The Milwaukee Bucks can take two approaches to the trade deadline. Option one is to add around the edges, trying to improve without mortgaging the future, hoping a few well-placed tweaks help turn things around. Option two is going all-in to snag the best talent available, even if it means surrendering coveted assets.
BTBP's own Dalton Sell proposed a mock trade that does just that. With Giannis Antetokounmpo increasingly frustrated, going for broke now might be the Milwaukee Bucks' last chance to hold onto him this summer.
Bucks' immediate upgrade would tackle two needs at once
Michael Porter Jr. is the Bucks' ideal target. While not an elite defender, he has the size and length to offset the loss of Kuzma. He is a far superior rebounder, an ability the Bucks could sorely use. Most importantly, Porter is the high-volume playmaker at the position the roster needs it most. Production is production, but on a team missing a true small forward, his 25.3 points per game on efficient 48/40/85 splits would be even more valuable.
True, Porter's numbers are likely inflated by being the Nets' No.1 option, but the Bucks would ask him to fill a similar role most nights as their No. 2. Any decrease in his overall contributions, then, would be less drastic than one might presume.
Cam Thomas hasn't been efficient since returning from injury, but he's still a natural bucket-getter. Overall he's averaging 16.6 points and 3.1 assists in under 25 minutes per night, making him a clear upgrade over Cole Anthony as a bench scorer in the backcourt.
Almost surely, the Bucks would be getting Thomas as only a half-season rental. When he hits unrestricted free agency this summer, he will seek significantly more per year than the $5.9 million he's making right now. Still, in a move that prioritizes salvaging the 2025-26 season, throwing Thomas into the deal wouldn't hurt.
What does hurt, obviously, is the Bucks getting cutting ties with their 2031 first-round pick. It seems unlikely that Brooklyn would accept a Bucks' package attaching any protections to the '31 selection.
Perhaps surprisingly, losing Bobby Portis would also sting. Shooting 46.7 percent from three, he's simply scorching the cover off the ball. He's a popular fixture with the fanbase. He has a manageable, team-friendly contract. In win-now mode, however, selling high on Portis and giving up an unprotected first are just sacrifices the Bucks would have to make.
Not so long ago, it seemed like maybe, just maybe, they had more time to field a contender around a newly committed Giannis. What he made clear with his most recent comments is that the Bucks probably can't wait to make a major swing if they want to keep him happy. As far as his future goes, he is just taking it "day by day," Giannis said. Sounds like the Bucks better starting winning. Otherwise, once extension talks roll around this summer, Antetokounmpo may have made up his mind already.
This version of the team has him increasingly frustrated. Pulling out all the stops for Porter, plus Thomas to boot, could be the Bucks' last, best hope at righting the ship this season.
And here's the thing: securing a play-in bid just to lose in the first round could still provide some positive momentum ahead of next season. Where the team is now, they would be lucky to get there. Giannis is exasperated with the current roster. The Bucks need a fundamental shakeup to truly compete, and adding Porter could do that. If the team appears headed in the right direction at season's end, maybe Giannis is happy to re-invest next year.
That's what this move is really about. Come summer, the front office will have 2026 and 2033 first-rounders to work with, offering another opportunity to make a major swing. A mystery trade then, plus Porter, Giannis, Myles Turner, and Ryan Rollins could form the core of a very competitive team in 2026-27. Perhaps that's wishful thinking, but that's where the Bucks are at right now.
If the goal is winning now and keeping Giannis, for as long as that goal remains possible, then this may well be the trade to do it.