Milwaukee Bucks: Grades and reactions for the George Hill trade

The Milwaukee Bucks landed George Hill as part of a larger trade to create future salary cap flexibility on Friday, but was it a good deal?

The Milwaukee Bucks certainly haven’t pushed all of their chips to the center of the table just yet, but if they were previously playing with their hands tied behind their back, a surprising blockbuster trade on Friday has at least allowed them to wriggle free from those restraints.

As reported by a wide variety of reporters and outlets prior to the Bucks’ Friday loss to the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee was at the center of a three-team trade that shakes up the depth elements of their roster, provides much greater financial flexibility in the next two summers, and will also leave the draft stocks even more bare as a result.

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The full rundown of a trade that featured multiple moving pieces was officially confirmed by the Bucks on Friday night:

"“The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired guard George Hill and forward Jason Smith, a 2021 second-round draft pick and cash considerations as part of a three-team trade that includes Cleveland and Washington. Milwaukee sends guard Matthew Dellavedova, center John Henson, a future first-round draft pick and a 2021 second-round draft pick to Cleveland. Washington sends forward Jason Smith, cash considerations and removes the protections placed on the 2020 second-round pick traded in the Jodie Meeks deal to Milwaukee, and a 2022 second-round draft pick to Cleveland. Cleveland sends guard George Hill and a 2021 second-round draft pick to Milwaukee, and forward Sam Dekker to Washington.”"

The Bucks swap out two of their more notable veterans, including Henson, who was the team’s longest tenured player prior to Friday, for two similarly experienced pros, although it’s fair to say that Hill should offer a massive upgrade in terms of what he can offer in the short-term compared to Dellavedova and an injured Henson.

Of course, the deal is about much more than the short-term, though, and therefore requires a lot of unpacking. On that note, let’s dive deeper into the details of the trade.