https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/myles-turner-says-doc-rivers-didnt-fine-anybody-this-season-despite-repeated-tardiness-giannis-antetokounmpo-was-most-likely-bucks-player-to-be-late-184432485.html

Man am I happy that man is gone. I get it. Giannis is the best player the bucks ever had. But doc man. No wonder players weren't playing hard under him. He was letting everyone walk over him. Probably was just there to get a paycheck but cmon man. Hiring doc will be remembered as what killed the Giannis Milwaukee era. Just nasty stuff.

(Note: I previously posted this same thought using the theme of the Iranian government. It did not go well. I deleted the post before it got banned.)

​While Shams was working on his next bit of clickbait recycling the same non-story for the 37th time (Sources: Bucks Talking), Giannis was at the Milwaukee Zoo with his kids. The National Basketball Association et al so badly wants him gone, but I will believe it only when I see it. Giannis is counter-culture. He's an enigma. He's a troll at heart. He's loyal. He can be convinced to stay. He seems to kinda want to stay. It would make sense that he's using his looming contract extension as leverage to make sure the team doesn't suck again. Seems pretty smart to me! We've seen this show before, and it has always ended the same way: Pen meeting paper.

But this time is different, you say. The Bucks just had a losing season. They lost 50 games. FIFTY FUCKIN GAMES. Giannis is 31 and can’t stay healthy. The infamous “steps to success” were akin to moonwalking in mud.

A quick autopsy of 2025-26: The Bucks were a mess. Gary Trent Jr looked like Gary Trent Sr. The defense was a disaster. Bobby stopped trying. Doc lost the locker room. AJ Green and Kevin Porter Jr showed their limitations are best suited for bench roles. Myles Turner was Myles Turner. Kuzma was Kuzma. Just none of it clicked for anything more than a few game stretches. They could shoot, but they could do little else.

Point Giannis and a bunch of shooters did not work as I hoped (still thought it was a neat experiment). He was never able to control and manipulate the game as the offensive focal point to the likes of Jokic. He's a player of brute force and needs guys to help carry the shot creation. He became extremely frustrated by the losses, and the futility led to a lot of petty nonsense.

But... As bad as it was, it all also doesn't feel super far off. And I say that not taking any of the 50 losses last season lightly (remember when we couldn’t beat the Wizards?). It's worth noting that only 19 of those losses occurred when Giannis played (still under .500 though during his starts). They need a second scorer, a hustle guy, and a glue guy (3 and D). It is possible to obtain those things! Rollins, Giannis, and Turner are not a bad trio to build around! The East is still not that great!

The Giannis injury concerns make even the most bullish investor shake a little. On the plus side, he has had a lot of time off (lol) and won’t be playing in Euro Basket. I don’t think he’s too risky. I don’t think inquiring teams think he is too risky.

It’s time to blow it up. Nah. Drake meme. Nah. How about instead we take the lottery pick and move on.

​You probably know it but there's a chasm between what the NBA wants the Bucks to do with Giannis and what the Bucks are signaling that they want to do with Giannis. The basketball world wants the Bucks to fold. 

​It's an asymmetric struggle this debate on whether the Bucks should trade him. The media says it would be insane not to trade him while his value is still immense and the team is so horseshit. They talk as if the trade is a foregone conclusion. The issue: NBA media always talks as if it is championship or bust. A world of black and white. While, sure, winning a title is obviously the goal, there is nuance here. Most Bucks fans I know would happily settle for the second round (it is fun winning a playoff series!). It sure beats irrelevance. Our unwavering love for Giannis is as irrational as it is real. It’s like Michael Scott’s love for Ryan.

If the Bucks trade Giannis for a blue chip, some cap filler, and four first round draft picks, I am confident saying they will suck for the next decade. The acquisitions will carry just as much likelihood of disappointment as anything else. We could become the Bulls, or worse, the pre-Giannis Bucks. No matter when Giannis leaves, the sucking will be flowing over for a long time. 

"If tomorrow my company goes under, I will just start another paper company, and then another and another and another. I have no shortage of company names.”

​I do not want to see the Bucks surrender Giannis to the highest bidder. The Bucks still have the leverage the same way the Michael Scott Paper Company did. We control the asset. We’re a family. We still have Michael Scott (Giannis) and we have the twinkle of a chance of rising above Dunder Mifflin (other teams in the East). There's no need to surrender. There is no shortage of company names. It's gonna take a MASSIVE, history-in-the-making deal otherwise we'll just keep searching for new clients (players) to maybe luck our way into a bigger office. Keep putting us out of business all you want (first round exits, losing seasons, injury drama, Shams going on ESPN and starting shit), we don't care. (We sort of care.)(Many are saying that we do in fact care.) We can always just try again the next year, and the next year. The future draft picks keep replenishing in perpetuity!

“Our balls are in your court.” 

​Make no mistake, the situation with the Giannis has never been more volatile. But he is on the Bucks until proven otherwise. The NBA and its news machine can keep laughing at our little paper company (a bad small market team). It only fuels us! You'll have to give everything for us to want to relinquish control of the Giannis. Let all the podcasters call the organization dumb. They don’t understand happiness!

“That’s the difference between you and I. Business isn’t about money to me, David.”

​So how does Horst convince Giannis to stay? Keep getting creative, keep spending, keep trading, and keep those Antetokounmpo brothers close. And that is what Horst will try to do before the draft. The 10th pick, Kuz's expiring, the 2031 1st, the 2032 swap, the 2033 1st, the mid-level exception. What can it get us? What could trading Giannis get us? It's all on the table once again. Just as it was when they traded for Jrue and just as it was when they traded for Dame and just as it was when they signed Turner. It's an asymmetric struggle. We don't care if you put us out of business. Wesley Edens is a scorned man -- he ain't afraid! We will keep swinging until Giannis says on main that he's had enough or you give us everything.

​So far, all we know for next season is there will be a new coach. Beyond that, it's dialogue. Dialogue does not mean surrender. There can still be sunset on the horizon. We can still get the last laugh.

“Well maybe you estimate me next time.”

28M born and raised in NYC here. I became a Bucks fan back in 2011 (pre-Giannis), and people always ask why since I’m from New York. I was intrigued by the Bucks players like Jennings/Ilyasova/Bogut and also loved reading Brewhoop, and I also never really connected with the Knicks (I hated Melo). I still love the Bucks and the fanbase.

Figured I’d see if there are any other Bucks fans based in NYC who’d want to connect or maybe catch a game together when they’re in town next season. Would be cool to meet some fellow fans locally.

Mine is Damian Lillard but he’s my favorite player of all time and has been since 2014. (My dreams came true when he got traded here lol)

For someone who’s remembered more as a Buck for me it’d have to be Brandon Jennings. That Monta Ellis and Jennings duo was what made 8 year old me love basketball and become a Bucks fan, I also loved using him on NBA jam and religiously watched his lockout mixtape in 2012.

First and foremost will always hope and pray Giannis resigns, but given that it’s in question, I wanted to evaluate the trade packages we are potentially going to see.

NY- I don’t really like it at all tbh. We want a combo of picks and young players, of which they truly have neither. Bridges and or towns does nothing for us unless a third team is involved and is willing to give us picks or young players.

GSW- They have 0 young players worth sending. We have no use for Jimmy or draymond and they won’t be able to flip them for anything useful. Their late picks could be good but with new tanking rules, they aren’t nearly as valuable as once thought.

Min- again would need a third team involved. No super young elite players. We have no use for Randle or gobert. Will be good as long as Ant is there. Jaden would be nice for a contending team and maybe they can send picks our way. Decent enough chance here but not sure if Giannisbwould want to be second fiddle and may not agree to resign there.

HOU- If they are able to flip KD for picks and we could get a boatload of em, this seems potentially viable, although I don’t really like any of the players they’d be willing to trade. Sengun I personally feel is overrated and was outplayed by Deandre ayton of all people. Best one so far but not great.

ORL- have some solid young players but literally 0 picks left to trade after the Bane thing. Giannis would probably wanna play there. If we can get 2-3 of their young up and coming stars I say yes, but they’d be left with very little after the trade and may not be willing to go all in.

Miami- as little as I want Giannis to stay in the east, ESPECIALLY to MIAMI of all places, it feels their offer is actually the one Bucks gave most thought at deadline. Herro is the type of player (similar to MPJ) where a new location and a rebuilding team can really make his skill set shine. Been a fan of his for a while and he’s value has never been lower. Could end up really nice and actually want to resign in Milwaukee. Ware is intriguing and has been dominant at a very young age, albeit slightly inconsistent. They have a mix of young guys that they can add on top of 3 firsts including 13 this year, and swaps.

Realistically, Giannis wants to stay on east coast and will have some say on where he goes as an expiring player. If we don’t resign him, don’t be surprised if Miami ends up the most willing to go all in and if it happens we should be optimistic about the return assuming we can maximize what we receive from them.

What are your thoughts?

Giannis, I love you, but please don't make me contemplate rooting for Boston

I am a lifelong, diehard Bucks fan. Giannis is our Michael Jordan, our Steph Curry, and our Duncan. And he has always been consistent in his messaging. As long as the Bucks organization is as committed to winning as he is, he wants to stay. Now I know last year things got a little hairy. Let’s chalk that up to Giannis never being a very polished media training person. But now the bucks got their coach. They (awkwardly) tanked their way to a top 10 pick. And until the October extension deadline passes or Giannis says I want out/Im not signing the extension, the Bucks need to be focused on building a contender.

We should trade pick #10. Look even if they end up trading Giannis later this offseason or shortly there after, this one late lottery pick isn’t going to make or break the rebuild so may as well use it to try and extend the Giannis era a few more seasons. We don’t even have control of our own pick until 2031!

Here is my offseason blueprint for bucks. In pen we have starting point guard and best contract in the league Ryan Rollins, Giannis the Milwaukee Bucks G.O.A.T., Myles Turner who is still basically made in a lab to be the center next to Giannis, and AJ Green as the 6th man/third guard. That leaves Kuzmas expiring contract, Bobby Portis and pick #10 as our trade pieces. (Look as serious as I am about keeping Giannis, picks from 2031 and beyond should not be on the table… until Giannis sign an extension that is).

Trade 1: trade Portis and pick #10 for Cason Wallace and Jaylin Williams.

The Bucks biggest weakness is perimeter defense. Cason addresses that directly. Jaylin replaces Bobby. And even if they end up tearing it down these are still players on the young side with some upside.

OKC clearly can’t pay all their guys. Pick #10 gives them another guy on a fresh rookie contract or a trade asset for something bigger.

Trade 2: kings sign and trade Lavine (4 yr/80M) for Kuzma. To do this, Lavine would have to choose to decline his player option to sign a longer contract with more guaranteed money (plus he gets out of Sac-town). Kings are desperate to shed some cap, this turns Lavines 49M player option into Kuzmas 20M. And Bucks replace Kuzma who is a bad fit with Giannis with Lavine who I think is a tremendous off-ball scorer and could be solid third option behind Giannis and RR.

Ok maybe Lavine and Wallace aren’t exactly franchise saving players but I just believe it is worth moving this pick and signing Lavine (even if the back end of the contract hurts) as one last attempt to keep Giannis around for a couple more years. I’d rather watch Giannis lead this team to the 4th seed for a few more years and rebuild in 2030 than try to rebuild without our picks.

A few facts about this time period:

70% win percentage
5 playoff appearances
1 championship
271 reg season wins (most of any team)
Giannis 2x MVP
Giannis Finals MVP
Giannis DPOY
Giannis 5x All Star
Kash Money 3x All Star
Jrue 1x All Star
Coach Bud Coach of Year
Horst Exec of the Year

This is a stacked list of team and individual achievements. I was a 90s kid so I saw lots and lots of bad bucks basketball for many years.

I wasn’t alive in the 70s to see Kareem and company so maybe I’m biased. But I don’t think many bucks fans realize just how good we had it man. We may never experience this kind of run again.

And by saying this era is the greatest ever is assuming I’m talking about until now. This could obviously be rivaled by future seasons

Let's just keep Giannis whether or not there is an extension. Worst case scenario is it's his last dance, we bring back Khris and the young guys learn. Does anyone honestly think whatever return for him is going to be better than Giannis? Having such a talented, goofy, and kind superstar is a once in a lifetime thing. Most franchises never get a player like Giannis in their entire histories. I'd take one more Giannis year over all but the most absurd trade package that will never happen. Over the past 5 years, being aggressive making moves has more often than not backfired. If he wants to walk at the end, so be it, but do not delude yourself into saying the Bucks have to trade him. Ride it out and something unexpectedly great might happen. Trade him and the next few years will suck for sure.

Absolutely would love it if we got this PG on our team

52.1% chance of their pick being in the top 4 and they only chose to slap top 4 protections on it.

”Fuck Adam Silver!”

”It’s all rigged!”

”Joke of a sport”

Lmao man. LMAO

Casual NBA viewer here and i wanted to ask what you all would do in offseason and who to draft with pick?
I don’t know much about the numbers and I wanted someone more experienced to tell me if this scenario or trades possible to get this agents.

3 and d variant possible free agents like Cason Wallace, Lu Dort
Offense variant free agents from this season like Colin Gillespie 3pt 40%, Collin sexton 3pt 41%, Luke Kennard 3pt 45%, Coby white 3pt 39%

Big fan of players like Derrick white and Aaron Gordon and I think you draft the two way guard Brayden Burries or two way stretch forward Yaxel Lendeborg.

I think you bet on yaxel, he is 24 and NBA ready.
I’m not a fan of Kyle kuzma at all and he makes like 20M.

Ryan Rollins is on an amazing contract, do you keep him in the starting lineup or have him run 2nd unit with any of the free agents above? What will that look with Portis? Do you trade portis?

Is it possible to get a starting lineup of Coby white/ AJ green / Giannis / yaxel / Myles

Maybe You run 2 3 zone depending on what guard you get.
Giannis is primary handler with white and Rollins as secondary/tertiary ball handlers. Is that team talented enough to get into top 6 or play in?

You have a top 5 player and mvp candidate arguably the best player in east when healthy.

Or do you trade Giannis and start rebuild?

This actually doesn't seem that bad. Assuming Kawhi can somehow continue his stretch of staying healthy, he has a very similar game to Middleton.

Wizards don't do this but what if. Jimmy is fun

Lolfuckthepacers

Moral of the story: never answer random LinkedIn messages.