NBA Rumors: The Milwaukee Bucks have trade interest in Vasilije Micic

The Milwaukee Bucks have been quiet leading up to the 2022 NBA Draft… Until now.

It is not seismic news, but in his recent breakdown of the latest trade intel throughout the NBA, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer dropped a nugget that Milwaukee has interest in Vasilije Micic, a 28-year-old Serbian point guard. Fischer highlighted that Micic’s rights are currently held by the OKC Thunder. Rumors have been swirling that Micic, who plays for the Turkish club Anadolu Efes, has been considering a move to the NBA, but ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (subscription required) reported that the guard is not likely to play for the Thunder, largely due to their ongoing rebuild. If so, Milwaukee’s interest in Micic could make some level of sense.

Reactions to the Milwaukee Bucks having trade interest in Vasilije Micic

First and foremost, the Milwaukee Bucks need to upgrade at the backup point guard position this offseason, so hearing that they are interested in one is not too surprising. George Hill just had his worst season to date, and moving his $4 million salary for 2022-23 off the books must be among the top priorities for general manager Jon Horst this offseason. As for who should replace Hill in Milwaukee’s backcourt, there has been no shortage of recognizable names floated around such as Jevon Carter, Kennedy Chandler, and Dennis Schroder. It appears that Vasilije Micic can be added to that list now, as the Bucks are at least kicking the tires on bringing him aboard this offseason.

As highlighted in Givony’s previous article, Micic is considered by some to be the best point guard in all of Europe currently. His résumé is star-studded top to bottom, with the guard winning titles in the EuroLeague in 2021 and 2022, winning the EuroLeague Final Four MVP in that same span, and winning the EuroLeague MVP in 2021. Per Basketball-Reference, Micic’s career averages in his overseas career include 12.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 0.9 steals per contest. While there are questions regarding how his game could translate to the NBA, Micic could be an interesting candidate to consider as the Milwaukee Bucks ponder what to do at the backup point guard position over the next few months.

Another significant unknown here is what exactly the asking price for the guard could be via trade. The Thunder have shown a willingness to trade players that do not fit their rebuilding timeline for some sort of draft compensation, and that would be the case here. It does not seem likely that it would take a first round pick to acquire the 28-year-old, but would Milwaukee offer a second or possibly even two to bring in Micic? If there is any traction, those trade discussions will be held between Jon Horst and OKC’s Sam Presti, and it will be interesting to see if these rumors amount to anything before the upcoming draft on June 23.

The Milwaukee Bucks need to upgrade at the backup point guard position, and while Vasilije Micic is not the name that initially came to mind for most, he could undoubtedly be an interesting player.

Stay tuned to see if the Bucks make a move for Micic.