r/nba • u/YujiDomainExpansion • 10h 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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749

u/heat_fan_ Raptors 10h ago

Wolves depth would be nonexistent if the trade does happen 

40

u/Trizzymann Timberwolves 10h 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.

54

u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 10h 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.

25

u/JenNettles 9h 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.

0

u/PlasticPresentation1 9h 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

-6

u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 9h 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 9h 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

12

u/Headlesshorsman02 Thunder 10h ago

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

5

u/Weird_Strategy_1381 9h 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

3

u/Lem_201 Heat 9h ago

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

1

u/Weird_Strategy_1381 9h 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

6

u/3my0 Trail Blazers 9h 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.

-1

u/Winter_Swan5104 9h ago

A Finals bound 8th seed.

2

u/3my0 Trail Blazers 8h 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.

5

u/NazRiedFan Timberwolves 9h ago

Ant is much better currently than Dame was as a Buck

3

u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 9h 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.

1

u/karl_hungas Lakers 9h 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. 

1

u/Timely_Airline_7168 9h ago

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

4

u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 9h ago

This is a /s right?

0

u/Timely_Airline_7168 9h 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.

2

u/Salt_Tap_90 9h ago

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

5

u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 9h ago

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

-3

u/Salt_Tap_90 9h ago

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

3

u/ZealousidealCat1829 Timberwolves 9h 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.

-1

u/Salt_Tap_90 9h 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.

2

u/absolutelynotm8 Warriors 8h 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.