The Bucks’ perfect trade target is a player they should have just drafted

Aside from deciding who gets the third and final two-way slot, the Milwaukee Bucks very well may be done making moves this off-season.

However, many fans believe there is still some room for improvement, and rightfully so. There are several players rumored to be available in trades who could beef up Milwaukee’s roster, and one of them is Norman Powell of the LA Clippers. Per Yahoo Sports’ NBA insider Jake Fischer, the guard is considered to be available in trades after his name previously surfaced in Chris Paul discussions.

Powell should be on Milwaukee’s radar, although they could have already had him a long time ago.

Of course, the Bucks took Powell 46th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft but traded his rights and a 2017 first round pick to the Toronto Raptors for Greivis Vásquez. To be clear, it’s not a guarantee that the Bucks would have even taken Powell had they kept the pick, as the Raptors made the choice ahead of time. Yet, he was available when they were on the board, so they could have.

The Bucks should try to right this disastrous wrong by swinging a trade for Powell very soon.

The Bucks’ perfect trade target is a player they should have just drafted

One major issue with Milwaukee’s roster right now is a lack of reliable shot creators outside the Big 3 of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton. This issue has plagued them for a few years now, and it’s time to address it before it comes back to bite the team once again in the latter portion of this coming season. Powell would undeniably help in that regard.

Over the past four seasons, Powell has really come into his own, having averaged 17.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and one steal per contest while shooting 47.8 percent on his field goals and 40.7 percent from 3-point territory. A player capable of putting up numbers like that as a reserve should certainly be of interest to a contending team that needs to beef up their bench brigade.

Powell would make life easier for a lot of Bucks, but especially Jrue Holiday. As evidenced by these past few years, it’s been hard for Holiday to make an impact offensively when he’s taking on a big assignment defensively. A player like Powell could allow Holiday to focus on that assignment due to the scoring he could provide in Holiday’s place. Milwaukee has needed that for two years now.

The 30-year-old guard is capable of scoring from all over the floor without the help of others who can handle the basketball. As Powell has done against the Bucks time and time again, he’s capable of taking a game over by himself due to his prolific scoring ability. A player like that could be the difference between winning it all and going home very early.

With an $18 million salary for this coming season, Powell’s contract is a bit steep for Milwaukee, given their limited flexibility, but it’s still digestible. It’s unclear what the Clippers would want for Powell’s services, but the Bucks should aim to find out. Though they don’t have the most assets, they could have some pieces that intrigue the LA Clippers.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis and trade discussions this NBA off-season.