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

yeah, i haven't watched him much this year, but his defensive metrics are way down recently, which is concerning. would be really hard to say no to all that talent if it was a trae young type trade, though.

plus zion's contract structure makes him a pretty limited risk, imo. like, if he keeps getting hurt, his deal is fully non-guaranteed. for example, if we traded for him and next year he was hurt all year, he could be all the way off the books for what would have been the last year of his deal.

 

Seems like if Giannis has the stomach for it, he can kind of force the Bucks to take this GS offer. If I were him, I would be threatening to go nuclear and really put my thumb on the scale over the summer if the Bucks don't accept something before Thursday. Either take one of the packages available now (GS or Miami), or I'm shortening my list in the summer and forcing my way to one specific spot. I would not be interested in sitting out another playoff run during my later prime.

 

We've got a Gabe. Just saying.

Maybe they consider optionality an upgrade.

 

The one I've seen discussed for them is DiVincenzo for Coby White. I'd love to jump in and offer Gabe or Kleber's expiring and our pick to Chicago to re-route DiVincenzo here. But Chicago is weird, they probably think they DiVincenzo so they can secure homecourt in the 9/10 play-in game.

 

could probably use us as the leverage, ironically.

yeah, i'd do this and agree that chicago is so wild that they'd say no.

 

i don't see why they'd do it this season when they don't own their FRP

 

btw, per our discussion last night:

this is totally reasonable. we wanted something extra if we were going to make a hunter deal.

 

Miami package for Giannis that's being reported today is Herro/Rozier/Ware/Jacquez/the 2 FRPs they can trade for Giannis/Thanasis. If the Heat pull that off, they'd be:

Mitchell / Jakucionis
Powell / Larsson
Wiggins / Fontecchio
Giannis / Jovic
Bam

Bench looks really shaky and don't love the ballhandling, but that starting lineup could be pretty damn good defensively. Wouldn't be shocked to see that team in the ECF this year. They could compete this year and next year, then in the summer of 2027 they have no one on the books except Giannis and Bam. Maybe Mitchell finally makes his way to Miami then.

 

I refuse to believe that our grand plan, was simply either Ellis or Hunter.

 

I think Rob always has grander plans. But as he says "you can't buy a house that's not for sale" (even though you really can, just depends on how comfortable you are with spending).



Irwin said on last night's pod there's some murmurs of us upgrading on the Gabe front. That could mean anything. There's addition by subtraction there.