Milwaukee Bucks reportedly trade Thon Maker for Stanley Johnson

According to a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Milwaukee Bucks have agreed in principle to trade Thon Maker to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Stanley Johnson.

The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly agreed to make the move that seemed inevitable heading into Thursday’s trade deadline.

Former 10th overall pick Thon Maker, who recently requested a trade, looks to have been granted his wish and will be joining the Detroit Pistons. In return, the Bucks have acquired the former eighth overall pick from the 2015 Draft, Stanley Johnson.

The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:

As Wojnarowski also noted, the deal represents a logical swap for both parties with the two former lottery picks having failed to live up to their potential with the teams that drafted them.

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Maker’s time in Milwaukee comes to an end with just under 180 games played, and memorable moments aplenty. For two consecutive seasons, the Australian center acted as a game-changing presence in playoff series with the Raptors and Celtics respectively, providing the Bucks with an unexpected spark which fueled their competitiveness in those matchups.

Still, the problem is Maker’s tenure was defined purely by moments rather than any run of sustained, consistent play. In spite of opportunities over the past two years, Maker failed to lock down a steady spot in Milwaukee’s rotation under three different coaches. The recent emergence of D.J. Wilson effectively relegated Maker to an end of bench spot, sparking his desire for a trade.

As for Stanley Johnson, playing time has never been an issue in Detroit, although similar struggles with consistency certainly limited his development. Johnson was highly touted for his size, versatility and well-rounded game prior to entering the NBA, but shooting in particular has held him back in the time since.

Johnson is just a 29.2 percent shooter from deep for his career to date, but would become an immensely valuable role player if he was to improve in that department. At a minimum, he joins Tony Snell, Sterling Brown and Donte DiVincenzo in bolstering Milwaukee’s wing options off the bench.

With a summer of free agency decisions ahead for the Bucks, it’s worth noting that Stanley Johnson will also be a free agent, meaning the deal saves Milwaukee an extra $3.5 million in cap space going forward.

Now, the next big question is whether this marks the end of the Bucks’ deadline dealings or if there’s more to come.