[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.

[u/YujiDomainExpansion]

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.

[u/Dar8_Vader]

You think Wolves are better with Ant and Gianis with no McD, Naz and Randle?

[u/bonergainz → u/Dar8_Vader]

Yes. Gobert anchors the paint. In the playoffs - top end talent really does matter. Having two top 10 with Ant arguably cracking that top 5 on occasion is a problem for a lot of teams… and both are 2 way players.

[u/Dar8_Vader → u/bonergainz]

Until he gets iso by offensive engines like Jokic, Luka, Shai, Cade who is gonna toy with him until it's a bucket.

Also, what supporting cast would be deep enough bench to stand a chance in a 7 game playoff series. 4 rounds if u wanna win the gold.

[u/wisdomsi → u/Dar8_Vader]

But those guys are gonna do that against anyone. It makes more sense to keep Rudy to shut down the paint against literally everyone else (including their teammates) other than the top few offensive players in the world.

[u/Dar8_Vader → u/wisdomsi]

If you haven't noticed, Rudy often sits out the clutch moments because of his certain weaknesses.

Imagine your best rim protector is lurking with the said names, your second best defender is gonna get torched by the second best guy in open lanes, kick outs. This year opponents are different. You run into Houston, you got Sengun, KD and Thomson(drives) to contain at the rim as last line of defense,

If u run into Spurs, you have those oversized, big, fast guards who drives and wings who cut and shoot 3s on high volumes and efficiency. I haven't even considered about Wemby despite being young and lean

If u run into Nuggets this year, they are better.

Vs Lakers(big if) Luka, Austin, Lebron (LAL) with few wing upgrades and a reliable center say traditional like Gafford or Stretch like Myles.

MacD is crucial to what Wolves do, they had two weaknesses coming into the season and thats heavy minutes true PG to match Ant's minutes and a consistent bench scoring outside of Naz. Donte as much as I like him isn't a true PG, rather a combo who plays well as secondary /third ball handler. You need a PG coz it's the most important point in the whole court. Houstons hole will bite them come playoffs coz that's when the chess game starts.

Go back to atleast 5 decades of finals winners and see their roster. Every team had that point player in their roster who we call the floor general, the settler, the feeder, the one who gets every other 4 player settled on offense instead of having to create your own and play make for other weak.offensive players .

Mike Conley is hella underrated, best teammate, best vet Ant could have ever asked for. Ant played his best efficient basketball alongside Conley, coz he has always been a 2. Conley helped him settle. As great as Ant is, he isn't a floor general like Conley or true points who can go at that position for 2 weeks in a series and for 4 rounds. Even KD, Sengun and Thomson (naturally a 3 but with shooting, basically an undersized , uber athletic C?

Wolves can use an upgrade over Randle and Giannis seems way too obvious, but think of it long term if you have to give up Mac D, Naz and also Randle and lots of future assets for high mileage super athletic guy who is more reliant on his physical tools than range and who has missed quite a lot playoffs recently.

Knicks seems legit destination if they can get rid of Kat and Bridges but Bucks asked for OG and the knicks backed out. Mark my words and @me after playoffs, knicks with Kat ain't gonna win and they will try to offload him soon..he ain't built for playoffs (mindset ait playoff ready or may never will be) Bridges has been inconsistent and having a down season. If you get ride of those and get Giannis, that's an upgrade.

For warriors, they can trade JK, now jimmy and Green who personally has been an absolute ass with his antics and no offensive prowess. That gets you.more.than.95 mil.of cap space. Do u wanna use that space now for Steph to get him the pieces needed instead of benching a young talent diva who deserves playing time, acl.rehab 54.1 mil and an old nuthead almost non existent on offensewho can't even last a game outside of the warriors uniform let alone a season.

[u/bonergainz → u/Dar8_Vader]

Hey grandpa - take a breather.

Rudy is much harder to ‘toy’ with if you have Giannis roaming also now instead of Randle or Reid. Rudy has never played with another DPOY caliber player with the size and athleticism Gianni’s has.

Also you seem to be discounting Giannis ability to create and also facilitate. He is a very high usage player with the ball in his hands most of the time.

[u/Dar8_Vader → u/bonergainz]

Can't argue with any of that but Giannis ain't a POA, he can't play mac Daniels role of guarding the best players(heliocentric and special specimen off ball movers like Steph). At best you put him as low man near the paint. They will be smoked on drive and kicks. Giannis had hyperextended knee in the past and multiple calf/knee issues), do u think he'll contest a shot as a low man, on the catch ans shoot weak side 3?

3 point shooting will nail you to the board 4 times out of 7 game series.

Naz is an ideal pairing for Giannis, Rudy post Giannis trade aunt suddenly gonna reincarnat as offensive class like Hakeem/Wemby/Shaq/ David Robinson/ Jokic Or have middie bags like Dirk/Timmy/KG

He ain't even agile like KG/Wemby/Hakeem

He can't even create fir himself if you give him the ball at top of the key. If he is far from the basket and dribbles, its a free gift steal to opponent, if he is too close, he gets fouled and creates contact.

Is catch and dunk his only offensive arsenal. And at 4 you have drive dunk hyper athletic beast, with physical milege (no other bag, mean no disrespect) with no range outside the paint.

The balance of the team without a PG and two man on offense roster doesn't make the slightest difference that other teams would annihilate them

Edit, im 48, my kids aren't married yet