Bucks as sellers
With major moves almost certainly off the table for the Bucks given general manager Jon Horst’s desire to avoid disrupting chemistry, and potentially throwing the team’s incredible season off course, it’s very much possible that any Bucks deal could be designed to move fringe players and open up roster spots for the buyout market.
Sterling Brown has reportedly been the source of interest from multiples teams. With his current role on the periphery of the rotation, and with free agency looming in the summer, it would make sense for the Bucks to try to cash in on Brown, if he doesn’t feature in their long-term plans.
Given the Bucks’ lack of draft picks over the next few years, any assets that could be recouped in such a scenario would be incredibly welcome too.
Similarly fitting that bill could be D.J. Wilson. Although Wilson has a year left on his contract beyond this season, he seems to have been overtaken in the rotation by Dragan Bender, and currently has very little utility for the Bucks. If the Bucks want to open up a roster spot for potential buyout signings, Wilson may be the most obvious candidate to be on the move.
On the Woj and Lowe Trade Deadline Show on Wednesday, Zach Lowe reported that teams have enquired about the possibility of acquiring Donte DiVincenzo, although it seems incredibly unlikely that Milwaukee would be willing to entertain such a deal given how well Donte has played this season.
If the Bucks do look to make any moves for players on meaningful salaries, Ersan Ilyasova could certainly come into play too. The fact that not only is Ilyasova a capable player, but also that he has a team option in his deal for next year, would make him a palatable return for many teams. For those same reasons, though, I wouldn’t expect the Bucks to be going out of their way to deal Ilyasova either.