The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the most frequently active teams in trade talks leading up to the deadline, and fuel keeps getting added to the fire.
Per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Knicks are interested in Buck’s guard Grayson Allen. Scotto also reaffirmed Milwaukee’s interest in Knicks’ wing Cam Reddish. Despite New York’s interest in Allen, Scotto mentioned that the Bucks and Knicks have had talks that would send Reddish to the Cream City in a deal without Milwaukee’s starting shooting guard. The Bucks and Knicks have been two teams active in the trade market, and it would not be surprising to see them become trade partners in the next few weeks leading up to the trade deadline.
Reaction to the Knicks being interested in Bucks’ guard Grayson Allen
The question at hand is what should the Bucks potentially want in a deal that would send Allen to the Knicks. A Reddish for Allen swap does not benefit Milwaukee. Allen has proven to be a good fit in Milwaukee’s system and is a far better 3-point shooter. He has his flaws, but so does Reddish.
While Reddish would not be a justifiable pickup as the centerpiece of a trade, he could make sense as a complementary component. As Scotto reported previously, the Bucks have expressed interest in another Knick in Immanuel Quickley. Due to his shot creator and microwave scoring off of the bench, Quickley would be a great addition to this team. If they got Quickley and Reddish, a trade would start to make more sense from Milwaukee’s end.
A possible dark horse player that could be involved in this deal is Derrick Rose. The Bucks and the former MVP have toyed with the idea of joining forces for several years now. Rose has been out of New York’s rotation for most of the season, and it is almost certain he will be moved ahead of the deadline. Per Marc Stein (Subscription required), the Knicks want to “do right” by Rose and send him to a good situation. Rose’s shot creation and ball-handling could help the Bucks, but Quickley should still be their top target in any trade where they send out Allen in return.
Of course, a three-team deal where the Bucks would get pieces from other teams is also certainly in play here. The Bucks could nab Reddish and some other players they are potentially eyeing, but fans will have to wait for more rumors to confirm any of that. In short, the Bucks should be willing to dangle Allen in trade talks, but it should take more than Reddish to pry him away from them. It looks like that is indeed the case at this point in time.
General Manager Jon Horst has been working the phones lately, and it will be fascinating to see what he does in the next few weeks here.
Stay tuned to see if talks between the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks gain traction leading up to the highly-anticipated 2023 NBA trade deadline.