After seeing how NBA Free Agency has played out, it is clear the Milwaukee Bucks made a mistake letting Malcolm Brogdon go this summer.
It’s been a summer full of shocking, unexpected moves in the NBA. From D’Angelo Russell‘s shocking signing with the Golden State Warriors on a max contract, to the Los Angeles Clippers giving up the farm to get Paul George, NBA free agency has been as chaotic as advertised.
One team that’s stayed largely above the fray so far are the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee entered this summer with the expectation that they’d do what they could to run their team back from last season.
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Who could blame them for wanting to stand pat? After all, the Bucks finished last season with the league’s best record, won 10 of their first 11 games during the playoffs, and were just a hair away from beating the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals. It stood to reason that, with another year to build off of what they did this past season, they could be even better in the future.
Milwaukee, however, chose to pass on bringing back their entire core from last season. Though they retained vital pieces in Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, the Bucks made an unexpected decision to move off of Malcolm Brogdon.
Brogdon was signed to a four year, $85 million deal with the Indiana Pacers who agreed to trade one first rounder and two second round picks to Milwaukee in order to land the restricted free agent without issue. It was a stunning move that left many Bucks fans wondering why an essential part of their core was just let go of in a summer where the complexion of the entire league was changing.
After having time to see what, if any, additional moves Milwaukee would make to replace him, it’s time to evaluate the move as a whole. Though they did well to find some value on the market in finding a replacement, letting Malcolm Brogdon go was a mistake.