Trade season has kicked off in the association, and everyone is anxious to see whether or not the Milwaukee Bucks make any moves.
The biggest challenge general manager Jon Horst faces when making any potential moves is trying to piece together a desirable trade package. The Bucks are currently short on assets and financial flexibility, making any sizeable move tough to maneuver. However, rather than looking at Milwaukee’s draft capital, let us take a look at how the players on the 2021-22 roster might fare in any potential trades. First, both two-way players in Sandro Mamukelashvili and Javonte Smart will not be included, as well as DeMarcus Cousins and Wesley Matthews, who are on non-guaranteed contracts right now. With that said, let us look at the tiers of tradeable Bucks.
Players that could be salary filler for the Milwaukee Bucks in a trade
If the Bucks do make a trade at some point between now and the deadline, at least one of these three players will likely be involved. George Hill ($4 million), Rodney Hood ($2.3 million), and Semi Ojeleye ($1.8 million) all make a certain amount of money this season that makes them difficult to deal on their own but could be packaged with others to make a more significant trade work.
All three players have struggled to some degree this year. Hill has been serviceable as the backup point guard, but his numbers are far from the gaudiest, especially with his shooting. The 13-year NBA veteran is having the second-worst 3-point shooting season of his career by knocking down just 31.5 percent of his triples. Hood has flashed signs of potential, but he is currently playing the fewest minutes in his career and is putting up brutal shooting splits. Ojeleye has missed a sizeable chunk of the season with injuries, but he has not exactly impressed when he has been available.
They are not the most desirable trade pieces on the Bucks, but they could be moved regardless due to their affordable contracts. Although Hill will make another $4 million next season, Hood and Ojeleye will become free agents once the season ends, making them more enticing in talks.
Players that could be viewed as desirable trade assets and could be moved by the Milwaukee Bucks
When it comes to potential trade candidates on the roster, Donte DiVincenzo and Jordan Nwora are the two names that commonly surface. Both are fairly young players for the Bucks and could be viewed as long-term pieces by other franchises. Not too many people would be surprised with the news that either player had been traded if it came down to that.
For DiVincenzo, the writing has been on the wall that the team has thought about dealing him to another team. After all, they did initially ship him to the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic before the 2020-21 season, but the deal ultimately fell through. Though the guard played solid basketball for Milwaukee last season, the emergence of Grayson Allen as their new starting shooting guard makes DiVincenzo expendable once again for the Bucks.
The most significant concern with DiVincenzo is his health. The 24-year-old has undergone two season-ending surgeries in his three seasons with the Bucks and has yet to make his debut this season. He was cleared from injury and given the green light to take the court again recently, but his return has been put on pause as he entered the league’s health and safety protocols. Several teams will likely be monitoring him closely once he does hit the hardwood. DiVincenzo has shown signs of being a great defender, rebounder, and scorer, and he still has room to grow. Set to enter restricted free agency after the season, teams that want to lock him in for the long haul could be interested in pursuing a trade.
Nwora also poses an interesting case. The second-year forward has seen inconsistent minutes in the rotation this season due to injuries and illnesses, but the potential is there for him to develop into something special if given the opportunity. Nwora was viewed as a prolific scorer and shooter coming out of college, and that has translated to the NBA to some degree. He will never see a key role in coach Mike Budenholzer’s rotation once everyone is fully healthy because of his struggles defensively and his overall youth at 23-years-old. On the books for $1.5 million this year, Nwora is still on a very affordable contract and could be viewed as an appealing target. If he could help the Bucks land a critical rotational piece, they should consider making a move.
Players that are next to untouchable in trades for the Milwaukee Bucks
These are players that are almost certainly not going anywhere this season, but labeling them as entirely untouchable would not feel right. Allen, Pat Connaughton, Bobby Portis, Brook Lopez, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo seemed destined to stay with the Bucks beyond the trade deadline for a handful of different reasons.
Connaughton ($5.3 million), Allen ($4.1 million), and Portis ($4.3 million) are key rotational pieces for the Bucks and are all playing the best basketball of their individual careers this season on very team-friendly deals. The Bucks simply have no incentive to trade any of them away. Connaughton and Portis have played options once the season ends and they will certainly be seeking raises, but the pair have both shown enough loyalty to Milwaukee that suggests they would like to stay. Allen was wisely extended before the season and is locked in for the next two seasons. It would be odd to see any of these three moved.
As for Lopez, he always seems to find himself in trade rumors, but due to his current health, it is almost a guarantee he will not be moved. The veteran big man has missed all but one game this season with back soreness, which he recently had surgery on. He will be sidelined for an extended period of time, and teams likely will be hesitant to consider taking on that $13.3 million salary for this season and $13.9 million next year. It might be a different story if he was healthy, but trade talks surrounding Lopez will be silenced for now and he will stay put.
Lastly, Thanasis Antetokounmpo almost positively will not be playing elsewhere anytime soon. This one seems pretty self-explanatory. Aside from the obvious reason, the Bucks seem to enjoy the enthusiasm and energy he brings to the fold on a nightly basis, and Budenholzer utilizes him when he needs someone to play aggressive defense. He will be sticking around.
Players that are untouchable in trades for the Milwaukee Bucks
There should be no surprises whatsoever with these last three players. Milwaukee’s leading trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday is among the best three-man groups in the entire association, and the Bucks would be foolish to break them up. With this group locked in financially over the next few seasons, they can compete side-by-side for the long haul right in the thick of their primes.
This group proved that they could win a championship. Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player in the world right now, and at 27-years-old, he has not even reached his true potential. Middleton showed in the championship run that he is beyond clutch and that he can deliver when the Bucks need him the most. Holiday is one of the best defenders in the entire NBA and proved himself to be the perfect third-fiddle for this team. With no egos, these three have meshed perfectly and are all on the same page day in and day out, with championships being the only goal in mind.
The Bucks will look to build up the supporting cast around these three rather than breaking them up. Given the results they have already produced in their short time together, that is obviously the right approach for the franchise. It will be fascinating to see what these three can do over the next several years in Milwaukee.
Stay tuned for any potential trades involving the defending world champs.