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Milwaukee Bucks: Trading John Henson would be good for both parties

By Ti Windisch

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 12: John Henson #31 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball against the Boston Celtics on April 12, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 12: John Henson #31 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball against the Boston Celtics on April 12, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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In addition to helping out the Milwaukee Bucks, a John Henson trade would likely be good for the big man as well.

John Henson has had a rough Milwaukee Bucks career. Henson went from potential-filled youngster to perpetual benchwarmer far too quickly, and it honestly sucks. Henson seems like a really cool dude, and his length and shot-blocking ability is no joke.

Despite those things, though, Henson hasn’t had a great time with the Bucks. After averaging over 26 minutes and 11 points per game in 2013-14, he’s failed to hit 20 minutes per game or 10 points per game since. In a reduced role, Henson’s effectiveness has been reduced as well.

This last season was the worst of Henson’s career. After averaging at least four blocks per 36 minutes in each of the last two seasons, Captain Hook swatted just 2.5 shots per 36 in 2016-17. He scored less per 36 than he ever had before, and his field goal percentage was as low as it’s been since his rookie season.

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To be blunt, John Henson took a step back in 2016-17, and there doesn’t seem to be much reason to expect an uptick in production next season. Mostly because the minutes for Henson just don’t appear to be in Milwaukee’s rotation.

Aside from random bursts of Jason Kidd just throwing a certain substance at the wall to see if it’d stick, Henson lost most, if not all, of his minutes by the end of the 2016-17 regular season. Greg Monroe was certainly better all season, and the emergence of Thon Maker caused the center minutes to dry up quickly.

With Thon starting and Moose serving as a super-sub from the bench, Henson found himself without a role to play on the Bucks. Teams need third centers in case of injury, but Henson is not making third center money. That’s been covered plenty, especially here at Behind the Buck Pass.

What’s not been covered as much is what’s good for Henson. It’s clear at this point his contract makes him a negative asset for Milwaukee — dumping him without having to pay, either the dollars left on the deal or the draft picks it might cost for a team to trade for him, is something the Bucks would likely jump on.

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From the other side of things, Henson likely wouldn’t mind a change of scenery either. Without a chance to play in the foreseeable future, why would Henson want to stick around just to warm the bench and hear about how bad his deal ended up being for the Bucks? He’s likely not going to say anything like that out loud, given the way he’s carried himself thus far in his NBA career, but it certainly makes sense for John Henson to be open to a trade that moved him somewhere else.

Especially if that somewhere else finally gave him the keys to the starting lineup for an extended period of time. This season was the most looks in the starting lineup Henson ever got, with him starting 39 games. In his previous four seasons he’d never started more than 23 times.

His lack of success in the starting lineup this past season isn’t a positive sign to be sure, but the two years before it saw Henson have great success in a bench role. Maybe that’s his best fit in the NBA, or maybe starting on a different team could see Henson get back to the success he found previously.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks: Rookie expectations need to be managed

Either way, right now neither the starting spot nor a sizable bench role seem to be open in Milwaukee’s center rotation, meaning a trade might make both sides happy.

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