2025-26 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

gs is the only team in the bidding with a bunch of picks (some of which could be really good, post-curry, which is not that far off, imo). butler is from chicago and went to marquette, so i'm guessing there'd be some comfort/interest there. plus, he expires next year, and the team is likely to be bad no matter what.

i think the minny and ny packages are much tougher sells for me, each requiring those teams to get third teams to help them out. i outlined a couple minny deals above, but i don't love either of them for milwaukee.

gs and miami are the ones that make the most sense to me.

 

Not everything is media hype. GS makes sense as a suitor here. They're good enough to compete immediately if they get Giannis, desperate enough to trade a lot for him, can trade picks far out that should be good because their stars are old, and are in a market where Giannis would probably like to be. Not many teams check all of those boxes. Giannis is close enough to his extension decision (October) that he can put his thumb on the scales a bit here. It doesn't matter if teams like OKC or Houston, or even someone like Toronto, can trade more than the Warriors if Giannis makes it clear he's not re-signing there.

If I were Giannis, I'd personally try to make Miami happen. Stay out East where the path is easier and realize that you'll always be #2 to Steph on that GS team, even if you're now the better player.

 

Minnesota could be interesting for us, I’d try to send a first for McDaniels, he’s kind of the perfect wing for now and the future. Gabe, Kleber and Knecht salaries match McDaniels and a Minimum.

Reaves / Smart
McDaniels / LaRavia
Luka / Vando
Lebron / Rui
Ayton / Hayes

It’s amazing how much better our team looks with just a single extra starting level quality player. If we could shake out two, we’d be contenders IMO.

 

0% chance McDaniels is available for one first. He's arguable the very best 3&D player in the league and is still developing offensively.