Grade The Trade: Bucks add 2 former All-Stars in deal with Timberwolves
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks’ POV on this deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves
Instantly, there would be questions about the fit with this particular deal. Giannis Antetokounmpo nor Brook Lopez would be leaving the Milwaukee Bucks, meaning they would have to make room for yet another 7-footer in the starting lineup – a player making $36 million next season would not be coming off of the bench regularly.
In an NBA that is becoming more and more reliant on smaller lineups in the biggest moments, the Bucks could be playing with fire here. One of the reasons why Towns and Rudy Gobert didn’t mesh last year was that they were both towering centers. It’s hard to play two seven-footers together, let alone three at the same time like the Milwaukee Bucks would have to do here.
However, if they did experiment with it, Towns, the self-proclaimed best shooting big man ever, would certainly provide some offense. For his NBA career, the center has averaged 23 points while knocking down 39.5 percent of his 3-pointers. Rather than playing like a traditional big, Towns is a perimeter player at times, so he could adequately space the floor for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
For this to work, the Bucks would undoubtedly have to find a way to stagger the minutes between these three towering behemoths rather than constantly rolling out jumbo lineups. If not, they’d be asking for nightmarish matchup issues on the defensive end, Even if Giannis and Lopez are stellar defenders. Towns’ fit poses plenty of question marks in this particular duo.
Towns would very much be the centerpiece here, but Conely would not be just a simple throw-in. Even if he’s not the player he once was, the former All-Star is one of the best passers in the game and would thrive orchestrating next to this collection of talent. He’s a nice point guard who could certainly help this team win some games and compete for a championship.
A Conley, Middleton, Antetokounmpo, Towns, Lopez lineup sounds formidable on paper, but the fit is a bit wonky, all things considered.