Grade The Trade: Bucks add familiar target in this trade with the Hawks
By Dalton Sell
The verdict on this trade between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks
Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, AND a first round pick is certainly a lot to send out for someone like Bogdanovic. He’s a stellar player, but not enough of an upgrade to justify sending out this haul, especially when looking at his looming injury history. It would be a major gamble for the team, and they cannot afford to do such a thing right now. The Milwaukee Bucks would be wise to offer this package on the trade market, but not in this particular framework with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Bucks need a clear-cut upgrade if they are sending out a package like this one. The combined salaries of Connaughton and Allen would net them a nice return financially, as they could acquire a player in the $20 million range. That first round pick has the potential to be incredibly desirable on the market, as no one has a clue what the Bucks will look like in six years. If they’re sending out an incredibly useful draft pick, they need a needle-tipper. Bogdanovic, while being a very good player, is not worth gutting the team’s strongest avenue to improve the roster. On top of that, the Bucks do not need another wing; they need a backup point guard or combo guard.
The Bucks likely wouldn’t do this trade, regardless, as they know how valuable that first round pick is to them. Per Jake Fischer, the team contemplated utilizing that first rounder on another player named Bogdanovic, Bojan Bogdanovic, at the trade deadline this past season. Trading the pick for him would have made more sense, as he would have given them everything on offense that the other Bogdanovic would, except bigger. Bojan Bogdanovic has averaged 18.8 points while hitting 40.4 percent of his 3-pointers on 6.2 attempts per game over the last five seasons. If they would not trade it for him, they likely wouldn’t for Bogdan.
The Bucks must be wise when it comes to managing their assets, so they should look elsewhere.
BTBP Grade: D+
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