3. Draft night drama
Milwaukee Sent: Stephon Marbury
Minnesota Sent: Ray Allen and 1998 First Round Pick (Rasho Nesterovic)
The NBA draft is always one of the more dramatic nights in terms of player movement on the NBA calendar, and in 1996, the Bucks pulled off one of the finest deals in franchise history.
With a stacked draft class Milwaukee was scheduled to pick fifth overall, but the Timberwolves who picked sixth were so eager to get their man that they pulled the trigger on a deal which worked out fantastically for the Bucks.
Milwaukee picked Stephon Marbury on behalf of Minnesota, and returning the favor Minnesota not only picked Ray Allen for the Bucks with the next pick, but they also sent a 1998 first rounder for good measure.
Allen would go on to become one of the greatest Bucks in franchise history, playing a key role in the team’s success under George Karl. To this day the trade that saw him sent to Seattle years later remains difficult for Bucks fans to talk about, but the deal that landed him in Milwaukee can’t be questioned.
An interesting detail with the pick that passed hands is that the Bucks ended up trading it back to Minnesota in exchange for Andrew Lang.
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