Ranking Milwaukee Bucks’ 4 biggest trade mistakes in the Jon Horst era

No. 3 – The Grayson Allen trade was a mistake by Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst

Like the Bledsoe trade, the Grayson Allen trade seemed like it would work out better for the Bucks at the time. The Bucks were coming off of a championship run in 2021 and appeared to make their team even better by moving to get Grayson Allen. The team had Donte DiVincenzo, but given his injury history and Allen providing about the same impact on the offensive end, the Bucks decided to trade for Allen and keep him over DiVincenzo.

While Allen produces similar numbers on the offensive end, it’s the defense that DiVincenzo adds that the Bucks have missed since the trade. In his time in Milwaukee, Allen has been a defensive liability. On the other hand, DiVincenzo has been one of Golden State’s most important role players because of his defensive tenacity.

DiVincenzo did not play well after returning from ankle surgery in his final season in Milwaukee, which probably played a role in the trade coming to fruition. After seeing DiVincenzo’s impact on the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors this season, though, the team would’ve been rewarded had they been patient with DiVincenzo’s recovery.

Outside of the Allen and DiVincenzo comparison, Allen’s name has been consistently brought up in trade rumors going back to last offseason. Considering his defensive flaws and what he brings offensively, it appears that Allen is easily replaceable, and the trade for him was a mistake by the front office.