The Bucks are floundering but they’re not ready to wave the white flag, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm reports. In fact, Nehm hears the Bucks have told teams they are looking to add to their roster in hopes of fortifying their struggling team.
Milwaukee is 11-16 and Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently sidelined by a calf strain. While speculation has been rampant that Antetokounmpo will eventually ask to be moved, the Bucks are considering making a significant addition that might convince him to stay. Antetokounmpo is signed through the 2027/28 season but the final year of the contract includes a player option.
Milwaukee, of course, made big news during the offseason by waiving and stretching Damian Lillard‘s contract over a five-year period in order to sign one of the top free agents on the market, center Myles Turner.
The Bucks are currently $11.5MM+ below the luxury tax line, according to Spotrac, and $19.5MM below the first tax apron, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks — that wiggle room could prove vital in order to make such a move. Milwaukee has a dearth of wings, especially with Taurean Prince currently out with a neck injury, and an overload of guards at 6’5” and under. The Bucks have already been named as one of the teams eying the Kings’ Zach LaVine.
Their most logical path for an upgrade, according to Nehm, would be to take on more money from a team looking to shed salary. That could entail swapping players with similar cap hits and taking on a longer-term contract or acquiring a player who carries a bigger cap hit this season from a team with luxury tax issues or tax apron concerns.
Complicating matters prior to this season’s trade deadline is that the Bucks have only one first-round pick to dangle (either 2031 or 2032).
I can’t see an argument that this is anything else than a GM trying to save his job & prolong the sinking of the ship. It’s over, bro. Just fire sale.
Why would they start selling off players now? You only have a fire sale when your superstar player asks to be traded. Until then, you continue to add and rebuild around him even if it means using up every available trade asset at your disposal.
Generational talents like Giannis don’t grow on trees. Besides, trading him would send plenty of draft picks and young players to start a rebuild.
No you don’t wants he wants out you get less. You start talks now. This team is done and Giannis is some of the blame. He is often hurt because of the way he plays. Wanted dame even though he is cooked adding his brothers. Milwaukee is at fault for not being patient and letting the right players come to them. Resigning an aging Middleton didn’t help. Understand you want to take care of a player but you should have signed and traded him. Bring in kusma. But the dame trade ended this team. So that’s on the GM and Giannis. For now start over because you have no picks and bring in young talent. It will be a lot less time at the bottom of they start now
That’s the kind of thinking that got Nico Harrison fired.
No it’s not. Nico traded a player that still wanted to be on the team and went to the NBA finals the year before. He honest hasn’t been out of the second round since 2001. And the team has no assets. It’s a different story. Also, Nico only traded him to one team where I said start Fielding offers take the best offer available, meaning multiple pics. If you wait he will leave and New York will be the only team They will be able to trade him to taking back cat and probably like McBride and a one other filling with maybe one or two pics.
It will never be a sinking ship as long as they have Giannis.
The ship is listing and they’re taking on water.
They’re 9-8 with GA, 2-8 without him.
They have no cap room and no draft picks, and that is not a championship roster. The ship isn’t sinking, but it’s taking on water.
Fire sale? You haven’t looked at the Bucks roster or performance lately. Its one stick, Giannis and, to extend the metaphor, a bunch of kindling. Based on performance Im not sure who else brings back a 1st round pick. More like a torch sale.
GM John Horst is the reason that this franchise is and will continue to be a struggling team for many years to come. Without Giannis, it’s only a G League team
True, Horst has made a lot of bad trades. He did also put together a title team. Also, Giannis has been holding the bucks over a fire with this “make a move or I won’t resign” game for several years. So I think the story is bigger than just Horst sucks.
Thanks that’s what I said. Both the organization and Giannis are at fault. And at this point if I was the Bucks the writing is on the wall. I’d start Fielding offers so you can get the best offer before the end of this season. Because then if you don’t trade him to where he wants to go, he would be a one-year rental
Tough for it to be LaVine given both teams are overloaded with Shooting Guards. MIL would have to send out its remaining front court players because their guards dont make enough money to salary match.
Lavine is not a winning player, too. Efficient offensively but doesn’t make anyone around him better and he does not play defense at all. Every team he’s on has been bad. He’s also not getting any younger and his best days might be behind him. If they traded for Lavine, they would not get any better.
When you lost to the Nets by 45 it’s time to rebuild.
If they are trading away picks this season, the front office is drunk !!!
These is no scenario that makes sense to trade away draft picks AND take on salary anymore. That’s absurd!
It is absurd, but at the same time once you are “all in” you kind of have no choice but to continue to be all in. After waiving Dame and signing turner, do you really think they just want to throw in the towel? It may be crazy, but this was always going to be the most likely path they would choose.
Kuzma and a 1st for Malik Monk and Keon Ellis.
Bucks are going to want picks not give them up.
Kuzma, Bobby Portis and a 1st for MPJ.
How can Knicks get Giannis ????
It would have to be a 4 team trade !!!!
T Mann, D Knecht, J Hayes, G Vincent,
Giannis —-
to Knickerbockers ……….
B Miller, T Salaun, C Sexton, Hornets 1 pick,
B James, A Reaves, Lakers #1 pick —-
to Bucks ……..
OG —- to Lakers …….
Towns —- to Hornets ………
🥵🥵😥😅
Wave it. The problem is this organization has seen dealing key parts as waving the white flag for the past decade. They waited too long on Middleton. Too long on Lopez. And now too long on Giannis. In between they dealt picks like cheeseburgers. This franchise is screwed and only a miracle will save it.
You trade what for LaVine? Kuzma, Portis and a couple second round picks.
I’m a massive fan of LaVine but that really doesn’t make you that much better. You might go from a bottom 5-10 team with a really good pick in this years draft to make a play in win and then out in the first round against the Cavs or something, it’s a waste of time.
Then you have Giannas at 32 with even less value and stuck with LaVines contract and your down a couple picks which could’ve been better used in a rebuild which is inevitable.
Like I said before best package you’re going to get and the team which makes the most sense is Atlanta. KP, Risacher, the Pelicans pick (likely top 5) and maybe 1 more future first.
A solid starter, a former top pick and then someone to build around in this up coming draft. On top of that you have your pick this year, tank and it’ll get better. Plus there’s already some decent young players on your team in KPJ, Rollins and Green.
Murray is coming back next month. Zion has played 11 gms. Poole has played 9 games. Their pick can easily be a top 8-10 pick. It could even be better than Bucks pick. Bucks don’t control their pick.
KP is a bench player who is soft. The Hawks have no chance of getting Giannis. Giannis is the best 4 in the game. Maybe the best 4 ever. He is 31 yrs old. And can easily go 7 more yrs at a high level. Do you see Bron at 41….. There is a market out there. Hawks are not in it.
Giannis isn’t better than Duncan or Garnett. Those are facts. Other than his championship year he hasn’t had no success and the playoffs. He doesn’t have multiple conference championships and I dial his play style will last longer than 32. He will have plenty more injuries if he doesn’t learn how to shoot or post up. Honestly he might be behind Dirk too. Dirk has an MVP and one of the top 3 championship runs of all time. Behind olajuwon and Allen Iverson’s which didn’t amount to a championship.
Bucks get. Holiday, Middleton, Marvin Bagley
Portland get. Ryan Rollins, Gary Trent, Garry Harris, Cash and a 1st from Bucks
Washington get. Kyke Kuzma, Kevin Porter, Blake Wesley, Prince and two 2nds from Bucks
Waive Coffey and Nance
Sign MarJon Beauchamp and Kotas Ante..
Still working on it
Bucks are working on trade scenarios with other teams already.
It would never be public that Giannis requested a trade. For his “social” status and for the team’s.
Also, trade packages would be impacted and less attractive if it was made public that he requested a trade.
Turner can’t rebound so he has to go to a very specific team. They could squeeze a very late 1st for him, any 1st is lottery protected or mid 20s
Portis is crazy, maybe get some 2nds for him.
Kuzma helped Lakers but still not looked at as a winner, not many contenders would want him. 2nd rounder
AJ Green probably has to stay weird extension they gave him