5 trade targets for the Milwaukee Bucks during 2022 NBA offseason
By Dalton Sell
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should be a trade target for the Milwaukee Bucks
Speaking of versatile wings, one player that the Milwaukee Bucks could target this offseason is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Bucks were linked to the swingman at the trade deadline during the 2021-22 season as they reportedly discussed acquiring him in a deal for Donte DiVincenzo before ultimately pivoting elsewhere. With the Bucks in the market for a player of his archetype, perhaps they could look to reignite those talks with the Washington Wizards this offseason.
Caldwell-Pope has been a quality veteran in this league for years now, so Milwaukee’s potential interest in acquiring him made sense. Standing at 6-foot-5, Caldwell-Pope can defend multiple positions at a high level, and he would bring yet another versatile wing defender to Milwaukee. Offensively, KCP has been no slouch by averaging 11.6 points per game for his career while also knocking down 36 percent of his triples on 4.7 attempts per game. The guard has already proven that he can be a quality contributor on a championship team as he helped the Los Angeles Lakers win it all in 2020, and his skill set certainly makes him a tempting target for the Bucks.
The tricky part with trying to acquire KCP is his contract situation for next season, as his deal is mostly non-guaranteed. If the Wizards decide to let him go, the Bucks should make a spirited run to acquire the guard in free agency. Yet, if Washington guarantees it, Caldwell-Pope will make an eye-catching $14 million. That could make him a pricey target for the Bucks, but given what he is bringing on both sides of the basketball, it may be worth it. Ultimately, it depends on what comes of his current contract situation, but the Milwaukee Bucks should be monitoring it closely.