NBA Trades: Grading 5 Jrue Holiday proposals for the Milwaukee Bucks
By Dalton Sell
Grading a trade proposal between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks
Like the aforementioned trade with the Blazers, this trade between the Bucks and Atlanta Hawks would instantly reform Milwaukee’s backcourt. Also like that trade, this deal would help the Bucks get younger, as Dejounte Murray (26) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (30) would minimize the roster’s age while still keeping them in contention for the next several years with a pair of solid players.
Murray would be a nice addition for the Bucks at the point guard position, as he’s a former All-Star and All-Defensive honoree. Offensively, he could orchestrate the offense to take the pressure off of the Big 2 in Antetokounmpo and Middleton from constantly having to do it. Over the last two years, he’s averaged 20.8 points and 7.6 assists per game. On defense, he’s not on the level of Holiday, but the 6-foot-4 Murray is capable of guarding a handful of different positions and pestering opponents, having claimed the 2021-22 Steals Champion title.
Meanwhile, Bogdanovic makes sense for the Bucks for more reasons than just his on-court play, which is certainly desirable as well. Fans will remember that the Bucks nearly landed Bogdanovic during the 2020 off-season before the sign-and-trade fell through. Jake Fischer, who was a writer for Bleacher Report at the time, said that Antetokounmpo clearly expressed his desire to play with Bogdanovic, as he admired “his fellow European’s toughness and swagger.” The Bucks could now make that dream reality and bring the two together after a failed attempt in 2020. It would never hurt to try and keep Giannis happy while also getting an impact player.
On the court, Bogdanovic would be a seamless fit with the Bucks due to what he provides on the offensive side of the ball. For his career, he’s averaged 14.2 points while shooting 38.7 percent on his 3-pointers on 6.2 attempts per game. Marksmanship and scoring like that would instantly be a perfect fit alongside Antetokounmpo. Over the years, the Bucks have surrounded Antetokounmpo with 3-point shooters such as Grayson Allen, Bryn Forbes, and Kyle Korver, but Bogdanovic would certainly be the best two-guard the Milwaukee Bucks have had in a long time.
If the Hawks were to consider this, it would be to get a guard who fits better alongside their star in Trae Young. Unlike Murray, who has been a point guard throughout his career, Holiday has played a good amount of shooting guard in his career. He could easily play the two next to Young, which would help mightily on the defensive end, as Holiday could take the tougher assignments nightly.