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.
He just wanted to say Nico’s name, even though the scenarios are totally different.
O okay I don’t know all the posters here. I just call like it is. Trading Giannis and and Luka are two completely different things. Giannis is 30 and still in his prime. However, his play style is completely different than Luka. I just think if they wait till he requests a trade he’s only going to want to go to the Knicks. And they don’t have as much Capital and to take back OG and some other players would make no sense because they’d be rebuilding. They also have to get off of yiannis’s brother s but they probably have to cut them or hold on to them to the end of this season
No Dude, you were 100 percent on point calling out that nonsense take.😂
Haha yeah some people get wrapped up in with players used to do and I think to be a successful GM. You have to understand where players are and get off of them. I just wish Giannis and the Bucks both were a little bit more patient and they could have had a run next year and beyond. Maybe try to compete for two titles. But Giannis got impatient and asked for a bunch of stuff and instead of the buck saying let’s slow the brakes they went out and traded and the damn trade pretty much end this team.
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.
More like it’s an attempt at increasing leverage via the battle of the leaks. Every halfway competitive team will say they’re aiming to compete/upgrade and it means absolutely nothing. It’s par for the course in these types of situations.
Case in point, we saw a report today claiming the Mavs aim to be competitive ROS. Yeah, sure. The trades are coming, if not before the deadline surely in the offseason.
I wouldn’t use the Mavs as an example. The way Flagg is playing now, they will be very competitive especially with AD. Not saying they won’t trade Gafford, but I think they are more likely to finish near 500.
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
I think any responsible GM would demand a sign and trade over taking chance he is one year rental. That could be a career ending move. Especially with what they are asking.
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.
Probably not even efficient offensively at this point. He’s empty calories.
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.
Yep. As soon as they made the stupid Dame trade the rest was already written. Just because they felt compelled to do something to keep him there doesn’t mean the outcome was going to be any different.
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.
That’s not happening. Nets don’t have any need or want for Kuzma and an overpaid, closer to end then prime Portis. MPJ can net you better than that. Plus that 1 would be in 2031 or 32. Wee bit to far away.
I was thinking they would re-trade Portis, who is probably worth 2 or 3 seconds. Those 2031/32 bucks picks are probably viewed as great assets around the league. But I see your point. Not sure how many people would pay
more than a 1st for MPJ, but guess we will see.
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 ………
🥵🥵😥😅
The two players I’ve seen you endlessly champion are Kuminga and LaVine and they both really stink. I enjoy how much you contribute, but it would be nice to see some self reflection and honesty about being wrong instead of refusing to engage with people because they are “beneath your understanding of basketball” it is a bit insufferable at times.
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.
Giannis has as many championships as Garnett. He was able to win in MIL, while KG wasn’t able to win in MIN.
KG was one of the first to make a Big 3 in order to win, and then got mad when the Heat outdid them.
They both are 9x All-NBA. Giannis is 31 and still performing at an MVP-caliber level. KG stopped making them at that age because he was a 15 PPG player by that point. He was nowhere close to Giannis offensively.
No can’t agree with that. Garnett played against multiple players who are top 15 at his position and even three of the top seven players at the PF and dominated. He went up against Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber. Tim Duncan, Zach Randolph, Nene, Dirk, Chris Bosh, amare stoudemire.
His championship run was against Shaq and Kobe and The Sacramento Kings. Giannis championship run was against the Atlanta Hawks. Most of the teams he played had injuries. It’s not to take away from his championship. He’s definitely a champion and a great player top 20 of all time. 2nd Garnett was in his thirties when he joined Boston. It wasn’t a really a big three. Nobody wanted Ray Allen’s contract at that point in his career he had a bad ankle and was no longer considered a star. Kobe beat that team with out teaming up. ( Is why I have Kobe over LeBron) That’s another argument. However let’s not act like Garnett wasn’t an MVP and a defensive player of the year and played in a brutal Western conference. He was in the second round or conference championships year after year where Giannis has yet to get out of the second round only having won championship run while playing in a week or Eastern conference.
“He went up against Rasheed Wallace, Chris Webber. Tim Duncan, Zach Randolph, Nene, Dirk, Chris Bosh, amare stoudemire.”
You just listed a bunch of players who wouldn’t even sniff Giannis’ jockstrap. NENE HE ****ING SAYS.
Giannis defined the PF position for the last decade and is the reason why every star PF right now is a slashing point forward. Jalen Johnson, Pascal Siakam, Paolo Banchero, Scottie Barnes, Zion Williamson, Julius Randle, all influenced by Giannis.
You said it was a “fact” that KG was better than Giannis and that was demonstrably false. It is in-fact, your biased opinion.
————————-
“However let’s not act like Garnett wasn’t an MVP and a defensive player of the year ”
Giannis is quite literally one of three players in history to win MVP and DPOY in the same season (Jordan, Hakeem, Giannis). This was all of five years ago. You’re an absolute prisoner of the moment.
MVP Power Forwards
2x: Tim Duncan, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl Malone, Bob Petit
1x: Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Charles Barkley
Should we also mention Giannis was actually Finals MVP the year he won a championship? KG wasn’t. Just another fun “fact”.
All those guys you named are SF and moved to the PF to play small ball. It’s why every person that you mention on all those teams can absolutely win nothing. You’re saying Giannis is so great, You guys get on these posts and say this guy and that guy is so good. Why does he only have one conference finals in his entire NBA career? He won a championship great. He is a MVP and defensive player of the year. If you actually read my post I said that put him in the top 20 of all time. He actually doesn’t play against any real power forward. We seen him get shut down by kawhi Leonard. Plenty of other teams and as I said on the post below, had Brooklyn not had any injuries They would have lost that series too. Zion Williams never plays Julius Randall would be a low-level power forward and they’ve never competed against each other in the playoffs. The other two you named her are actually small forwards. They just slide them over to play small ball
Duncan was a center. Even when he played with Robinson. They were two centers playing. KG was a Center most his career in Minny. And all his time as a Celtic. Learn that first. Only fact you got is confused …..
Duncan is 21 st and Garnett is 24 th on all time scoring. By the time Giannis is thru. He will be top 10 possibly top 5. Stop embarrassing yourself. Giannis has changed the game for 4s. In the history of the game only Bob Petit comes close. Yeaaah go learn who he is.
You can’t be serious. You’re showing your complete lack of basketball knowledge. Duncan played the PF his whole career and was never a center. Nor did KG never played the center until his last few years. Giannis has changed the game for fours yet he has won championship barely ever plays and the one championship he actually won. They didn’t even have full crowds. What PF does he play against? We literally watched him get shut down by kawhi Leonard. We’ve watched him lose year after year after year yet you’re saying he’s better than Duncan? Kg and others. Your argument is all over the place so every power forward that either one of you name has never and wouldn’t even be considered a starting power forward in the early 2000s and the ’90s. 2nd what does scoring have to do with anything. Nowadays, it’s easy to score and Giannis will not be top 10 in scoring. All time he doesn’t even play enough. He’s hurt pretty much every single year because of his style of play. He will most likely drop off in the next two years. He has 1 championship and had played in a weak East conference. Every year it’s the players that he doesn’t have or some other excuse. If he’s such a good player, why can’t he win another championship.
Now before you guys try to make this argument about me saying he’s not a great player. I literally said he is the top 20 player of all time and yes defensive player of the year and it MVP and it’s all credit to him but less not even act like he’s not even in the same stratosphere is Tim Duncan.
AL,
You’re saying I don’t know what I’m talking about yet. Duncan played power for it every single year of his career except for his last 2 years of his career. Even after Robinson retired Thiago splinter was the center. Guess what after that lamarcus aldr’s played center even though he was a power Ford. That’s another power forward we can add as well. The list goes on and on. Giannis really hasn’t played anybody and he still hasn’t dominated by winning multiple championships back to back to back. Duncan has five. From a player standpoint we have never seen KG get shutdown. Yet we seen Giannis. And let’s be real. I hate to say this had Brooklyn not been hurt that year. They would have lost to them in the first round as well. Win is a win so he got it but his play style he will not win another championship unless he’s paired with another star.
Atlanta controls the higher pick between Bucks & Pels this year & next.
Atlanta owns the worst of Bucks & Pelicans pick this year and next. So you dont have you only have your pick if your better then Pelicans.
Atlanta has best package but would be fools to give up anything other then KP & Young or a bench player. Your not getting JJ. He just set team record for triple doubles at the 4. He is on great deal for several years and much younger.
Btw, the Knicks leaked that Giannis asked out and said the Bucks GM wasnt very serious because offers were ridiculous. Plus, he is hurt again. Enjoy the ride to bottom.
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
Sign Thon Maker and Jabari Parker too
Malik Beasley and Fultz
Bucks get Champagnie and Sharife Cooper*
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
💯
And most teams would take KP over Turner cause he does rebound and 3 when healthy. Plus his deal expiring. Turner will be really hard to move unless you eat 10m and send back to Pacers. Lol
Don’t think that’s true with his newly diagnosed condition (POTS). He’s too much of an uncertainty moving forward even by his injury prone standards.
Not that it really matters since there should be plenty of decent centers on the market this year anyway, so Turner probably isn’t going anywhere yet. Bucks need to fire Doc and try to rebuild his value.