Bucks' best late-season addition won't come from trades or buyout market

The trade deadline passed without the Milwaukee Bucks doing much one way or another. Ousmane Dieng is an intriguing player. Cam Thomas, a buyout signing, has supplied immediate upside. After those additions, however, the current roster is what the Bucks will have to work with for the rest of this season. While they can still explore the buyout market or take a flyer on a two-way deal, available players are limited. 

As it turns out, of course, their most meaningful second-half acquisition is already on the team. The Bucks can count on a major boost whenever Giannis Antetokounmpo returns from his calf strain. That might not be enough to dig them out of a 22-30 hole, but it's more than they would be getting right now out of any trade-season swing.

The Greek Freak's return will be Bucks' biggest addition

Not too long ago, shutting Giannis down for the season seemed like a real possibility. That would allow the Bucks to prioritize draft position while keeping Antetokounmpo healthy for whatever happens this offseason. Instead, the team indicated that Giannis will return as soon as he is cleared to play. Winning remains the goal. 

In that case, the 12th-place Bucks can't afford to do much losing from here on out. Still two games behind Atlanta in 10th, even securing a Play-in bid will be an uphill fight. The scorching Hornets have surged to ninth and show signs of slipping. It's not a great place to be. 

Antetokounmpo's teammates have, though, been doing a bit better without him. After Wednesday's spirited victory in Orlando, the Bucks have won four of five. That makes them 7-15 in the Greek Freak's absence versus 15-15 with him. 

Obviously, those splits do not inspire great optimism, but getting Giannis back out of the All-Star break would preserve a fighting chance. His individual impact is not something to underestimate. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Bucks are 15.7 points better with him on the court. 

Looking at his own numbers, it's not hard to see why. Always efficient in the paint, he is putting up the best effective field goal percentage (66.0) and true shooting percentage (67.9) of his career. He is averaging a career-best 2.8 offensive rebounds per game.

Often playing on a pitch count, Giannis is still scoring 34.5 points per 36 minutes, a tick below his previous best. His per-48 win shares (0.261) are his highest since 2021-22. When Giannis plays, he is as dominant as ever. 

On the other side of the hiatus, having him and Kevin Porter Jr. healthy at the same time would give the Bucks something they haven't had much of all season. That duo has only shared the court in 15 games this season, for an average of 20.3 minutes per contest, but the team is plus-4.9 in the box score with both of them in the lineup. 

Now the Bucks have Thomas, who has his flaws but at worst is a clear Cole Anthony upgrade off the bench. He made that much clear with a team-high 34 points versus the Magic. Add it all up and maybe, just maybe, re-introducing one of the game's most explosive forces will be an impactful enough addition to push Milwaukee over the top and into the Play-in mix this April.