Comments on: Yi for Brandan Wright and a First Rounder? No Thanks, I’d Rather Keep My Team.

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:54:36 +0000

I agree that Yi isn’t 20 but pretty much all the evidence points to him being born in October 1984, making him 23 now. Either way I agree that we can’t expect him to make steady progress for the next few seasons–if he’s not a productive player by next season then I’d probably try to ship him out stat.

Also, my impression was that jersey sales are part of the bigger revenue sharing pot and individual teams don’t benefit directly from their own players’ sales, except to the extent that they’re sold at the team’s arena.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:40:09 +0000

If the whole thing about his age is correct, make the move. I agree, that if Yi doesn’t make an impact on the Olympics, the franchise would take yet another hit in the gut. Don’t even get me started on arena financing….

By: Smitty

Smitty — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:23:46 +0000

Great Analysis. I would agree that a winning team would be the easiest way to keep the team here. I agree with some of the others thinking that keeping Yi is too much of a gamble than trading for Wright and the 14th pick. The gambles being: 1. He really does suck and won’t get better, good bye Chinese fans (most likely). 2. He develops and team still sucks… Bucks move, owner moves team to more asian populated city.

Based on Yi’s production last year, the offer of a huge upside guy such as Wright AND a 1st round pick might be too much for the Bucks to pass up.

By: lol

lol — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 04:07:51 +0000

Bucks going kill everyone career.

By: swilldog

swilldog — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:49:48 +0000

Yes, Yi is a money-maker. But as Robert noted, a successful team without Yi probably makes as much money as a mediocre team with Yi. And you said it best: Yi makes the team money so long that he has star appeal in China. If he doesn’t retain that luster, then the Bucks would be left with a mediocre team AND a poor bottom line.

Of course, Yi could become a better player — it certainly took Yao a little while to get up to speed, and I think it’s only fair that we afford Yi that same luxury. It will be interesting to see how he fairs in the Olympics.

Another thing to think about: If your concern is keeping the Bucks in Milwaukee, then consider that a money-earning Yi could actually make it MORE appealing to a future owner to move the team to a different city. Getting Yi into a larger market would be an immediate boon — a new environment would draw new interest, especially if it were a larger market.

Bottom line: The Bucks need to be a winner to remain in Milwaukee in the current NBA structure, Yi or no Yi. If the team’s finances hinge on whether Yi can bring in sufficient revenue, then that’s putting an awfully large number of eggs into one basket.

By: MIL-ILL

MIL-ILL — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:16:16 +0000

Excellent analysis! Trading Yi will not bring in the talent necessary to take us to the play-offs so we might as well keep him and take advantage of the marketing profits. Chad Ford’s speculation on the trade is just journalistic filler. I’m sure Golden State covets Yi just like every other NBA team who wants to make money off of him. Besides, with a new coaching staff, perhaps he can be better. My only concern with this kind of foreign player (one who is ‘required’ to take on national duties) is that they never rest and are extremely tired at the end of the season – and not to mention INJURY PRONE (cough Yao cough).

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:24:52 +0000

I understand that generating profit is the only way to keep the Bucks in Milwaukee, but the easiest way to do that is to bring a winning team back to Milwaukee. I like Yi and think he’ll probably be alright in the long run. Yao wasn’t dominant in either of his first two seasons and got a ton of traveling calls leading to people questioning his understanding of the speed of the NBA game, but Wright is exactly the kind of power forward we need next to Bogut. He’s athletic, long, a good defender (a necessity, especially on the current team) and impacts the game outside the box score. He’s a project but has tremendous upside and is relatively inexperienced after only one year at UNC and playing for Nellie doesn’t really count as a rookie year (for obvious reasons). His upside is tremendous and I have heard little debate about the kind of player he’ll probably be, just how long it will take him to get there. After Horford was taken with the 3rd pick last year, the best player available was Brandan Wright. I didn’t mind the Yi pick, but Wright would have been the best pick and picking up an additional early draft pick in this deal would be an absolute can’t-miss steal.