Milwaukee Bucks Officially Trade Miles Plumlee for Spencer Hawes, Roy Hibbert

The Milwaukee Bucks have officially traded Miles Plumlee to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes.

Just like that, the Milwaukee Bucks’ future cap outlook is drastically different to what it was on Thursday morning.

As first reported by Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN, and followed up with further details from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo’s The Vertical, the Bucks have traded Miles Plumlee to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Spencer Hawes and Roy Hibbert.

In order to create the necessary roster spot to absorb both players, the Bucks also waived local favorite and veteran forward Steve Novak.

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The deal which on the surface seems challenging for a team who was already complaining about potential frontcourt logjams, solves an even bigger issue for Milwaukee in the long-term.

With Plumlee not performing to the standards that the Bucks likely hoped for when they re-signed him to a lucrative four-year, $50 million deal this past summer, this trade provides the team an opportunity to cut their losses by exchanging Plumlee for two players who look set to be free agents this summer.

While it may not do much to the struggling Bucks’ prospects of turning out of their current tailspin of nine losses in their last 10 games, it certainly could have much more positive implications on the team’s financial future.

By virtue of the difference in salaries, the Bucks also come away from this deal with a trade exception.

In a statement released on the team’s official website, Milwaukee Bucks general manager John Hammond was quoted as saying:

"“Spencer and Roy are two proven NBA centers who give us additional depth and versatility in the front court. The trade also gives us future cap flexibility as we continue to shape our roster. Miles and Steve are true professionals both on and off the court, and we wish them all the best.”"

Although early indications suggest that the Bucks are not looking to move Hibbert or Hawes again before the end of their current deal, an already overcrowded rotation at power forward and center will almost certainly guarantee that the Bucks keep their options open in the coming weeks.

Next: The Buck Stops Here Roundtable #9: Mid-Season Review

Standby for the potential of further deals to come.