League sources who spoke with Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times believe Bucks GM John Hammond will either be fired or resign soon, and people close to the team tell Woelfel that coach Jason Kidd is also on shaky ground. The news on Kidd jibes with a February report from The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski indicating that Kidd was losing his influence with Bucks owners in the wake of player personnel moves that haven’t panned out. Kidd has exerted control over the composition of the roster, as Woelfel told Hoops Rumors earlier this season.
Some around the league speculate that Hammond will end up with the Pelicans, who’ve long been linked to Joe Dumars, Hammond’s former boss, Woelfel hears. The Bucks signed Hammond to an extension this past September that carries through next season, which is also the last on Kidd’s deal. Lottery-bound Milwaukee has disappointed this year and can finish no better than 35-47 after last season’s 41-41 record.
Woelfel indicates the Bucks plan to shop Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams this summer, though it’s unclear if that plan would persist if neither Hammond nor Kidd is around to execute it. The Bucks reportedly had talks with the Pelicans about Monroe before the trade deadline, and Wojnarowski heard Bucks owners vetoed a would-be trade with the Pelicans that Kidd was spearheading, though it’s unclear if that would have involved Monroe.
Monroe was supposed to be the breakthrough free agent that would make other free agents want to come to Milwaukee. If they trade him after one season, it will make other free agents hesitant about joining the Bucks.
Milwaukee should be careful about blowing up the team after a disappointing season. They made an unusually higher jump last year, even with Monroe, the expectations were too high. They were never going to go to 45-50 wins as a lot of people expected.
The front office traded away a lot veterans in the off-season last year and the bench this year was mostly injured throughout the year. I’d recommend being patient. In last years draft, no one though Winslow was going to fall to #10 in the draft, many thought he’d go #4 to NYK. The Bucks are currently slotted to pick #10 this year, lets see how the draft goes, and see if another good player drops. Then spend your available cap space toward shoring up the bench. Also, Jabari will be another year removed from an ACL injury and should be back to normal.
Kidd got a big head, cuz team he inherited played well. Trying to be GM he masterminded the trades that were just plain awful. Only saving grace for him is the core and to re fit pieces around them. But this time let the GM do his job and stop trying to pull a coup to get to front office. Didn’t work in NY think Bucks ownership is on to him now
Fortunately for them, with the #10 pick they can get either Henry Ellenson if he falls, or Diamond Stone if they want to reach. Both are from Wisconsin.
Foolish. Upgrade the bench and the Bucks will be fine. Have to figure out the glut in the front court. Henson, Plumlee, and Monroe cannot all 3 be on the same roster, cant play 2 of them together.