Grading the Milwaukee Bucks’ trade deadline/buyout market moves
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks have been known to leave no stone unturned when exploring avenues to improve their roster, which is precisely what they have done recently. Via a big trade and buyout moves, the Bucks have made some roster renovations over the past several weeks, bringing in a handful of fresh faces while letting go of some familiar ones. With their playoff roster seemingly set, let us break down the champs’ trade and buyout moves to see if they ultimately improved.
Looking at what the Milwaukee Bucks lost via the trade deadline/buyout market
The Bucks dealt three household names at the trade deadline as part of their involvement in a mega-four-team deal and lost no one through buyouts.
Donte DiVincenzo was the most significant name that the Bucks moved, having sent him to the Sacramento Kings. While there were rumors that they may have wanted to keep the guard past the trade deadline, Milwaukee’s decision to ultimately trade him after weeks of speculation was a justifiable move for a handful of different reasons.
Coming back from ankle surgery, DiVincenzo had struggled to find his footing with the Bucks for most of the season, and his playing time (20.7 minutes per game) shrunk compared to last year (27.5 minutes per game). When he did see time, DiVincenzo could not find a groove on offense, averaging 7.2 points while shooting 33.1 percent from the floor and 28.4 percent from distance. Needing depth elsewhere, trading DiVincenzo not only helped patch one of the Bucks’ biggest needs, but it gave the guard a chance for a more prominent role elsewhere with the Kings.
The other two players that the Bucks moved elsewhere were Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye, who were sent to the LA Clippers. Both players started the season as regular pieces in the rotation, but they fell out of coach Mike Budenholzer’s favor as the months went on to the point where neither was seeing any minutes. Both were having the worst statistical seasons of their NBA careers with the Bucks, averaging a combined 6.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Numbers like those would not cut it, so moving them made sense, especially given what it helped the Bucks get.