NBA Season/Playoffs 2025-26

[SparzWizard]

The Miami Heat have reportedly made a trade offer to the Milwaukee Bucks to bring superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to South Beach.

According to veteran NBA reporter Gery Woelfel, the Heat have made a trade offer to the Bucks for Antetokounmpo that includes Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, the 13th overall pick in this year's NBA draft, and two future first-round picks.

It remains to be seen if the Bucks will accept this offer, but it's a strong offer, and one that Woelfel says makes the Heat the "odds-on favorite to land Antetokounmpo in a trade."

C'mon Brad, make a phone call.

Throw in Jaylen Brown/Sam Hauser and some picks for Milwaukee...topple over Miami's package please

[Who]

How does NBC do the intros and not say if D Harper or D Fox are playing? Instead they were talking about SGA improving from Gm 1 to Gm 2. Jeez.

[Who]

On GSW's pursuit of Giannis

In a recent appearance on 95.7 The Game in the Bay Area, ESPN NBA reporter Anthony Slater gave an update on the Golden State Warriors offseason plan.

Slater said that Golden State doesn't appear to be "big game hunting" this offseason. That includes being high on the list of teams chasing Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

"I think (the Warriors) are not first in line, not second, or third in line really at this point as far as packages that appeal most to Milwaukee," Slater said.

Beyond Antetokounmpo, Slater said the Warriors don't seem to have the "same level of thirst" to go after a superstar. He expects Golden State to add some "mid-prime" players, so that the team doesn't trend towards a roster full of end-of-career veterans and not-ready-yet young players.

Sounds like they are out on Giannis.

Lakers and Giannis

In a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania gave an update on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the possibility he is trading from the Milwaukee Bucks.

"The Lakers expressed interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo at the deadline. Right now, what they'll be able to offer is three first-round picks and cap space, and essentially absorb Giannis's contract," Charania said. "Now, if you're the Bucks, are you just going to trade Giannis to the Lakers for cap space for three first-round picks? My sense is they're going to get better in the marketplace than that. I think there's a bigger appetite than that. And so, time will tell. We'll know in the next six weeks."

In order for the Lakers to create the cap space to acquire Antetokounmpo directly, they'll have to renounce most of their pending free agents. That's a group that includes LeBron James and Rui Hachimura among several others.

The Austin Reaves being a free agent this summer and wrecked the Lakers' chances of getting Giannis. They would have had a great offer otherwise.

Sounds like the Lakers are out too.

[Who]

D Fox is back!

J-Dub is out. They showed a graphic saying OKC is 45-10 without J-Dub on the season (67 win pace) and 6-0 in the playoffs. So OKC would have been 19-8 with J-Dub during the regular season (58 win pace).

Ajay Mitchell will start instead of J-Dub.

Dylan Harper is playing! He will come off the bench.

D Fox will start.

Spurs in shape to take control of this series.

[Who]

Playing without J-Dub when you have SGA going for 31ppg on 65.5% TS is one thing ...

Playing without J-Dub when San Antonio can keep control of SGA and keep his efficiency down is a whole other beast. OKC are in trouble.

OKC needs J-Dub to have any chance in this series.

[Who]

I have yet to see Ajay Mitchell do anything in this series. He is a good driving guard but his outside shot isn't there yet. That isn't good enough against Wemby. Wemby is shutting down the paint. Ajay can't impact the games.

I'd be gettin Ajay minutes whenever Wemby is out of the game. At least then Ajay will have a chance to score.

Furthermore, I disliked how that starting lineup looked with Ajay in place of J-Dub. Ajay is a mediocre 3pt shooter. So SGA. Hartenstein is a non-shooter. It killed their floor spacing. It made it easier for SAS to load up on SGA and shut him down. Ajay can't be the 5th player in that lineup. They need a shooter out there for SGA. Caruso, Cason Wallace, McCain, A Wiggins, I Joe. One of those guys.

This does not look like a series for Ajay Mitchell. But I would give him minutes when Wemby is out to see if they can get him going. If that doesn't work, I'd sit him entirely. They have other guys who offer more in this series.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

The amount of grabbing at Wemby's arms is getting ridiculous, especially when big man Williams gets a touch call and free throws for the same thing.

I love physical defense, and I respect the Thunder for pushing the envelop, but when the game is not officiated by the written rules anymore, and entire obvious calls are being ignored, it becomes caricature of the basketball game I came to love. It's a farce.

[Phantom255x]

Maybe some of it is just the Cavaliers choking + looking bad in Game 2, but watching these Spurs-Thunder games and then basically any East series is like watching a different sport. It's crazy

[Who]

Near midway in Q2. Interesting lineups.

OKC very small lineup

C: Chet
F: Dort
F: SGA
G: McCain
G: Cason Wallace

Dort and SGA are the usual starting guards. So it is a one big (skinny big) and 4 guards lineup. Dort is chunky but he is only 6-3 / 6-4. SGA is 6-6 but skinny.

C: Wemby
F: C Bryant
F: H Barnes
G: S Castle
G: D Harper

San Antonio has size at forward but it is useless size. They do not have the skills to exploit the size advantage on offense. But the two guards San Antonio have are huge at 6-6 210-220lbs. They have a massive advantage inside in the paint. Off of cuts, offensive rebounds, on physical drives.

I'd be keeping Dort on one of those guys. Hiding McCain on C Bryant or H Barnes. C Bryant has looked like a deer in the headlights in this series. No idea what is going on. Great effort on D but clueless otherwise. I don't see San Antonio running any post ups for H Barnes. He mostly just floats around the 3 point line these days.

[Who]

Ajay Mitchell had one good drive. He was able to drive away from Wemby with Wemby on the wrong side of the court to provide good help D and Ajay finished inside.

Everything else has been useless. 1-5 FGA & 2 turnovers.

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OKC are using him as their main creator on offense when SGA gets a rest. They were playing him alongside some combo of guards (Caruso, Cason, McCain) and wings (Dort, I Joe) with 1 big on the floor (Chet or Hartenstein).

That appears to be their non-SGA minutes game-plan. Give Ajay the ball and let him create. He is struggling though.

[Phantom255x]

[Donoghus]

Maybe some of it is just the Cavaliers choking + looking bad in Game 2, but watching these Spurs-Thunder games and then basically any East series is like watching a different sport. It's crazy

Yeah, these games have been on a different level from what we?re seeing in the East.

[radiohead]

The amount of grabbing at Wemby's arms is getting ridiculous, especially when big man Williams gets a touch call and free throws for the same thing.

I love physical defense, and I respect the Thunder for pushing the envelop, but when the game is not officiated by the written rules anymore, and entire obvious calls are being ignored, it becomes caricature of the basketball game I came to love. It's a farce.

It really is frustrating to watch. That?s why I can?t blame Wemby when he does some questionable second motions because of the punishment he is taking.

[Who]

You gotta attack I Joe when he is in the game. He is a weak defender. A small wing. A physically weak player. He can be overpowered and overwhelmed.

Spurs have the guards to attack him in Castle and D Harper. Or the speed of D Fox. They gotta target I Joe and make OKC pay for giving him minutes in this series.

Spurs giving OKC / I Joe a free pass by not attacking him. And I Joe is a big time shooter. He can open up the floor for them on the other end. He is not a guy you want to give a free pass to.

[Who]

Spurs guards are not playing well. They are not creating enough offense for the team.

Wemby is an inconsistent scorer. He needs his guards to help him through these quiet patches. The guards aren't living up to their obligations. You got three 20pt threats in Fox, Castle, D Harper. All are good playmakers as well. 20pts 5ast threats. They gotta get going.

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D Harper has been invisible. He has one basket. I think that was off an offensive rebound.

Castle has struggled with his shot 1-7 FGA but gotten to the FT line 10-12 FTA to give them some scoring. He has 6ast as well.

Fox has had a few nice drives and finishes but he has not looked good shooting the ball. Unless he can get a layup, he looks afraid to shoot. Only 2ast.

Yep, looked at Fox's shot chart. 1-4 threes. All his 2pt shots have been at the rim. One floater which he missed and 4 layups which he made. Castle's shot chart is similar. 1-4 on threes. 1 missed FT line jumper. Castle has also missed on his 2 drives to the basket. So neither Castle or Fox are giving the Spurs any jump-shooting. Neither is Dylan Harper.

2 made jump-shots from these 3 star guards outside of the paint in 56-57 combined minutes.