The Milwaukee Bucks should cast a wide net as they analyze potential trade targets, but Trae Young's name shouldn't surface. On a new Bleacher Report livestream, NBA insider Jake Fischer toyed with a Young to Milwaukee trade as the Bucks look to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy by showing their commitment to winning. However, the Bucks have already been down the road of a star small guard.
Bucks don't need another small guard to play next to Giannis
On paper, the Damian Lillard experiment had all of the qualities to work. However, it didn't. Lillard was not a flat-out bad player, but he wasn't a perfect fit with Giannis. Jrue Holiday wasn't a perfect player, either, but he fit much better with Giannis and the Bucks due to his ability to play off the ball and lock in on defense while being more complementary offensively.
Holiday, standing at a sturdy 6-foot-4, 220 lbs, was rarely ever caught in mismatches, holding his own against players of all shapes and sizes. While he often tried his best, the 6-foot-2, 200 lbs Lillard failed to hold up defensively at times. Those issues aren't going away with Trae Young, who stands at just 6-foot-2, 164 lbs. He's always been a target defensively.
Trading for a defensive liability in Young, who is also having one of his least-productive seasons yet and has only appeared in 10 games, isn't solving much. Sure, he could give the team another quality passer and scorer, but when he's giving up just as many points, or more, than he's scoring, one has to wonder if it's worth it.
All of that goes without even mentioning his salary. Young is on the books for $46 million this season, so any trade will gut a large part of Milwaukee's depth. In theory, they'd have to part ways with Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma. The team is undersized as is; trading two of their taller players for a 6-foot-2 guard would only amplify that issue and make this group even smaller.
Young just wouldn't be worth it. The Milwaukee Bucks already have their starting backcourt locked in with Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins. They shouldn't disrupt that tandem. Instead, if the Bucks are on the hunt for a big splash, they'd be better off targeting a small forward or someone who can provide a dose of size. Their rumored interest in Michael Porter Jr. is far more captivating.
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