Despite their small market status, the Milwaukee Bucks have housed their share of recognizable NBA names over the years. Unfortunately, by the time they got said player, sometimes it’s been a year or two late to where the player is now out of their prime. With that said, let us look back at a few examples of Bucks who would have thrived in their primes since 2000.
Milwaukee Bucks who would have thrived in their prime – Toni Kukoč
Toni Kukoč was an underrated part of the Chicago Bulls’ historic dynasty in the 1990s. The former Sixth Man of the Year won three championships with the Bulls and served as an essential scoring boost off of the bench. The Bulls entered a rebuild once Michael Jordan retired and Scottie Pippen was traded to the Houston Rockets. Shortly after, Kukoc was traded several times.
After short stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks, Kukoč landed with the Bucks in a trade involving Glenn Robinson. Kukoč stuck with the Bucks for four seasons, having averaged 7.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. Given that he was 34 when he arrived and 37 when he retired, Kukoč was past his prime as a Buck.
In his prime, there’s no denying that the Hall of Famer would have been a tremendous addition to the Milwaukee Bucks. As a member of the Bulls, Kukoč was a terrific scorer, defender, and passer, having averaged 14.1 points, 4.2 assists, and 1.1 steals primarily off the bench in seven seasons. There’s no denying that a player like that could have helped this team win.
Milwaukee Bucks who would have thrived in their prime – J.J. Redick
At the 2013 NBA Trade Deadline, the Milwaukee Bucks acquired guard J.J. Redick in a deal with the Orlando Magic. Redick had proven himself to be a solid player at that point and was in the midst of a career year when he landed in Milwaukee. The then 28-year-old appeared in 32 games before he was signed and traded to the LA Clippers that off-season.
Redick’s career immediately took off once he landed in Los Angeles and carried over to stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Pelicans. Over the following seven seasons, Redick was a huge contributor for those teams, having averaged 16.3 points while knocking down 43 percent of his triples on 6.3 attempts per game. He cemented himself as one of the best shooters ever.
A player like that would have been great for the Milwaukee Bucks, especially given what happened the summer Redick left. The Bucks drafted an unknown prospect named Giannis Antetokounmpo, who the team has always tried to surround with shooters. Redick and Antetokounmpo would have become a lethal one-two punch offensively due to how their play styles complement each other.
Redick is the only player here who came to Milwaukee before their prime rather than after.
Milwaukee Bucks who would have thrived in their prime – Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol was primarily known for his days with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he also clocked very solid stints with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs after that. When he was cut by the Spurs during the 2018-19 NBA season, the 38-year-old center inked a contract with the up-and-coming Milwaukee Bucks, who were taking the league by storm at that point by dominating opponents.
At 38, Gasol was never expected to be a difference maker for Milwaukee, but his stint with them still did not go quite as planned. The big man appeared in just three games, which were the last of his career, as he battled an injury that required surgery. Fans mostly remember this move for who the team released to get Gasol, which was Christian Wood, who has turned into a decent player.
Prime Pau Gasol would have been an incredible Buck. He was one of the best big men back in the day and a walking double-double. Between 2001-2016, he averaged 18.2 points while shooting 51 percent from the floor, 9.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game while winning two championships. There’s no questioning his status as a soon-to-be Hall of Famer.
Milwaukee Bucks who would have thrived in their prime – Jason Terry
Jason Terry is one of the most underrated players of the 2000s. The guard is primarily known for his time with the Dallas Mavericks, where he won a Sixth Man of the Year award and a title back in 2011, but he played for various other teams in his career, including the Milwaukee Bucks, and had a tremendous 19-year NBA career.
Terry spent two seasons with the Bucks from 2016-18. Given that he was 39 and 40 years old in those seasons, he was not the player he once was. The veteran two-guard averaged 3.8 points in 17.4 minutes per contest. Terry was primarily there to be a veteran presence for the young guys, as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and others were still fairly young at that point.
Prime Terry would have formed a lethal Big 3 alongside the Greek Freak and Middleton that would have been incredible offensively. For a solid 13 years, Terry was a bucket, having shown a knack for scoring the ball from anywhere on the floor, but especially from three. His ability to score and shoot the ball would have made “JET” the perfect complementary piece in his prime.
Milwaukee Bucks who would have thrived in their prime – Serge Ibaka
Prime Serge Ibaka was a two-way monster. From 2009-2020, the big man averaged 14.1 points and 1.9 blocks per game, having earned three All-Defensive selections in that span. Of course, his defense was also an essential factor in the Toronto Raptors’ 2019 title run, where they rallied to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals 4-2.
The Ibaka experiment was a weird one for Milwaukee. With Brook Lopez sidelined due to an injury to his back, the Bucks acquired Ibaka as an insurance policy. It was not a secret that Ibaka was not the defensive stalwart that he was before, but there was hope that he could still help. That never quite happened, and Ibaka was eventually a throw-in in a trade the following season.
Had the Bucks gotten prime Ibaka during that stretch, he and Brook Lopez would have been one of the most formidable defensive duos the NBA has seen in a long time. Opposing players would still be having nightmares about driving to the rim and running into those two down low. Nevertheless, things didn’t transpire that way, and Ibaka is currently looking for his next NBA opportunity.
Milwaukee Bucks who would have thrived in their prime – Jerry Stackhouse
Jerry Stackhouse, the third overall selection in the 1995 NBA Draft, immediately made a name for himself when he got into the league. Stackhouse went on to become a two-time All-Star. Once he got older, he started bouncing around the league, and after being waived by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2010, he inked a deal for the remainder of the season with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Though he was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, most of Stackhouse’s best years came with the Detroit Pistons. In five seasons there, he averaged 22.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. The wing was a lethal scoring threat, having averaged 29.8 points per game for the 2000-01 season, which was undeniably his best effort.
At 35 years old, Stackhouse was not the same player he once was when he landed in Milwaukee. He appeared in 42 games, having averaged 8.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per contest. There’s no denying that Stackhouse would have been an incredible addition in his prime due to a keen ability to score the basketball and put points on the board in a hurry.
Milwaukee Bucks who would have thrived in their prime – DeMarcus Cousins
Before the Milwaukee Bucks traded for the aforementioned Serge Ibaka, DeMarcus Cousins was their backup center as they awaited Brook Lopez’s return. Cousins, who had previously earned his stripes as arguably the best center in the NBA at one point, had been out of the NBA before the Bucks called. Milwaukee needed a big man and gave Cousins a shot to prove himself.
Cousins’ time with the Bucks was brief, but he was actually not too bad. In 17 games, he put up averages of 9.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per contest. It seemed inevitable that the Bucks would look to keep Cousins around as they waited for Lopez, but they shockingly let him go before his contract would have been guaranteed, which led to the trade for Ibaka later on.
Before an Achilles injury abruptly derailed his career, Cousins was a monster. From 2014-18, he was a five-time All-Star and averaged 25.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. A player with numbers like that on the Milwaukee Bucks would have made all of the difference in the world. Had it not been for that injury, Cousins could still be dominating today.
Milwaukee Bucks who would have thrived in their prime – Gary Payton
Bringing up the wild Gary Payton trade always reopens a closed wound for Milwaukee Bucks fans. Of course, the Bucks acquired Payton at the 2003 NBA Trade Deadline, having sent franchise star Ray Allen to the Seattle Supersonics. Months later, Payton signed with the Los Angeles Lakers to join forces with NBA legends Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, making this deal even worse.
Payton was actually pretty good for the Bucks in his very brief stint. He averaged 19.6 points, 7.4 assists, and 1.4 steals in 28 regular season games and played a key part in the Bucks challenging the eventual Eastern Conference Champion New Jersey Nets in a six-game first-round matchup. Yet, at 34 years old, Payton was just a tick past his prime and steadily declined after that season.
In his prime, Payton was one of the best defenders of all time. He’s one of the few guards to ever win the Defensive Player of the Year award, including Michael Jordan and Marcus Smart, and has nine All-Defensive nods under his belt. He was also an electric scorer, having averaged 20.1 points per game between 1992-2003. A top-75 player ever certainly would have helped this team.
Oh, what could have been.
Milwaukee Bucks who would have thrived in their prime – Kyle Korver
Widely regarded as one of the best long-distance shooters of all time, Kyle Korver was always in demand throughout his NBA career. Korver, who played under Mike Budenholzer as a member of the Atlanta Hawks previously, reunited with his former head coach in Milwaukee for the 2019-20 season, having signed as a free agent to suit up as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Korver wasn’t too bad for the Bucks, having averaged 6.7 points while shooting 41.8 percent from three on 4.1 attempts per game. Yet, at 38 years old, it was clear that Korver was not the player he once was, which was to be expected. Excluding his rookie season, the veteran played the smallest role of his career with the Bucks and retired once the NBA Playoffs concluded.
In his prime, Korver would have been a lethal offensive weapon for the Bucks. Playing alongside a player in Giannis Antetokounmpo who does most of his damage down low, Korver’s numbers may have been even greater than they already were. The two-guard would have gotten an abundance of open looks from 3-point land courtesy of the Greek Freak nightly, and he would have thrived.
Milwaukee Bucks who would have thrived in their prime – Goran Dragić
Goran Dragić was an underrated point guard in his prime. Throughout his career with Phoenix and Miami, the guard steadily developed into an incredibly reliable player and earned an All-Star nod in the process. Over the past two seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks persistently tried to land the guard to fortify their point guard depth, and they finally got him via buyout this past season.
At 36 years old, Dragić was never expected to be a difference-maker for Milwaukee, but his role was even smaller than most imagined. He appeared in just nine total games between the regular season and playoffs. While the guard showed glimpses here and there of being a solid piece to the puzzle, he didn’t play enough to showcase it consistently. In short, he was a flat-out non-factor.
Prime Dragić would have been exactly what the Bucks needed last season. Fans have clamored for the team to add another ball handler that would allow Jrue Holiday to slide to the two for the last two seasons, and Dragić would have done just that. An excellent scorer and facilitator like Dragić could have been a major difference-maker for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis and breakdowns this NBA off-season.