Grade The Trade: Bucks add sharpshooting guard in this mock with Pacers
By Dalton Sell
Fans have been itching for the Milwaukee Bucks to make a trade before the NBA season begins, and the perfect target may have just hit the market.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania has reported in recent days that contract talks between two-guard Buddy Hield and the Indiana Pacers have stalled, leading the two parties to begin exploring trade possibilities. Interest in Heild from Bucks fans intensified when Charania, appearing on The Rally, said that the Bucks are among a few teams to register some interest in Hield in recent months.
That sudden news immediately intrigued Bucks fans, as dozens flocked to the trade machines to put together hypothetical deals. One such mock proposal that quickly came to light was this one from Clutch Points writer Shervon Fakhimi, which sees the two Central Division rivals trade some of their key pieces with one another.
Grade The Trade: Bucks add sharpshooting guard in this mock with Pacers
To match Hield’s $18.6 million salary this coming season, the Bucks would have to piece together quite a few of their own salaries. The combined 2023-24 salaries of Grayson Allen ($8.5 million), Pat Connaughton ($9.4 million), and Chris Livingston ($1.1 million) would fulfill the requirement from a financial perspective.
The second round pick would be a sweetener to give the Indiana Pacers some added draft capital.
This is certainly an interesting proposal between the Bucks and Pacers. With that said, let us dive in and break down the deal before eventually handing it a letter grade.