3 Bucks who could be in Buddy Hield trade talks, 1 who shouldn’t be
By Dalton Sell
Pat Connaughton could be involved in Buddy Hield trade talks for the Bucks
Rather than moving Bobby Portis and losing a massive piece of their frontcourt depth, perhaps the Bucks could look to swap him for Pat Connaughton in any trade for Hield. The Bucks do have much more wings than bigs on the roster. If the Bucks were to move Allen and Connaughton, players like Malik Beasley and Andre Jackson Jr., as well as the next name on this list, could slide into the mix.
Connaughton is on the books for $9.4 million over the next two seasons and holds a player option worth the same amount the following year. Financially, that would make him a reasonable piece in a Hield trade. The Pacers could either keep Connaughton around as a veteran contributor or aim to move him for more assets down the line, as there are plenty of teams who could use him.
Losing Connaughton would sting a tad. He was a crucial cog on Milwaukee’s title team in 2021 and has remained one of the team’s most valuable reserves ever since. He’s a do-it-all player who can make an impact whenever he steps on the court. Yet, as mentioned, the Bucks would have several wings who could aim to fill the void in Connaughton’s absence.
Including Connaughton over Portis would also allow the Bucks to avoid immediate concerns about their frontcourt depth. It would be risky to move Portis and enter the season with Robin Lopez as the primary backup center, with all due respect.