The Milwaukee Bucks likely still have another move or two in them following the re-signing of young guard Ryan Rollins. An interesting one to consider comes from Sam Vecenie on a recent episode of the Game Theory Podcast, where he suggests the Bucks try to make a play for Malik Monk, sending Kyle Kuzma to Sacramento in return.
"If you're the Kings, your leverage here is to just go to the Warriors and say, 'Look, you're 100 percent right; we do want Jonathan Kuminga, but if you're not willing to do Devin Carter, Malik Monk, and something else, then we're just going to do a thing where we decide, oh, no, we're just going to flip Malik Monk for Kyle Kuzma, and that will be our answer.' If you're the Milwaukee Bucks, you do that in a heartbeat...
The idea is that they kind of want to win now. They need a Kyle Kuzma type of player. Right, who's like a bigger wing. They actually do genuinely need a bigger wing. And they have had interest in him prior, in the prior front office. And a lot of the people who still worked in that prior front office are still there."
Bucks should be all over this if there's a chance
On paper, another shooting guard isn't exactly a dire need for the Milwaukee Bucks. Not only do they currently have Gary Trent Jr., AJ Green, Andre Jackson Jr., and Gary Harris, but they also re-signed a pair of combo guards in Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins. Even then, no one can deny just how much of a shot in the arm Monk could be for this basketball team.
He's coming off the most productive season of his career, having averaged 17.2 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. Monk is a bucket-getter from any spot on the floor, and his passing has grown tremendously from when he first came into the league. He could be a starter or reserve who gives the Milwaukee Bucks a massive offensive spark whenever he's on the basketball court.
Next season, it looks like the Bucks are planning to let Giannis Antetokounmpo be the primary floor general and to have combo guards, like Rollins and Porter, next to him, giving him more control of the offense without a primary point guard. Monk would fit into that role perfectly, as he can play without the ball but can also take ball-handling responsibilities when the time calls for it.
Now, for the package itself. It's no secret that Kyle Kuzma, due to his hefty salary and poor play last postseason, is likely on the chopping block. It would be highway robbery if the Milwaukee Bucks got Monk for Kuzma straight up, so they'd have to add in some form of sweetener. Yet, if Vecenie's note about the Kings' past interest in Kuzma is still true, this could make for an interesting package.
Looking at the roster after re-signing Ryan Rollins, the one major hole is at small forward, as the only player they employ at that spot is Taurean Prince. Trading for Monk wouldn't exactly fix that, but there is little doubt that he could be a good pickup due to his scoring, passing, and athletic ability.
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