The Bucks Championship Off-Season

I believe the Bucks have the 31st overall pick in this draft?  Basically an end of 1st round pick.

The perfect guy to step up is Nwora.  He’s very similar in build and style to Khris Middleton.  Dude looks the part and can shoot.  Hope he gets a lot of consideration coming off the bench.

Diakite seems like more of a project but man if he could even step in and give them 8-12 solid minutes that would help immensely.

Hard to imagine the new season starts in less than 3 months.  The quick turnaround will absolutely be a challenge for this group even more so with Holiday and Middleton playing for TEAM USA.  

After getting beat by France there is no assurances that the USA will be in the Medal Round.  Holliday and Middleton might get planty of rest.

@ammo posted:

After getting beat by France there is no assurances that the USA will be in the Medal Round.  Holliday and Middleton might get planty of rest.

Without Holiday today, they'd have lost by 20.

All they need to do to get to the medal round is beat Iran and the Czech Republic. I think they are still fine.

The real problem is that the rest of the world has caught up. Of the 15 guys that were on the 3 All-NBA teams this year, the USA Olympic team has one (Lillard). Of course, Durant would have made it had he played more games, so let's say they have two. The other guys on the ALL-NBA teams who could have played declined (Curry, LeBron, Chris Paul, Kyrie, Butler, Beal, George) and Harden showed no interest either. Curry hasn't played since May 20th. Put even 2-3 of those guys on the team and it's 20 point blowouts every game.

5 of the ALL-NBA 15 guys were born outside the US. 3 members of the first team (Giannis, Luka, and Jokic) were foreign-born. Gobert and Embiid were the other two.

Team USA is still the most talented, but they only have 2 guys this year that are sure HOFers (Durant and Lillard). Guys like Booker, Tatum, and even Middleton may make it, but it's not like previous years where they had 6-8 first-ballot guys on the team.

@Music City posted:

Holiday and Middleton are in Tokyo (Team USA lost to France, with Holiday going 27 min and leading the team with 18 min.). This makes an off-season recovery program problematic for 2 of the 3 major Bucks investments (Middleton played just 7 min). I do not expect these guys to play any preseason action, and I do think they’ll be on limits restrictions for much of the early season. This gives young players like Jordan Nwora, Donte DiVincenzo, Mamadi Diakite, and Elijah Bryant an opportunity to gain valuable game experience and prepare them for more meaningful action next playoff season. The Bucks desperately need to get these young players capable of playing important minutes because they simply cannot afford to bring Tucker or Teague back. And it’s going to take some massaging to bring Bryn Forbes or fan favorite Bobby Portis back (both have player options).

The Bucks should benefit from continuity if they ultimately are forced to “run it back” considering the roster turnover from a season ago. The only holdovers to see major minutes in the 6/7 man playoff rotation were Giannis, Middleton, Lopez, and Connaughton.

The tax threshold is $140M, and the Bucks have very little they can do to add FAs since they’re already at $143M (https://hoopshype.com/salaries/milwaukee_bucks/). They can offer some $$$ to their guys, but his much do you risk? The Bucks will return the top scoring offense in the NBA in 2021-22, but it still seems like they need better shooting. They were at or near the top in almost every meaningful offensive category in 2020-21, but the playoffs proved that they really need more. Can they get more out of the big 3? Theoretically yes, but with the Olympics, what impact will a shortened off-season have on these guys, who logged more than 40+ min/game most of the playoffs? Will the experience of this Championship prove to be a catalyst for a level-up from both Middleton and Holiday? It could.

Horst has a unique challenge with this roster- they were statistically superior and were able to sidestep a few obstacles to take it all. With no draft assets and limited trade pieces, it may be very difficult to improve this roster with any new blood. The improvements may need to come from within…

Giannis, Middleton, Holiday, Connaughton, and Lopez are under contract for next year. DDV is also, but the Bucks can extend him if they want or wait until he's a restricted free agent next year. Those 6 are all back, unless DDV gets moved in a trade package. It's unlikely, but not impossible.

Tucker might be back. The Bucks have his Bird rights so they can pay him whatever they want. They also can't replace his salary slot anyway, so maybe they give him 2 years and 20 million and keep the wear and tear low on him until the playoffs. They are already over the luxury tax, so it's not like paying him is going to do anything other than take some more money out of Lasry/Edens pockets. I think they can afford it.

https://hoopshype.com/rumor/1535907/6

If Tucker returns, that's 6 of the 7 rotation guys in the playoffs right there and DDV. Thanasis is an RFA and he's playable in the regular season, so that's 9. Nwora, as Music says, is probably the guy that's going to be the most likely to make a leap from garbage time to contributor. Can he be as good as Forbes? I'd say yes. Diakite is intriquing as well.

Portis can sign with the Bucks for 6 million, but he'll probably get 3 times that on the open market. You can't blame him for leaving if and when he does.

Forbes is unplayable in the playoffs. Not a huge loss if he opts out. It would be nice to have him for those January/February dog days to soak up a lot of minutes when he can play against a lot of bottom tier players and his defensive liabilities aren't as glaring.

If Teague wants to come back at the vet minimum, that's a no brainer too.

Then it's who might come to Milwaukee to chase a ring at the end of their career. I mentioned Oladipo as that type of guy, but some team that can't get stars to go there usually will likely overpay him (at least based on his injury risk).

Portis is the only guy likely to leave that would hurt them during playoff time (assuming Tucker is back).

Giannis, Lopez, Holiday, and Lopez are all under contract together the next 2 seasons.   Lopez is a FA after that and Middleton has a player option for the 2023/2024 season.

Pat C and DDV are under contract next year and Pat C has a player option the following year and DDV has a qualifying offer the following year.

Forbes and Portis have player options this upcoming year and will be interesting to see if they opt out.   Portis can make a lot more money elsewhere.  Forbes plays zero D but is a reliable 3pt shooter.  

Ideally, they both opt in and Tucker comes back and they run it back one more year.  If a Nwora can emerge, this team should be really good again in 2021/2022.

The Bucks just need to add some "regular season" guys that can eat up some minutes and allow them to win enough games to be a top 3 or 4 seed. This year proved that sitting guys out for rest, winning the equivalent of 52 games over an 82 game season, and being a #3 seed is better than winning 60+, playing more regular-season minutes, and being a #1 seed. The Bucks won 2 of the 3 high-pressure road games they had this playoff run (they won Suns Game 6 and Nets Game 7, and lost Nets Game 5 when Durant went off). They don't need the home-court advantage and are better off optimizing health.

They need guys like Forbes who can be effective against crappy teams and soak up minutes but aren't necessarily going to be getting minutes in the playoffs.

When it comes down to it next year in the playoffs (assuming everyone is healthy), the rotation will shrink to 8 guys. 6 are already set (Giannis-Middleton-Holiday-Lopez-DDV-Connaughton). If they can somehow bring Tucker and Portis back, that's the whole rotation. Otherwise, they have to replace those two guys.

Well, I’m not sure seeding is simply all that important.  It didn’t help Utah or Philly and if the Lakers were healthy I’m not sure that Phoenix makes it out of round 1.  

In the end, I know everyone thinks the Nets are the runaway favorite but IMO the top 5-6 teams in the league are all pretty evenly matched.  What tends to matter is experience - specifically playoff experience- will win out over youth and talent and home court advantage.  

The Bucks rarely lose at home and they have proven they can go on the road and win so I’m less worried about seeding than I was even a year ago.

Yup, and some luck

@Pikes Peak posted:

Yup, and some luck

@Tschmack posted:

Ideally, they both opt in and Tucker comes back and they run it back one more year.  If a Nwora can emerge, this team should be really good again in 2021/2022.

Nwora really is an intriguing young guy.  He's got a very good looking shooting stroke.  Like a lot of young guys, he needs to learn to play harder and needs to learn how to play a smidgen of defense at least, but he does have the potential to be a plus guy off the bench in the coming years. 

I would fast track Nwora- dude is already a very good 3 point shooter- quick release, step back, has good offensive awareness. Test him early in the season and see what he does with the opportunity.

Hoops Rumors: Bucks' Bobby Portis Declining 2021/22 Player Option.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/20...2-player-option.html

Going to be tough to re-sign him as much as us fans want him back. Some team is going to pay him pretty well.

It was probably an 80% chance that Bobby Portis opted out.  Good for him and hope it works out.

not enough letters in his last name to keep him

I read that the best the Bucks can do is the MLE because they’re over the cap (no Bird rights). Showing cap hits for Jon Leuer and Larry Sanders at $5M is just a swell reminder of how those deals continue to fuck them over…

@Music City posted:

Showing cap hits for Jon Leuer and Larry Sanders at $5M is just a swell reminder of how those deals continue to fuck them over…

Well, he really doesn't appear to be much of a basketball player...

Chris Paul and the Suns just agreed to a new four year deal. Worth up to $120 million.

https://www.si.com/nba/2021/08...ear-120-million-deal

I see it. Not even LeBron in LA can top that.

Money >>> Championships

Bobby Portis back to the Bucks for 2 years and 9 million (2nd-year player option).

That's unbelievable.

The Bucks have two veteran rotation players (Connaughton and Portis) making less than 10 million combined next year.

OMFG

Bobby Bobby Bobby

Meanwhile, a desperate Suns team gets bent over big time agreeing to a 4 year deal with Chris Paul.   That is more insane  than Portis coming back for probably 1/3 what he’s worth.  I mean, the Suns do realize he’s a 36 year old with a checkered past of injuries and choking in the playoffs.  

Regardless, say what you want about CP3 but he’s a ruthless mofo.  Dude has made an economic killing in this league at the expense of his health and winning a ring. Sounds like banana boat bullshit to me.  Enjoy the ride Phoenix.  You won’t win shit with that guy.

Portis contract means that the Bucks still have their MLE (just under 6 million) to use on another player. They have Bird rights on Tucker, so they can pay him anything they want.

I thought Portis might be back, but for the MLE. When Torrey Craig gets 2 years and 10 million from the Pacers, you know Bobby gave up major money to stay.

The guess is that when he opts out next year, the Bucks will pay him well.

I guess Bobby is taking the Jordy stance of...."How much money do you need?"

Maybe nobody offered him anything? I seriously thought someone would sign Bobby for like 3 years $40 million.

@Boris posted:

I guess Bobby is taking the Jordy stance of...."How much money do you need?"

Maybe nobody offered him anything? I seriously thought someone would sign Bobby for like 3 years $40 million.

I see it MP2

Portis turned down potential deals from the Mavericks and Heat, sources said. After six NBA seasons, Portis has found a home -- and will play to repeat as a champion next season. https://t.co/kD9WkJxpKP

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 2, 2021

As opposed to Chris Paul... Championships >>> MONEY!

Check out this article from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Bucks fan favorite Bobby Portis announces he will return to the team next season

https://www.jsonline.com/story...ba-title/5463799001/

This is very good news. And, maybe sends a message to other players that Milwaukee is a destination?

PJ Tucker to the Heat. 2 years, 15 million.

Surprised at this to say the least.

And we thought the “Bobby Bobby Bobby” cheers last season were loud…

This is phenomenal news for the Bucks. Portis has cemented himself in Wisconsin sports history.

The Heat will be tough defensively, but Butler, Adebayo, and Tucker are going to be difficult to play together due to lack of floor spacing.

Can’t blame PJ although I will say fuck the Heat and their tampering reporting bullshit.

Even with all their moves they still aren’t better than Milwaukee.

@Tschmack posted:

Can’t blame PJ although I will say fuck the Heat and their tampering reporting bullshit.

Even with all their moves they still aren’t better than Milwaukee.

They let Crowder, Iguodala, and Ariza go over the last two years to sign Tucker.

I think the Heat did this as much to weaken the Bucks as they did to improve themselves.

Does it really "weaken" the Bucks?

DDV isn't chopped liver.

Why would Tucker go to the Heat? Money I guess? Hey....all good. Thanks for helping with the chip PJ. Much appreciated. Best of luck in Miami.

@MNPackman posted:

This is very good news. And, maybe sends a message to other players that Milwaukee is a destination?

It's no Green Bay.

I honestly think PJT wasn’t as important on the court as he was in the locker room. He helped them raise their level, but Giannis knows it now.  Holiday knows it. Middleton knows it- and like Tucker said on Parade Day, they had “dawgs” already on the team, they just needed someone to teach them how to bark.

Keeping Portis is great for that MLE $$$. But the whole team needs to level up to repeat. They know that. Portis has that attitude, intensity, and “dawg” in him. Need to get a b/u PG, one who can defend.

@Blair Kiel posted:

It's no Green Bay.

Well duh. Only Green Bay has Aaron Rodgers.

@Boris posted:

Does it really "weaken" the Bucks?

DDV isn't chopped liver.

Why would Tucker go to the Heat? Money I guess? Hey....all good. Thanks for helping with the chip PJ. Much appreciated. Best of luck in Miami.

Good point. If DDV was healthy, how many minutes does Tucker get?

He got routinely torched by Booker.  He's a good guy to match up against Durant, though. That's his real value - as a defender against big wings (Durant, LeBron).

Truth. down & dirty grunt work. That's PJ Tucker.

Miami going to use him vs. Giannis?

@Boris posted:

Truth. down & dirty grunt work. That's PJ Tucker.

Miami going to use him vs. Giannis?

Bam on Giannis and Tucker on Middleton.

Doesn't look like the Bucks tried too hard to keep Tucker. I hope it wasn't just a business decision to save money and they have other moves pending, but it sure looks like it was a decision to keep either Portis or him, but not both.