Grayson Allen’s name has floated around as a potential trade piece for the Milwaukee Bucks for a few seasons. Yes, he’s been productive and has provided a strong offensive game to the team, but he has lacked in other areas. One area that is consistently highlighted as an issue in his play is his defensive ability. His defensive rating has been lackluster in each of the last two years, despite having a substantial role in the lineup. Many have felt that Allen could be replaced by even better players, who might not have necessarily the offensive skill set he has, but have the defensive capabilities he is missing.
There are plenty of players in the league that the Milwaukee Bucks could try to replace Allen with come February. But, there are only a handful of players that could replace Allen and bring more to the table offensively and defensively than he has in the last two seasons.
Players that the Milwaukee Bucks should replace Grayson Allen with by this year’s trade deadline
Justise Winslow
Despite being injury-ridden throughout his career, Justise Winslow could provide the right amount of offensive and defensive balance to the Milwaukee Bucks roster. He’s played in less than 50 games in each of the last five years, but when he’s been healthy, he’s been able to produce.
Take for example his rookie year in Miami when he played in 78 games. Winslow averaged 6.4 points per game on 42.2 percent shooting from the floor, but his defensive rating was 105, which is his career best, per Stat Muse. When you see that his career defensive rating is nearly six points lower than Allen’s for his career, there is no doubt that Winslow’s defensive presence will be a stark improvement from Allen’s.
Offensively, he can also be a contributor for the Milwaukee Bucks while still being a defensive force. After being acquired by the Portland TrailBlazers in 2021, he immediately made an impact in the 11 games he played with them that year. His points per game average increased from 4.2 when he was with the Clippers to 10.7 with the Blazers. He also shot above 40 percent from the field with the Blazers, showing he is not only a nice offensive piece but that he can also be efficient from that side of the floor.
However, I continue to revisit the aspect of his injury ladder career, which could easily deter the Milwaukee Bucks from picking him up. But, after the Milwaukee Bucks added Joe Ingles to the lineup, who didn’t make his debut with the Bucks until mid-December in 2022, it showed that the team is willing to take a gamble on a player they feel can help their chances at winning another title. Keep an eye on what the Milwaukee Bucks do about adding a player like Winslow to the roster in order to bolster the defensive presence of the team if a roster spot opens up.