Losing an asset
Going beyond his fit, which was about as perfect as one could be on a team that plays the way Milwaukee does, he was also an extremely valuable asset for the team to have for another reason: trades.
Milwaukee has virtually no major assets in their cupboard to pull off a potential trade for a star if someone, like Bradley Beal, were to become available. Their core players, like Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, are too valuable to what they do to move without also needing to be replaced, and their new contracts may complicate matters further, especially in the case of Middleton who’s now on an incredibly expensive deal.
Eric Bledsoe, who was fantastic during the regular season last year, has essentially no trade value in the immediate future after having a complete train-wreck of a performance in the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Though he could rehab his reputation next season, it’s doubtful a team looking to improve for the future would want anything to do with him, even on a relatively team friendly contract.
The Bucks also lack the young assets that teams are looking for in exchange for a star. D.J. Wilson, Sterling Brown, and Donte DiVincenzo may have some value and upside, but none of them are likely to become anything more than role players or depth. The Bucks lack first round picks for the foreseeable future due to the various moves they’ve made in recent seasons to clear cap space and improve, and even the ones they do own are likely to fall late in the first round. They’ll have virtually no cap space to work with for the next several years either, precluding them from being able to improve via free agency. The Bucks’ pathways to improving are essentially closed.
Malcolm Brogdon is not, and never will be, the best guy on a championship winning team. However, he showed during his tenure with the Bucks that he can be a core contributor on serious contender.
Even on a little north of $21 million a year, someone may have been willing to talk themselves into him being a headliner of a potential package if the Bucks decided to change directions. After all, he’s just 27, he was just the eighth player to have a 50-40-90 season in league history, he’s improved in every season he’s played in the league, and his skill-set makes him a seamless fit for any team in the league. The Pacers giving up a first-round pick and two second picks in a sign-and-trade they initiated shows what kind of value he has.