The 2022 NBA trade deadline is approaching, and the Milwaukee Bucks are bound to be active on the market before it arrives.
Led by general manager Jon Horst, this front office regime has always remained aggressive when seeking ways to improve the roster. Sometimes it works out well, such as last year’s acquisition of P.J. Tucker, while other times it backfires entirely, such as their trade for “sharpshooting” forward Nikola Mirotic during the 2018-19 season. For better or worse, although mostly better, the Bucks will always do their due diligence across the trade landscape.
The Bucks will be on the hunt for another Tucker-like acquisition that could help bolster their championship odds as they gear up for another title run. To make any trade possible, the Bucks will have to move some key players on the roster. With that said, let us take a look at a group of players they should look to move in potential trades before the February deadline.
The Milwaukee Bucks must trade Rodney Hood before 2022 NBA Trade Deadline
Potential is a word that often surfaced when the Bucks signed Rodney Hood in free agency this past offseason. There was potential – perhaps hopeful optimism – that the forward could bounce back with the champs after a handful of injuries had plagued him over the previous few seasons, having limited his overall productivity at the professional level. Ultimately, that hope has not quite come to fruition. In fact, it has been the complete opposite.
Hood is currently having his worst NBA season by averaging 3.5 points per game while shooting a grueling 35.4 percent from the floor and 31.7 percent from three. Once known for his elite scoring ability, Hood has not helped much with Milwaukee’s bench production this season, as they rank a measly 27th in points per game at 28.6 on average. This second unit needs a big boost offensively, and it does not look like it will be coming from Hood anytime soon.
When the Bucks are fully-healthy, Hood will not be in the normal rotation. Wesley Matthews, who came aboard on a non-guaranteed deal recently, has outplayed him on both sides of the ball and has earned those minutes off the bench. Hood will not be viewed among Milwaukee’s top trade assets leading up to the deadline, and getting anything valuable for him alone will be a challenge, given his minimal $2.2 million salary this season. Nevertheless, the Bucks should attempt to move him rather than keep him on the bench and out of the rotation.