The Bucks have made some potentially brilliant moves and other questionable ones this offseason, but one that undeniably deserves praise is taking on Caris LeVert's contract along with two second-round draft picks. Milwaukee wisely used their cap flexibility to gain additional draft assets for the future, while other rebuilding teams like the Bulls failed to cash in the same way.
The Bucks succeeded where the Bulls fell short
In fact, Chicago is a great comparison because they also took on a contract that a player's former team no longer wanted on their books. In the Bulls' case, it was center Nicolas Claxton in the middle of a 4-year/$97 million contract. At a time when finding good production on cheap deals has never been more valuable, Claxton's deal made him a negative asset considering his recent production.
Last season, he averaged 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists along with one block per game for a tanking Nets team. Those numbers are decent, but nothing worthy of a large contract under the current CBA. Even if the Bulls believe he can take a major leap in a new environment, there was no reason for them to take on his contract without getting an additional pick or two as a sweetener.
The situation looks even worse for the Bulls when you see how the Bucks made out for LeVert. LeVert only has one more season left on his contract at $14.8 million, but the Pistons were still willing to give up two future picks just to move him. That's a knockout transaction for the Bucks, who only had to send back Gary Harris and Taurean Prince - two aging veterans who didn't figure into their long-term plans anyways.
The Bulls have a slim shot of walking away winners
It is worth noting that Claxton and LeVert are not the exact same player by any means. LeVert is 5 years older and coming off arguably the worst season of his career. Meanwhile, Claxton is just 26 and should be entering the prime of his career soon. Claxton also has skills that the Bulls desperately need, namely rim protection from a strong defensive anchor.
However, based on recent statistical trends, both players may already be past their best days. Claxton's best season to date is already 3 years in the past: he was 9th in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2023 while also shooting 70% from the field. His impact on winning has understandably dipped since then after losing some All-Star teammates but the Bulls are banking on him finding his groove with a more competitive team.
LeVert has also slipped in his production recently - he put up 7 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists per game last season while shooting a career low 42% from the field and a mediocre 33% from three. Thankfully, the Bucks already got solid value just for adding him so they can rest easy regardless of how he looks in Milwaukee.
Add us as a preferred source on Google