If the team declines next year, then Ime and Stone should both be gone. Have someone else come in to balance the roster. The last thing you want is someone trying to save his job making those desperation moves.
I would rather wait and stay young with assets and go for Ant when he becomes available. I think it’s just matter of time before Minnesota can’t keep him happy and then we go all in. Here is an idea for a 4d chess move, we ship KD to Minny and get McDaniels + Randale + 2033 unprotected pick. In couple of years when Ant is not happy we can trade our assets + some young pieces + their draft pick back to get Ant.
FVV and Durant will be at each other's throats by mid season if he's still here. I cant imagine what itd be with Giannis.
Yawn.....the answer is to somehow acquire Donovan Mitchell and Ryan Kalkbrenner. No one else. Stop making things so difficult.
Yeah, I disagree with Sam when he says you get Giannis and roll with a malfitted roster with Amen and Giannis as non-shooters and Jabari as a center. I think Jabari should play more 5, but can't see him as a 5 fulltime. If it doesn't work, KD is going to ensure the locker room is hell. On Jabari, like I said, he's just mediocre. Much of your core youth and KD play optimally at his position, but you have to play him there because he's the least versatile. Amen as a 4 could wreak havoc. It's inherently a faster, dynamic, and better defensive lineup with that configuration. The FVV, Jalen, Dillon, Amen, Sengun lineup was quite effective. Having KD playing as a guard compounds the problem. He's too damn slow and has minimal ball skills. If you keep KD, he should be the 4 with Amen as the 3. Just because you keep a guy, doesn't mean he's going to become something. It's sunk cost fallacy. Maybe he figures out how to take it to the next level, but I just don't see it. And his presence prevents more advantageous lineups.
Jabari is a weird one to me. Hes on a good deal and the Rockets seem to play better when hes there than when he isnt. He took lots of steps forward last year and might have been our best playoff performer. He is a riser and the nerves dont get to him. That is important. If he gets moved in a deal that lands us Boozer I'd be fine with that. Otherwise I keep him. Our biggest hole is at the 1 and 2. Fred isnt a long term answer to anything and Durant even less so. I've already said enough about my feelings towards Durant but someone like Cedric Coward (lol) would be perfect to round out this team. The correct decision is to give the young guys another year unencumbered by veterans and see what they do. If you want to hedge and trade everything for a pick (probably #5) thats possible. Or just stick to your Phoenix/BKN picks and draft with that though it is a weaker draft.
That's a totally reasonable take... my only addition on the "move Jabari" front is that I think you could have a lot more speed and dynamism in the lineup without him. As someone mentioned, the Knicks and Spurs have 4s with guard skills and quickness. I believe Amen fits that role well and it would make for a better defensive and offensive lineup. Now, if you're keeping KD, the effect is compounded. He should be a 4 at this stage of his career because he's slow as hell and lacks guard skills. But Jabari can only play the 4 because he lacks versatility/speed/handle/etc... so you have to play slow as hell KD as a wing. That lineup also makes Amen a guard where his speed is less of an advantage and his lack of shooting is more detrimental. There was always going to come a time when the team would have to decide which of the young core to build around and put the optimal pieces around them. I think there's enough info to start doing that now (at least with Bari, Tari and Sengun), but I do think waiting another year is a reasonable take.
The Giannis package is dog ****. (And no I don’t think trading for Giannis is the move even with a decent price tag) Trading DFS is also questionable flexibility wise. The only thing I kinda agree with (which is rare given a usually high quality Vecenie pod) is that the only way to justify Sengun’s holding the ball for so long is if he’s an efficient scorer (KAT / Jokic), but he is NOT. This leads to him being a developmental hindrance to other guys (Amen, Reed and even Jabari) I’m therefore in the trading Sengun camp unless the FO decides to move on from Durant
I am intrigued by the "Amen at the 4" idea but the team would have to be completely reconstructed. Tari would likely be extended and inserted into the starting lineup. All of the old guys need to be moved and replaced (Duren, Hartenstein are some targets). Sengun would also have to go. Reed obviously stays as one of the best transition talents of the last few years. Sending out Fred, Sengun, Durant and Jabari would get you some significant assets.
The bucks get an unprotected 2027 1st and a salary dump. The Rockets could give the Celtics a future protected pick to sweeten the deal, and Reed could be traded to a team like Detroit for Ron Holland.
The Bucks are rebuilding and need to start taking swings on high-potential players in the draft. Giannis was drafted 15th overall in one of the weakest classes in NBA history.
Those 2 are Draft enthusiasts, would not call them experts bc recently more and more people start scouting.
There's a lot of options for sure. I don't know if Amen as a 4 precludes Sengun as the 5 necessarily. They had success in that configuration two years ago. Remember all the Sengun to Amen lobs? That said, a floor spreading 5 and/or rim protector would be preferred. With the Jaylen Brown rumors out there, one trade could be something like Sengun/Jabari/Reed for Brown/Pritch. In that scenario, I think you hang onto KD. Then your 1-4 are set with complementary skills throughout. Pritch/Brown/Amen/KD... But you gotta find a center. I'm not going to count on Adams.
The lineup currently has no guards. I mean, you hope Fred comes back, but I think that isn't exactly certain.
