The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the teams that have monitored Trae Young's situation with the Hawks, but as NBA insider Jake Fischer outlined on Wednesday, it'd be hard for the team to move forward with a trade (subscription required). He wrote that it'd be "difficult" to see the team construct a package with more than Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis, and that even "might be a stretch."
Young is making $46 million this season. His contract (he has a $49 million player option for next season) is the main barrier for teams like the Bucks that could be interested in moving forward with a trade. It's why the only real suitor right now is the Wizards, as they have the cap space to absorb his salary.
Milwaukee has been linked to just about every single player who could be traded before the Feb. 5 deadline, and that's because Jon Horst is trying to do whatever he can to put the team in a position to win another title with Giannis Antetokounmpo. You can certainly say that even if Young's contract weren't an issue, he wouldn't be that player for the Bucks.
It would be the team's luck to gut what depth it has to trade for Young, only for him to pick up his player option over the summer and Giannis to request a trade.
Bucks won't trade for Trae Young before the deadline
Another reason why Milwaukee won't trade for Young is that he has a preferred destination in mind: ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that the guard wants to go to the Wizards.
You might be wondering why in the world he wants to go to a team sitting in second-to-last place in the East, and that's because Washington could be willing to extend him. He will be eligible to sign a new three-year deal wherever he ends up. Given that the Wizards are the only serious suitor for Young, you can assume that there isn't another team out there willing to re-sign him.
The Bucks are desperate to win and ensure their superstar's happiness, but not desperate enough to trade for Young, especially not after waiving and stretching the remainder of Damian Lillard's contract over the offseason. Trading for Trae could actually be the final straw for Giannis.
Milwaukee fans can keep tabs on the Young trade rumors without worrying about him landing in Wisconsin, or at least, that's what they hope.