Milwaukee Bucks: Trade season, why Jabari Parker is key to championship hopes

Fitting the timeline

Going forward, the Bucks are going to need a star that’s similar in age to Antetokounmpo.

The hope would be to have a true second star on the roster, who could grow and develop alongside the two-time All-Star as he continues to flourish in his own career. Parker is a perfect fit for that kind of All-Star trajectory, as he turns 23, the same age as Antetokounmpo, in mid-March.

As it stands, given their age, there’s no other player on the roster you can trust to develop toward being a true, multiple-time All-Star, and someone capable of being the second best player on a championship team. But Parker, with his offensive skill-set and unique combination of size, strength, and speed, can at the very least be a player that truly pressures opposing defenses.

Parker’s health will always be a concern, and his defense probably will too. It might be painful for the Bucks if things don’t pan out with the former second overall pick, but there’s ways the Bucks can work around those issues.

Simply put, the Bucks just don’t have any other options, and that’s not to say Parker is a bad option. Milwaukee’s complicated cap situation means no star is coming in free agency, and if any other team has a star that’s about Giannis’ age, the Bucks don’t really have the trade piece to acquire them.

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The bottom line is, if the Bucks want to win a championship, they need a second star. With any luck, that’ll be Jabari Parker.