Milwaukee Bucks: Buyers Or Sellers At The NBA Trade Deadline?
At the NBA Trade Deadline, the Milwaukee Bucks have a record of 25-30, just one game out of the playoffs. Does that make them buyers or sellers at the deadline?
It hasn’t been a great season for the Milwaukee Bucks so far, but it is also hard to say it has been a disappointment. The fans have been privileged to see Giannis Antetokounmpo make his first All-Star Game, Malcolm Brogdon in the running for the Rookie of the Year, and the return of Khris Middleton. Then, there is also the ACL injury suffered by Jabari Parker to put a damper on the excitement.
Yet, there have been several names tossed around regarding the Bucks and the trade deadline. With a record teetering on making the playoffs, it will be interesting to see what the team does in regards to either chasing that playoff berth and maybe making a run, or dumping some players in the hope of returning assets such as young players or draft picks.
On the whole, and I know that Bucks’ fans might not like this, it is probably the best move to join the “selling” group of teams at the deadline.
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To be honest, even if the Bucks can land a great deal for a solid contributor, what difference is it truly going to make this season? Should the Bucks make the playoffs, it would likely be as the seventh or eighth seed, and trying to take down a team like the Cavaliers, Celtics, Wizards, or Raptors in a seven-game series is very difficult.
Even with Giannis playing at such a high level right now, the team moniker is still “Own the Future.” Why risk losing that future for a chance to make a run to the second round at best this season? The team has already lost Jabari Parker for the season and he’s clearly a large part of the plans for the future.
In addition, the Bucks spent their 10th overall pick on Thon Maker this past offseason, which shows that the team is still very much in building mode, at least until Maker can be counted on to be an above-average player at his position. This was, I might add, just a year after selecting another youngster in Rashad Vaughn, who although doesn’t present the potential as Maker, was definitely a project coming out of college to mold into the Milwaukee system.
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If the team is to continue with their plan of working towards a future, there are two very logical plans that could be in action for the Bucks. First, the team is clearly working to develop a roster that can grow together for multiple years as they rise through the Eastern Conference.
With this, it would be prudent to try and find their future starters at positions that are currently available. With Middleton, Giannis, Jabari, and Thon already on the roster, that lone position is at point guard, even with Matthew Dellevadova and Malcolm Brogdon already available.
In accordance with finding players for that potential team of the future, looking to acquire further assets, such as draft picks, would make sense. Even if those picks are only in the second round, the Bucks have shown to be successful in that round, specifically with Malcolm Brogdon this past summer.
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As the chances of making a deep run in the playoffs seem rather low, and the current team dynamic is still looking toward the future, being a “seller” at the trade deadline would make sense.