The 2022 NBA Trade Deadline is now officially less than a month away, and many have started to wonder what the Milwaukee Bucks may or may not be plotting.
They raised some eyebrows Monday night after The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson reported that the Bucks sent scouts to a matchup between the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers. Sure, it could mean nothing, but it could also mean that the front office is doing their due diligence on potential trade targets around the league. There is no shortage of players that could help this Milwaukee team in their quest to repeat as champions, but one particularly stands out.
The Milwaukee Bucks could reignite their trade interest in Dennis Schröder
Although he is not on the Kings or Cavaliers, one target that has been a hot commodity among the fanbase is Dennis Schröder, currently a member of the Boston Celtics. Milwaukee’s interest in the guard has been on display for years, with ESPN’s Zach Lowe reporting that they discussed a deal for the guard in 2018 when he was a member of the Atlanta Hawks. During the 2020 offseason, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor detailed how the Bucks were engaged in deep negotiations with the OKC Thunder to acquire him before they traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Bucks are currently having some issues in the backcourt with backup point guard George Hill, who is having one of the least productive seasons of his career. Scouring the market for a backup to replace Hill would not be the worst idea for the Bucks, given how poorly their second unit has performed this season. Someone like Schröder could make a massive difference, and according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (subscription required), rival execs believe the Boston Celtics will be willing to listen to trade offers for the guard. The Bucks should jump at the opportunity to call, especially due to their long-running interest in the guard.
With all that being said, let us take a look at three packages to help the champs acquire him.
Trade No. 1 to help the Milwaukee Bucks acquire Dennis Schröder
Given that Schröder is on the books for $5.8 million this season, the Bucks, or any other team for that matter, do not have to break the bank in any hypothetical package. The Bucks could piece together an interesting offer that includes Hill ($4 million) and Jordan Nwora ($1.5 million) while adding a second round pick as a sweetener.
While Hill is a serviceable backup point guard and a second round pick could be enticing, the best asset in this deal for Boston is Nwora. The second year sophomore has shown potential since he was drafted by the Bucks, displaying an elite scoring prowess at times. With Milwaukee playing severely undermanned lately, Nwora has seen more playing time, and he has turned some heads by averaging 15.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game over his last 10 appearances.
Despite his strong play lately, Nwora will not be in the regular rotation when the Bucks are back to full strength. Rather than keeping him glued to the sidelines, they would be wise to test his trade interest around the league. Due to his age, contract, and potential, he is arguably the Bucks’ most desirable trade asset, and teams like Boston could view him as someone that could develop into a promising piece moving forward.
Some Bucks fans may be reluctant to part ways with Nwora due to that untapped potential, but if it means immediately improving the second unit with a former Sixth Man of the Year candidate, it would perhaps change their minds.
Trade No. 2 to help the Milwaukee Bucks acquire Dennis Schröder
While the Celtics could entertain the thought of adding Nwora in a package for Schröder, no one could blame them for potentially not wanting Hill. If that happens to be the case and the Bucks are deadset on acquiring the guard, perhaps they would be willing to include Donte DiVincenzo. A deal including both Nwora and DiVincenzo would see the Bucks trade away their top two trade assets, but it could be worth it for Schröder.
The writing has been on the wall for over a year now that the Bucks are willing to trade DiVincenzo if the opportunity presents itself. They initially dealt him in a sign-and-trade for the sharpshooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic during the 2020 offseason before the deal collapsed. DiVincenzo’s time with the team came into question once more after they traded for another guard in Grayson Allen last offseason and then immediately handed him a contract extension. It would not be surprising if the Bucks were looking to move him again before the deadline, and though he has struggled this season coming off his ankle injury, the potential is there for him to be a solid player in this league.
When healthy, DiVincenzo is a strong defender that showed last year that he could be a starter on a contending team. His offense still needs polishing, but at 24-years-old, the guard still has plenty of room to grow. Heading to restricted free agency after the season, Boston could swing a trade to acquire DiVincenzo and keep him around for the long haul. Along with Nwora, the Celtics would be getting two young assets that could be great pieces for a player they are unsure they can keep after this season.
For the Bucks, it seems unlikely that they will pay DiVincenzo after the season, and with Nwora’s future uncertain, they may be more willing to move the pair before the trade deadline.
Trade No. 3 to help the Milwaukee Bucks acquire Dennis Schröder
The final trade between the Bucks and Celtics is interesting because it could patch two needs for the defending champions. In addition to acquiring Schröder to upgrade at the backup point guard position, they could bring in Juancho Hernangomez alongside him to bolster their size.
The Bucks have endured Brook Lopez’s absence in every game aside from the season opener due to his back issues, and he will not be back in the near future. With typical sixth man Bobby Portis starting in his place, the front office signed DeMarcus Cousins to back him up in December, which quickly paid dividends as the center played great basketball.
Despite how well Cousins fit off the bench, the team waived him before his contract would have been guaranteed last week, a move that shocked many. The Bucks have struggled to replace Cousins’ production, and someone like the 6-foot-9 Hernangomez could add another big body to the bench brigade.
Considering that Hernangomez is playing a mere 5.3 minutes per game this season, the Celtics should be eager to move what remains of his $6.2 million salary before the deadline, especially if they can do it in a package deal for Schröder. The Bucks could offer both DiVincenzo and Hill due to their salaries, but also included Rodney Hood ($2.2 million) to take in both Celtics. Doing so would be killing two birds with one stone by adding a point guard and serviceable backup big man.
The Bucks could use a new backup guard, and Schröder seems to be the most realistic option.