Dame trade was a fail for the Bucks

[HurricaneDij39]

First, I want to make it known that I hope he can come back from injury and still be a solid NBA player.

That being said… He was a bad culture fit from day one in Milwaukee.

I made it known on this very board during the summer of 2023 that he was not the hot trade commodity that everyone and their mother made him out to be at the time.

Here in 2024-25, the Bucks actually won their last eight regular season games w/o Dame, before making a complete joke of themselves in the playoffs…

With the overall talent level in Milwaukee, there is zero excuse for them to go out in five in the first round… Fire Doc.

The general consensus is you don’t trade a player of Giannis’ caliber unless he demands a trade, but if Houston wows them with an offer this summer, they need to consider all their options…

That is all… The Bucks have done a complete 180 the last four years and have lost their low-drama identity that got them a title in the first place.

 

[trojanfan12]

 

[packerzrule]

I made it known on this very board during the summer of 2023 that he was not the hot trade commodity that everyone and their mother made him out to be at the time.

Really? I personally know a number of Bucks fans who, including me, were not fans of the trade.

And BTW, never a fan of Doc Rivers as a coach either.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

And BTW, never a fan of Doc Rivers as a coach either.

Doc is your main problem. They won a title in spite of him.

 

[MHSL82]

Doc is your main problem. They won a title in spite of him.

What do you mean? He didn’t win a championship with the Bucks. Do you mean the Celtics won one in spite of him?

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

What do you mean? He didn’t win a championship with the Bucks. Do you mean the Celtics won one in spite of him?

Doieee....my bad

 

[trojanfan12]

And BTW, never a fan of Doc Rivers as a coach either.

It's amazing how he keeps getting hired based off of 1 championship that most think was won despite him being the coach. His performance otherwise is pretty mediocre.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Kuz has been very underwhelming but Middleton hasn't been the same guy for years...that is when the Bucks started to regress. Holiday did the dirty work and he helps them last year but it wouldn't have been enough regardless. This year his age is also catching up to him and nagging injuries all year. They had to make some sort of big trade for Giannis. The Bucks were aging and aging hard whether we undo all these trades or not.

 

[tlance]

Kuz has been very underwhelming but Middleton hasn't been the same guy for years...that is when the Bucks started to regress. Holiday did the dirty work and he helps them last year but it wouldn't have been enough regardless. This year his age is also catching up to him and nagging injuries all year. They had to make some sort of big trade for Giannis. The Bucks were aging and aging hard whether we undo all these trades or not.

This is exactly right.

The Bucks window was closing before the Dame trade. That deal was an attempt to lengthen it a couple years.

It did not work.

But the Dame trade was not the reason that the team can’t contend anymore.

 

[shopson67]

This is my shocked face.

 

[packerzrule]

But the Dame trade was not the reason that the team can’t contend ananymore.

So what do you feel the reason is?

 

[logic]

So what do you feel the reason is?

see post #8

 

[tlance]

So what do you feel the reason is?

Yep.

Middleton regression and an aging core.

They didn’t have the pieces around Giannis to be serious contenders before the Dame trade.

 

[packerzrule]

Yep.

Middleton regression and an aging core.

They didn’t have the pieces around Giannis to be serious contenders before the Dame trade.

So true

 

[shopson67]

Yep.

Middleton regression and an aging core.

They didn’t have the pieces around Giannis to be serious contenders before the Dame trade.

...and sacrificing a team first defender for a chucker (albeit very talented) wasn't the path to fix that.

Nightmares of seeing DLo lead the Lakers instead of Caruso come flooding back....(in a b-level example)

 

[Albuquerque Rams]

What do you mean? He didn’t win a championship with the Bucks. Do you mean the Celtics won one in spite of him?

That was Budenholzer. And the Bucks definitely won that title in spite of him.

 

[Albuquerque Rams]

It's amazing how he keeps getting hired based off of 1 championship that most think was won despite him being the coach. His performance otherwise is pretty mediocre.

The fact they needed 7 games to beat a sub-.500 team was enough to say he's overrated.

 

[dtgold88]

Really? I personally know a number of Bucks fans who, including me, were not fans of the trade.

And BTW, never a fan of Doc Rivers as a coach either.

I believe that....there were definitely some thinking it was a trade for name over fit.