sports are "cooperating".

I have become a little torn on this. Obviously it is a stupid and really bad business deal. However I don't see the big deal. I doubt Trent had been offered any big long-term deals over the past 2 years. I am sure we saved a decent amount of money. My guess is that he would have been a mid-level exception style guy instead of 3ish milly a year. However I feel like teams are always doing things like this. Vets often have agreements/discussions with teams to decline a bigger player option for a longer lower AAV deal, which for me is the same thing. Even something like LeBron playing for 3/4 million in Philly could be looked at as a similar cap circumvention, however there is no likely handshake agreement a year or two in advance on that one.

 

[patrickgpe]

2 hours ago, jay87shot said:

There was an a small update on the Gart Trent investigation, basically just that a law firm was designated to investigate and that the Bucks and Klutch sports are "cooperating".

I have become a little torn on this. Obviously it is a stupid and really bad business deal. However I don't see the big deal. I doubt Trent had been offered any big long-term deals over the past 2 years. I am sure we saved a decent amount of money. My guess is that he would have been a mid-level exception style guy instead of 3ish milly a year. However I feel like teams are always doing things like this. Vets often have agreements/discussions with teams to decline a bigger player option for a longer lower AAV deal, which for me is the same thing. Even something like LeBron playing for 3/4 million in Philly could be looked at as a similar cap circumvention, however there is no likely handshake agreement a year or two in advance on that one.

 

The bucks did the same thing with Bobby Portis, the issue is that he wasn't terrible. Trent had a horrible season and was rewarded with a pay raise. In the article on brew hoop, I saw that there doesn't necessary need to be proof (like there was in the joe smith ordeal), but just the appearance of something shady. 

I think there will be some penalty and I'm hoping its simply financial. I am assuming some draft penalties will exist. 

[CheezWizHed]

They should really punish the Bucks by cancelling that contract and banning them from signing Trent again...ever. That'll teach em

[nate82]

I think the Bucks are going to be hit hard on the Trent signing by the NBA.  I don't think they will void the contract or hit Trent with anything but the Bucks are going to get hit hard.  The Bucks are going to be made an example of to stop with the wink-wink deals.

I think at least two first round picks will be lost and possibly having no first round picks in 2030.  Which would mean the Bucks would lose one of the picks in the Giannis trade.  Or the Bucks will lose their 2031 and 2032 picks.  The Bucks don't own their own first round pick until 2031.

[patrickgpe]

@nate82, I had chat GPT do some research for me. I asked for 5 players who signed contracts for about 4 / 64 over the last 2 off seasons and rank them by 25-26 PPG. While Trent was the worst, its not so out of bounds compared to most of the others. While I am sure there was some shady dealings, the truth is 16 million doesn't buy you much in the NBA anymore. Just in 24-25, Trent was at 11.1 ppg. 

 

 

[nate82]

It’s only a problem and the league is looking into it because he had a very bad year last year.  If Trent had a decent or average year the league wouldn’t have cared as there would have been a reason behind the deal.  Since he sucked it raised red flags.  The NBA is basically going to set the tone for deals like this don’t promise wink-wink deals to circumvent the cap.

Onto other news the Bucks are looking to acquire Jalen Duren and if the Pistons don’t sign him they will offer a max contract to him next offseason.  I think the writing is on the wall for Turner.  The Bucks are looking to get out of that foolish contract.  I’m not sure there is a team that will give them anything in return for Turner other than an expiring contract and a 2nd or maybe a late 1st round pick.  

[patrickgpe]

@nate82, you are 100% correct. Even if he put up numbers like 2024-25, I don't think it was an issue. I also ready that because it was signed 2 weeks after the start of free agency, most teams wouldn't have been able to pay that.

Regarding Duran, I have no issue with a trade of Turner / Green and a 1st, but I read he is looking for 40MM a year, which seems like a lot for him. 

[nate82]

1 minute ago, patrickgpe said:

Regarding Duran, I have no issue with a trade of Turner / Green and a 1st, but I read he is looking for 40MM a year, which seems like a lot for him. 

The Bucks and another team are reportedly  willing to give him a max contract in FA next year.

[patrickgpe]

3 minutes ago, nate82 said:

The Bucks and another team are reportedly  willing to give him a max contract in FA next year.

the problem is that he is not a max player with regards to production. Last season he got 20 ppg and 10 rebounds. Its what they did to Turner. They paid him like a star when he clearly didn't fit the bill. 

Hes a nice center, albeit it a little undersized, but not a max player. 

[patrickgpe]

https://www.si.com/nba/heat/onsi/this-giannis-antetokounmpo-quote-could-turn-heat-fans-heads-01m3st7kx9jy

This could be more of Giannis just being Giannis, or him playing his cards close to the vest to get the best FA deal, but it would be hilarious if the heat gave up as much as they did for one season of him. 

I have said before he has changed. This isn't the same player that was a buck a decade ago. 

"Or Maybe this was his secret plot to speed up the bucks rebuild and he was always coming back" (this should be in blue, I don't see that as an option)

[CheezWizHed]

11 hours ago, patrickgpe said:

"Or Maybe this was his secret plot to speed up the bucks rebuild and he was always coming back" (this should be in blue, I don't see that as an option)

I literally said this to my son this week. I doubt it happens, but that would be funny.  And as a double bonus... it would stop all the Giannis to LA or Giannis to NY rumors... 😂

  

11 hours ago, patrickgpe said:

I have said before he has changed. This isn't the same player that was a buck a decade ago. 

Sadly, yes.  Last year showed a really bad side of GA.  He needs to get back to being one of the guys - showing up on time, practicing, playing with the team, sharing the ball.  Our championship year, he had the ball in his hands a lot, but he also gave it up FAR more than he did last year.  Use your team and let them set you up too.  

I think Budenholzer kept him in check a bit more.  Rivers just let him run the team way too much. 

[GAME05]

7 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

but he also gave it up FAR more than he did last year

Well, he had more people to pass it to and an offensive scheme geared even more to him.

7 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

I think Budenholzer kept him in check a bit more.  Rivers just let him run the team way too much

I don't think it was GA, but I'd heard it said that they didn't like Bud for how strict he ran things, but with as relaxed as his predecessors were, then the players realized there was value to how Bud ran things.

[patrickgpe]

9 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

I literally said this to my son this week. I doubt it happens, but that would be funny.  And as a double bonus... it would stop all the Giannis to LA or Giannis to NY rumors... 😂

The NBA investigation if that happens would make the Trent one look like Childs play. 

[CheezWizHed]

18 hours ago, GAME05 said:

Well, he had more people to pass it to and an offensive scheme geared even more to him.

He had 3pt shooters galore surrounding him last year...yet he continued to plow into 1 on 3 situations without even bothering to look.  Sure, he trusted Khris and Jrue more, but there were a ton of people standing wide open at the 3 point line watching him flail in the paint.