Side note – I know teams of fans never think they’re getting back enough in a deal or they’re getting screwed somehow or overvalue their own players, which I get, but please read this deal and think of the favors involved before just shitting on me lol. I’m not a Bucks or Nuggets fan, just a fan of the league and love putting together fake trades that I think help and make sense for both teams.
Let’s assume the Nuggets lost game 7 against Minnesota in embarrassing fashion. Murray plays terrible (but has the injury as an excuse), and MPJ continues his average at best series vs the Wolves and their defense.
Lillard goes to the Bucks front office and doesn’t demand a trade, but let’s them know he wasn’t the happiest being traded to Milwaukee and is open to a move, but won’t go public with a request.
The Bucks look around the league and aren’t interested in draft picks, they want proven players back, and ones that ideally fit with Giannis’s timeline. They look at the Nuggets, and realize after both teams had very disappointing playoffs, and they start to talk a deal that will have to be done on draft night. Murray is only a year and a half younger than Giannis, and MPJ will be 26 this June. The Bucks get younger and add players at the position if the guys they’re shipping out. They also get a young player with upside in Zeke Nnaji.
The Nuggets realize that Dame is just an upgrade over Murray even though Murray is significantly younger, and the same applies to Middleton over MPJ especially even with Middleton health concerns, which MPJ also comes with. Portis gives them an incredibly solid piece of the bench or to start in certain matchups, and a lineup of Dame, Middleton, Gordon, Portis, and Jokic with KCP, is probably the best lineup Jokic has ever played with. The Nuggets also get financial flexibility with Middleton’s and Portis’s deals being up as soon as next year should they choose to opt out, and with Murray’s deal expiring after the 24-25 season, he will soon be in the Lillard range as far as salary.
Milwaukee can roll out a lineup of Murray, Beasley (assuming he’s back), MPJ, Giannis, and Lopez- with their own free agents they bring back, guys they sign, the 24 1st rounder from this deal (which could be moved for a bench piece), Zeke, Connaugton, AJ Green, Jackson, and their young guys they already have on roster. This makes the bucks much, much younger, gives them financial flexibility as well, and a trade piece in MPJ if the fit isn’t right.
The Nuggets can start Lillard, Middleton/KCP, Gordon, Portis, and Jokic with either KCP or Middleton coming off the bench (which may be the best thing for Middleton at this point in his career), Braun, Strawther, Peyton Watson, the 24 2nd rounder along with the guys they sign in free agency to chase a ring with Jokic.
All in all, this is a shakeup I believe fits both teams, with the Bucks getting younger and acquiring a first along with some depth, while the Nuggets bring in a consistent shooter and much better dribbler and player maker to replace MPJ with Middleton, an older, but still just better talent wise guy to replace Murray with in Dame, and a perfect guy to start along side Jokic without sacrificing any shooting. They also get the opportunity for a ton of financial flexibility, and can always look to move Dame at a later date if things don’t work out. Dame is closer to the West coast so he’s happier and totally rejuvenated to play with a guy like Jokic who is by far his best teammate he’s ever played with. I’d have loved to gotten Lopez to Denver instead of Portis but couldn’t figure it out money wise, and doubt the Bucks want to go into the next season with no Center.
For the bucks in particular, I think the biggest thing this does for them is makes them much, much younger and gets them off the insane number Dame will be getting paid his last season of his deal. It also gives them a couple potential trade asset for more depth with Zeke and MPJ, should they want to go superstar hunting or just replenish their picks. And oddly enough, I think that MPJ would fit in better with Giannis and the Bucks play style more so than it does in Denver, he just has to get more consistent and become more than a spot up shooter. But the biggest thing is the youth they bring in to compete with the Celtics, Knicks, Pacers, Orlando and another surprise team or two that we’re not expecting right now.
Thoughts? Craziness? Unlikely to happen but a good fit for both teams? Love to hear feedback!
by taylor859
12 Comments
sure, it sucks that the Bucks had the first round exit and began the offseason early than anyone would have liked, but this kind of utter absurdity only possible during the offseason is where the Bucks sub really shines
Sorry it looks like you put a lot of thought into this but mega-pass
Bro typed up a 15 chapter fully annotated novel like we’re gonna read about this dumb ass trade neither team would accept
Definitely not reading your explanation cause this is fucking idiotic
2 teams that recently won a chip aren’t going to trade basically their entire cores outside of star players. Also Middleton in any trade won’t really work because no team will value him anywhere near what he brings to the Bucks due to his chemistry with Giannis.
least insane stupid offseason trade post
Came up with 2 whole narratives to explain a trade that would be so far out of left-field for both teams lmao
lol no
Now hear me out what if two teams just trade their whole roster with each other.
On a more serious note. There would be no reason for the Nuggets to be upset about their roster construction even if they lose to the TWolves. Won a chip a year ago and have a core that’s in their primes. They already have financial flexibility and would actually sacrifice that picking up much larger contracts.
Thoughts – erase this shit
Nah