Aside from a few rumors here and there, the Milwaukee Bucks have been incredibly quiet in the weeks leading up to the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline.
While their main priority remains adding a backup big man to fill the void as Brook Lopez recovers from back surgery, the Bucks have reportedly looked at upgrading the backup point guard position. According to The Action Network’s Matt Moore, the Bucks are one of two teams that have reached out to the Boston Celtics to make an offer for Dennis Schröder.
"“The Boston Celtics’ priority, according to multiple sources, is to clear salary to save on the luxury tax. There are two offers on the table for Dennis Schröder according to multiple sources, one from the Milwaukee Bucks and another from the Chicago Bulls.”"
Reactions to the Milwaukee Bucks making a trade offer for Dennis Schröder
For those who have been following, you know this writer has been a fan of adding Schröder to the Bucks for quite some time now. The biggest catalyst behind that is the subpar production from Milwaukee’s second unit that has plagued them throughout the season. The Bucks’ bench ranks 29th in both points and assists per game this season as they have struggled to contribute consistently from day one.
Part of these bench struggles stem from George Hill’s hit-or-miss play this season. The veteran is having one of his least-productive seasons to date by averaging seven points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 25.5 minutes per contest. One area of Hill’s game this has particularly hurt the Bucks this season has been his lackluster 3-point shooting, as he is knocking down just 31.6 percent of his threes, the second-worst mark in his career. While Schröder is not an outstanding shooter, as he is hitting just 34.3 percent of his threes this year, he would help the Bucks in other areas.
The former Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is having a solid season by averaging 14.3 points and 4.4 assists per contest with the Celtics, splitting time between the starting five and the bench unit. Numbers like that could be just what the Bucks need to improve this disappointing unit and bring in a quality contributor for the remainder of the season. Schröder would be an immediate upgrade over Hill at the backup point guard position.
While Moore reported that the Bucks have made an offer, he did not detail what that particular offer may look like. Given that the guard is on the books for $5.9 million this season, his contract is affordable for the Bucks, and there are several packages they could look to put together to make a compelling offer. One could argue about who has the better assets to offer between the Bucks and Bulls, but it would be wise for the champs to make a strong pitch before their Central Division rival acquires the guard.
The Bucks SHOULD first aim to add another center or a tough wing before the deadline and then target Schröder, but their rumored interest is reasonable.
It seems inevitable that the Celtics will move Schröder, but that question remains where he will go. Perhaps that team will be the Bucks, but only time will tell. Stay tuned.