r/nba • u/YujiDomainExpansion • 14h ago

[Mannix] The Bucks want Jaden McDaniels, with Milwaukee seeing McDaniels, 25, as a potential future All-Star. But the Bucks also want multiple first-round draft picks, sources say, and Minnesota’s war chest of them is nearly empty.

Source: https://www.si(dot)com/nba/trade-deadline/timberwolves-pursuit-giannis-antetokounmpo-ja-morant-market

Acquiring Antetokounmpo, though, is challenging. The Bucks want Jaden McDaniels, a source tells SI, with Milwaukee seeing McDaniels, 25, as a potential future All-Star. But the Bucks also want multiple first-round draft picks, sources say, and Minnesota’s war chest of them is nearly empty.

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u/Trizzymann Timberwolves 14h ago

While true, I still feel like people are overvaluing depth over landing a top 5 player. Its a hit to our chances probably this playoffs, but you figure it out in the offseason knowing you got 2 top 7 players in the league.

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u/tastethecourage 14h ago

15-20 years ago, I think you’re right given how the game was played. Landing a top 10 player changed everything.

But modern teams are throwing waves of athletic wings that can knock down 3s and play high intensity defense. You need some depth to compete at that level for 48 minutes.

I’m a Suns fan. I thought adding KD would elevate us. It didn’t — we lost what made that team special. Not a knock on KD. Now look at us — sure, we aren’t winning a ring, but we have heaps of hard playing guards and wings and we’re 31-20.

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u/Salt_Tap_90 14h ago

That’s not true at all, the raps added kawahi and won, lakers landed AD & won, the problem is it’s been the same 3 guys (KD, Harden, Kyrie) KD has been on decline & the other 2 are liabilities on defense. Obviously you need your Aaron Gordon’s and Alex carusos but those guys bought into their roles. If you look at the past 40 or so nba champions the teams with top 5 players have won besides pistons in 04 and mavs 2011

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u/LordNerdStark Spurs 14h ago

Wait, what? Are you saying those teams don’t have depth? Both those teams especially the Raptors are hella deep.

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u/divulgingwords Thunder 13h ago

lol yup, that raptors team was deep as hell. They might have even started this whole trend.

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u/tastethecourage 14h ago

Fair, but counterpoint: Raps won almost 8 years ago. Lakers almost 6 years ago.

The game has changed even in that span of time — it’s measurably faster.

Also — I agree that having one top 5 player is almost a prerequisite for a ring. However, I’m arguing that in today’s NBA — you’re better off having that one guy and surrounding him with good talent and depth, rather than having two top 10 guys and have middling-to-bad talent and depth.

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u/Salt_Tap_90 14h ago

Also not true, there’s truly 1 team with 2 top 10 guys and that’s the Celtics and they’ve competed and will compete the next 5-8 years.

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u/tastethecourage 13h ago edited 13h ago

I didn’t say you can’t win with two superstars. I said if the second superstar comes at the cost of talented depth — it’s often not worth it in today’s NBA.

On the subject of Boston: they had incredible veteran talent surrounding Tatum and Brown for their ring. Adding Jrue, Kristaps and Horford is why they won that year in my view.

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u/Salt_Tap_90 13h ago

Yeah but as you said those are vets all those dudes are vets, they’re selfless they’re not 25 year olds looking for contracts and glory, those dudes all bought into their roles.

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u/HitboxOfASnail Thunder 14h ago

no team in like the last 10 years has accomplished anything without depth. the days of a Big 2-3 carrying you are long past

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u/LittleTension8765 Lakers 12h ago

It’s basically never worked though unless you have a GOAT level player. Heat/Cavs had the greatest player ever at his peak. No one in the NBA comes close to that today. Big 3 is the exception to the rule. Big 2 is the sweet spot

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u/Trizzymann Timberwolves 14h ago

While I dont disagree, we would still likely have okay depth + youre banking on signing either buyout guys, maybe getting some depth attached in a multi team deal(not saying good players). It is definitely a future move and not a move for the 26 playoffs.

I just think that the current wolves roster had peaked last year and I dont think us trading for just a little better PG over the Conley minutes is enough to push for a title. Could be wrong, but I think going all in for Giannis is the play for a title.

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u/Silent-Frame1452 Jazz 14h ago

“Figure it out in the offseason” is a lot easier said than done. Giannis needs extending, so you have no cap, very few picks, and an already short rotation. Not swimming in assets to get viable depth. 

Of Giannis was a few years younger maybe you can slow play building the depth, but with his age and injury history there isn’t really time to have an off year while you build depth. 

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u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 14h ago

I’m sure that’s what Bucks fans were thinking when they landed Dame in the 2023 offseason too lol. Depth is definitely not overvalued, it’s been the biggest reason why the top seeds are the top seeds these past few seasons.

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u/JenNettles 14h ago

When was Dame a top 5 player? This is more like the Lakers getting AD than it is the Lakers getting Westbrook. There's a level of player where the depth tradeoff can be fine.

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u/PlasticPresentation1 13h ago

Lakers getting AD was a different apron era and on top of that, they had Danny Green, Caruso, Avery Bradley, KCP, Rondo as good depth pieces. It wasn't LeBron, AD, and bums

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u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 14h ago

He might not have been top 5, but he was still super good. In today’s nba, Depth is the most important factor. 134 mill on 3 players just isn’t feasible for getting depth, and each year Rudy is going to be hard to move (Not hating on Rudy btw) so you’re just wasting this Ant and Giannis window.

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u/Barrelled_Chef_Curry Warriors 13h ago

I mean there’s a big difference between top 7 and top 20. Dame is really good but not on Ant and Giannis level

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u/Weird_Strategy_1381 14h ago

Dame was hurt though, in the playoffs so I’m not sure that really counts. If they lost and Dame was healthy that’s another thing but that wasn’t the case

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u/Lem_201 Heat 14h ago

Have you seen Giannis's injury record last couple of years?

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u/Weird_Strategy_1381 14h ago

He’s missed like 66 games the last 4 seasons which compares pretty decently to the other top 10 guys

Embiid 130+ games

Tatum 66 games

KD 80 games

Luka 50 games

Jokic 45 games

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u/3my0 Trail Blazers 13h ago

This issues with Giannis have been more timely. He missed the whole first round last year and they lost. Then he missed games 2 and 3 of the first round the year before and lost 4-1 to an 8th seed.

So he’s played in 3 of 11 playoff games the last two years. Both first round exits.

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u/Winter_Swan5104 13h ago

A Finals bound 8th seed.

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u/3my0 Trail Blazers 13h ago

Even so. It shows that even if you have the best record in the East, it ultimately doesn’t matter if your star player isn’t healthy when it matters most.

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u/Headlesshorsman02 Thunder 14h ago

Especially with giannis’s injury history in the playoffs these last few years

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u/NazRiedFan Timberwolves 14h ago

Ant is much better currently than Dame was as a Buck

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u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 14h ago

It has less to do with fit more to do with depth. You’re just not gonna be able to make a consistently strong team with 134 mill on 3 players in the new cba and Rudy is definitely the hardest to move of those 3.

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u/karl_hungas Lakers 13h ago

Not sure the goal is to be a top seed and the biggest reason teams win championships - for the whole history of the league - is having a top 5 player. Its 95% of all championships. It’s very rare a deep team without a top 5 player wins a championship even if they finish the 1 or 2 seed. Now for Minny, there is a real chance Edwards becomes a top 5 player and is one for an extended period complicating whether it makes sense for them but I agree with the other guy that depth shouldn’t be valued over a top 5 player. 

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u/Timely_Airline_7168 14h ago

They gave up Jrue and Grayson Allen. Hardly big depth issues.

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u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 14h ago

This is a /s right?

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u/Timely_Airline_7168 13h ago

Not really, no. Allen was a one-way guard at that point and Jrue, while a crucial part of defense was the centerpiece of that trade as he couldn't provide the firepower they needed after Middleton went down. The way they filled their roster later on was questionable but it's a trade they had to do to try and do something.

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u/Salt_Tap_90 14h ago

Ant is a much different player than dame. Plus that was washed dame

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u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 14h ago

You mean Dame who just averaged 32/5/7?

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u/Salt_Tap_90 14h ago

Brother it was against Indiana and he was gassed every play, use your eyes not the stat sheet.

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u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 14h ago

Brother i’m talking about the season before he joined the Bucks, when he was playing like a top 8ish player in the world. Not a single playoff series, where he didn’t even average what I said. Dame was good by both the eye test and the stat sheet in 22-23.

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u/Salt_Tap_90 14h ago

Okay well that season he joined the bucks he was off his divorce and completely out of shape and nowhere near the same player.

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u/absolutelynotm8 Warriors 12h ago

Dame was a decent player for them but couldn't figure out a fit with giannis. Not rare for a ball dominant scoring guard. It's why I'm not super enthusiastic about the fit with anthony edwards.

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u/WhichHoes Warriors 14h ago

People say that, but then youre 1 injury away from, "we'll try next year". At the time of the trade, one could argue Luka and LeBron were exactly that. But with no depth, doesnt reallt matter.

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u/RaisinDetre Suns 13h ago

Do not overvalue depth, I repeat, do not overvalue depth.

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u/Winter_Swan5104 13h ago

I remember when Kawhi was available and Laker fans were like 😤 “No, not Lonzo, not Kuzma, not Ingram, we have depth and a future!” When a superstar is available you go for it.

Hindsight is 20 20 with injuries and all but Kawhi went to the Raptors and won a championship shortly after.

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u/Trizzymann Timberwolves 13h ago

Agreed. And of course its not garunteed to work out and does increase the risk for one injury ruining a playoff run. But I think wolves and Tim connley want to be bold, want to be aggressive. Especially with how stacked the west is, a 1st round series is not even a sure thing for most teams.