Milwaukee Bucks 3 Most Likely Trade Candidates

Highlights

The Milwaukee Bucks need to make big moves to contend around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Brook Lopez’s declining rim protection makes him a trade possibility for the Bucks.
Pat Connaughton’s decline in shooting and age jeopardizes Milwaukee’s offense and perimeter defense.

Coming off three disappointing seasons after hoisting their first Larry O’Brien trophy in 50 years in 2020-21, the Milwaukee Bucks should have a newfound sense of urgency to rebuild an aging roster back to contention.

As weird as it sounds, Giannis Antetokounmpo is entering his age-30 season this year and is no longer one of the young superstars in the league.

Because of this, there has been a lot of pressure on Milwaukee in recent offseasons to make big moves to upgrade their roster to satisfy a potentially unhappy Antetokounmpo.

This culminated in their mega-deal to acquire Damian Lillard by trading Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers , which has looked pretty rough through one season as Holiday just helped the Boston Celtics win a title while the Bucks flamed out in the first round of the playoffs.

Although the Bucks can credibly blame each of their last three postseason exits on injuries to Khris Middleton , Antetokounmpo and Lillard, they shouldn’t expect any difference as their roster gets even older, and the fanbase is getting impatient.

If Milwaukee wants to rejoin the championship-contending tier of teams and challenge Boston in the East, they must make another big trade.

Here are the three players who may likely be on the way out.

1 Brook Lopez

Lopez is an excellent player but is expensive and aging quickly

Brook Lopez has been a massive part of the Bucks’ ascension to championship contention over the past six seasons and remains a crucial piece to what they hope to do next season.

He is still one of the league’s best rim protectors (albeit declining), provides some scoring pop and stretches the floor better than most big men.

Just a year ago, in 2022-23, Lopez was second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and made the All-NBA Defensive First Team. He anchored the NBA’s fourth-best defense in Milwaukee’s patented drop coverage that forces opponents to beat them with pull-up shotmaking, something most teams don’t have nearly enough of talent to do.

While Lopez is still a key part of the Bucks’ formula, two things must be acknowledged: Milwaukee is now an average defensive team at best, and he is declining rapidly with age. His premier rim protection has taken a step down, and he is more of a liability on the perimeter in switches than ever, giving Milwaukee diminishing returns on his $23 million contract.

Brook Lopez and the Milwaukee Bucks Defensive Decline

Season

DFG%

Bucks Def. Rank

Playoff Def. Rank

2020-21

45.2

9th

1st

2021-22

41.9

14th

1st

2022-23

46.0

4th

15th

2023-24

47.7

19th

14th

His contract will expire after this season, meaning Milwaukee may be able to find trade suitors for Lopez who are both rebuilding and want to shed salary or squads that are close to contention and just need more size at the rim.

Unfortunately, a prime trade partner disappeared off the list when the starving-for-size Oklahoma City Thunder signed blossoming center Isaiah Hartenstein away from the New York Knicks two weeks ago.

If Milwaukee decides to trade Lopez, the team desperately needs to change its identity and playstyle to rejoin the top of the league.

The playoffs have proven that teams must have multiple athletes on the perimeter who can defend, dribble, shoot and compete in the physical areas of the game, and the Bucks are severely lacking those players.

If the Bucks are to rise to the level that Antetokounmpo deserves again, they must acquire two or three of these types of guys. Lopez would be a perfect asset to use.

2 Bobby Portis

Portis is still a useful player, but Milwaukee needs to reconfigure its team

A common theme usually surfaces in these kinds of lists. Players appear, through absolutely no fault of their own, because their contracts are much more useful to another team than their current squad. Bobby Portis is the perfect example of this, as he has been an excellent player for the Bucks and just seems to be getting better every year, but could be more effectively used elsewhere and Milwaukee desperately needs a different type of player.

Portis had a career year in 2023-24, averaging stellar numbers of 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds on 50.8 percent shooting from the field and 40.7 percent from three in just 24.5 minutes per game.

For the second straight season, Portis finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting for his incredible play off the bench.

The Perfect Sixth-Man (Bobby Portis Bucks Stats)

Seasons

PPG

RPG

3P%

GS

2021-2024

13.5

8.3

40.3

92/290

While having a sixth man who can reliably give you 14 points a night off the bench and be the catalyst for your second unit is very valuable, Milwaukee needs athletic guards and wings who can improve its defense and speed.

Portis has done a lot in his four years with the Bucks, but they may have to cash in on his value as a player and his $12.6 million contract that could expire after this season (player option in 2025-26).

Milwaukee could feasibly package both Lopez and Portis for a better-fitting star or two solid role players who can improve their team’s makeup.

3 Pat Connaughton

It might be time for the 31-year-old to move on

A trade chip that will have much less notoriety than the two Bucks big men but could be just as valuable in a deal is Pat Connaughton and his $9.4 million contract for next season and player option in 2025-26.

Connaughton was a huge part of the 2021 championship team and has had some nice moments with the Bucks but has been a declining player for a couple of years now.

Once a dead-eye shooter with some sneaky athleticism, Connaughton’s accuracy from deep has waned, throwing his weaknesses into sharper focus as he ages on the wrong side of 30.

Pat Connaughton Declining Numbers

Season

PPG

3PA

3P%

MPG

2020-21

6.8

3.9

37.1

22.8

2021-22

9.9

5.7

39.5

26.0

2022-23

7.6

5.3

33.9

23.7

2023-24

5.6

3.1

34.5

22.1

Connaughton also contributes heavily to the Bucks’ most significant problem: slow foot speed on the perimeter.

He becomes nearly unplayable next to a lineup of four other guys, such as Lillard, Middleton, Lopez and Antetokounmpo (who is a sneaky poor point-of-attack defender).

When he is out there with those four or Portis, they don’t have a single guy who can defend the ball competently, which makes beating the top of the East nearly impossible.

When you consider how the Celtics just won the title, with five guys who must be guarded on the perimeter, it becomes absurd to expect Milwaukee to have a chance of winning a seven-game series against them, no matter how spectacular Antetokounmpo and Lillard are offensively.

When you add in the Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers , who have seemingly endless numbers of versatile offensive players, Milwaukee is fourth in the conference at best.

Trading one, two or three of these guys for several players who fit better in the modern NBA would be a saving grace for Antetokounmpo’s final chapter in Milwaukee.

The Bucks have the right contracts to do it, and now they must get it done.

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Publish date : 2024-07-17 15:32:00

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