Milwaukee Bucks: Grades and reactions for the Stanley Johnson trade
By Adam McGee
The Milwaukee Bucks moved on from Thon Maker and picked up Stanley Johnson in a trade on Wednesday afternoon, but was it a good move?
The Milwaukee Bucks reportedly agreed to move on from Thon Maker on Wednesday morning, with Stanley Johnson arriving from Detroit as the team’s latest gamble on a raw, young under-performer.
The trade was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
"More from Bucks News Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap? Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited “The Detroit Pistons have agreed to trade forward Stanley Johnson to the Milwaukee Bucks for center Thon Maker, league sources told ESPN on Wednesday. The deal involving two former lottery picks is a chance for both young players to accelerate their careers in fresh environments.”"
As the Bucks continue their assault on the top of the Eastern Conference, it had become increasingly apparent that Maker did not feature in the team’s rotation, and by association, their long term plans.
Still, that didn’t take away from the sense of surprise at Maker’s decision to act definitively in requesting a trade away from Milwaukee in search of more minutes. It remains to be seen whether the Pistons will deliver on that front, but Maker has certainly got the chance for a fresh start.
Likewise, after failing to live up to his top-10 status in spite of regular flashes of potential, Johnson will be hoping a new opportunity, with a much better team, can help him to unlock all of his ability.
Does that make this a good deal for both sides? Let’s take a closer look at both players involved, and how they ended up at this point, to try to find out.