Despite having 15 standard players on the roster and all their two-way and training camp slots locked up going forward, the Milwaukee Bucks still do not have a reliable backup point guard under contract as it currently stands. For some, this is very problematic, while others think the roster has a fine amount of ball-handlers, though they might not be pure point guards.
Due to all of this, trade rumors and suggestions have not stopped swirling on social media among the Milwaukee Bucks fandom.
This trade in particular was proposed by Behind the Buck Pass site expert Dalton Sell in one of his most recent articles. It’s a fairly straightforward player swap: Milwaukee trades Grayson Allen to the Washington Wizards, and in exchange, they get Delon Wright.
Grade the trade: Bucks add established backup guard in swap with Wizards
The merit there is obvious from the get-go: the Bucks need playmaking, and the Wizards need more offensive firepower. On paper, it should look like everyone walks away from this deal happy, right? Wright is a proven veteran who can provide solid playmaking, defense, and shooting off the bench. Allen is a young and talented player, but he is still developing, and he may not be ready to contribute at a high level right away, as proven by his last few playoff outings with the squad.
Let’s grade the trade by looking at how the teams involved are affected and who these players are at this point in their respective careers. After that, we will hand it a letter grade.
Grade the trade: Milwaukee’s point of view
This trade comes down to one fact: the Bucks are still a championship contender, and they need a backup point guard who can help them win now.
Playoff losses year after year have exposed that Jrue Holiday is a natural two-guard who is playing out of his position at point guard. He’s a fine scorer, but his ball-handling and playmaking are suspect once the game slows down in the half-court. This could be due to Mike Budenholzer’s system (or lack thereof) as this writer has long argued, but there’s a valid argument to be made that a true pass-first point guard could further unlock the offensive dynamic between Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and even Holiday himself.
This trade would give the Bucks a veteran backup point guard who can provide solid playmaking, defense, and shooting off the bench. Wright is a proven winner who has helped lead his bench units in the past. He is also a good defender and a capable shooter, which would be a valuable addition to the Bucks’ championship-contending roster.
On the court, Wright would provide scoring, facilitating, and defense. For his career, he’s averaged 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting a league-average 35.3 percent from behind the arc.
At 6-foot-5, he’s got solid size for a point guard and can hold his own defensively against other guards (and possibly even smaller forwards) when asked. This only means that Wright would fit in seamlessly alongside Milwaukee’s other pieces and make for some interesting lineups to throw at opposing teams, whether next to the starters or leading the team’s tertiary pieces.
On the other hand, Allen is under contract for one more season at $8.5 million. This is a good contract for a bench player, but it’s not a great contract for a starter. If the Bucks want to upgrade their starting lineup, they might need to trade Allen to free up cap space.
Allen has also been a liability on defense in the playoffs, particularly against bigger guards like Jimmy Butler and Jayson Tatum. The Bucks need to improve their defense if they want to win another championship, and trading Allen could be one way to do that.
When you look at the Bucks roster, one conclusion is that Allen is the odd man out. The Bucks now have the services of Malik Beasley, who can provide all of the same things, while MarJon Beauchamp seems primed for more minutes. Pat Connaughton’s playing time might not be going anywhere considering he’s the more consistent and flexible player. It might simply be time for Allen to go, even if he did put out some fine performances for Milwaukee.
According to Cleaning the Glass (Subscription required), Delon logged a 1.39 assist-to-usage ratio and a minus-4.3 defensive rating in his minutes for the Wizards last season, which would be good for the 92nd and 86th percentiles among players in his position in those statistics, respectively.
The combination of Wright, Jrue Holiday, and the likes of Andre Jackson Jr. would also give the Bucks a very strong backcourt defensively. Wright is also a good playmaker, and he would help to create shots for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton and decrease the offensive load on them.
Grade the trade: Washington’s point of view
This trade would give the Wizards a young wing player with potential.
Allen is a 26-year-old who has shown flashes of potential, particularly on the offensive end. He is not going to be an All-Star any time soon, but he’s shown he’s an extremely competent shooter and defender who is going to stick around in the league for a very long time, which fits the Wizards’ timeline and needs.
However, Allen is also a streaky shooter and has a history of making questionable plays. The Wizards would need to be patient with him as he continues to develop; fortunately for him, they have the luxury of time on their side if he ever ends up in the capital city.
In his five NBA seasons, Allen has averaged 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while maintaining a career 39.9 percent 3-point shooter, which is evidently in the upper echelon of the league.
The Wizards are in the early stages of a rebuild, and they need young players with potential but also complementary pieces to assist their current starting lineup. Heading into next season, it’s looking like they’re going to be relying a ton on guys like Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole to do a lot of the heavy lifting on the offensive end. Allen is a young, score-first wing who can be both of those things for them should this acquisition happen.
It’s not hard to see how well Allen would fit this unit. Allen would likely start at shooting guard for the Wizards alongside Kuzma and Poole. He would be the primary three-point shooter of the three, and he would also be responsible for creating shots for his teammates.
The combination of Allen, Kuzma, and Poole would give the Wizards a very versatile and dangerous offensive lineup. Allen’s shooting would open up driving lanes for Kuzma and Poole, and his playmaking would help to create easy shots for his teammates. Allen’s defense would also help to improve the Wizards’ overall defense.
As it currently stands, Allen is definitely a more valuable asset than Wright, given the latter’s age, so the Wizards could potentially get more draft picks or young players in a trade for him. This would help them accelerate their rebuild.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to trade Delon Wright for Grayson Allen will come down to the Wizards’ priorities. If they are focused on winning now, then they will likely keep Wright. However, if they are focused on rebuilding while also staying relatively competitive for their home crowd, then they should at the very least consider trading for Allen.
Grade the trade: The verdict
Personally, I think this is a fair trade that could benefit both teams.
The Bucks get a veteran backup point guard who can help them win now, while the Wizards get a young wing player with potential. I would give the trade a grade of B+ because there are some risks involved for both teams.
Wright is not a great 3-point shooter, and he would not be able to space the floor for the Bucks’ offense. Additionally, Wright is not a great ball-handler, and he would not be able to create his own shot as well as Holiday or Hill.
Allen is a streaky shooter, and he has a history of making questionable plays. However, the Wizards should believe that he has the potential to help out their squad offensively as they embrace a full rebuild after letting go of Bradley Beal. Allen helps out their spacing, while the playmaking lost with Delon Wright is replaced by Jordan Poole’s production.
On the part of Milwaukee, this isn’t just another trade option to consider. They should be strongly pursuing it as Wright is one of the well-established backup point guard options out there who can be acquired for relatively cheap. This trade shouldn’t require anything out of the Bucks beyond Allen, and if it happens, it also clears up their current logjam at the wing and shooting guard positions.
Considering the roster’s area of need right now, Wright would likely come off the bench for the Bucks, where he would be a valuable backup point guard. He would be able to defend multiple positions and create shots for his teammates. Wright is also a good passer, and he would help to facilitate the Bucks’ offense when Holiday sits.
BTBP Grade: B+
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