When most teams trade a superstar, there is a slim chance they turn things around quickly. Well, the Milwaukee Bucks have made moves to counter that theory. Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes named the Bucks as one of his teams that "crushed" the offseason. On the surface, the thought of the team ending summer as winners might be puzzling, but there is plenty of validity to that claim.
The Bucks got a nice return for Giannis
Obviously, Milwaukee's offseason revolved around Giannis Antetokounmpo's future. The Bucks found a trade partner in Miami and took everything from them. In most superstar-driven deals, the team that gets the star is often the runaway winner. In this case, there have been plenty of people who side with the Bucks, given the colossal package of picks and players they received.
For Giannis, an aging star who seemingly no longer wanted to be in Milwaukee, the Bucks got an All-Star in Tyler Herro, a Sixth Man of the Year runner-up in Jaime Jaquez Jr., an up-and-coming big man in Kel'el Ware, and a guard brimming with potential in Kasparas Jakucionis, in addition to enough draft capital to give the team plenty of loot in the asset stash.
Sure, Milwaukee didn't get a superstar, but this is a solid haul. If the Bucks caved and got fleeced in a Giannis trade, like if they had traded him to Boston or Golden State, this sentiment would not exist. The Heat had the best package, and the team rightfully pounced on it. Forced to trade their star, the Bucks made sure the Heat would pay for it.
Other Bucks' moves have been notable
Before they even dealt Giannis, the Bucks hired Taylor Jenkins to be their new coach. He should be an immediate upgrade over Doc Rivers, who had plenty of shortcomings during the last several seasons. Known for his player development skills, Jenkins feels like the perfect coach to bring the best out of Jakucionis, Ware, and the rest of the youngsters on this team.
Speaking of young players, the Bucks drafted Brayden Burries 10th and then selected Nate Ament at 13 with a pick they got from Miami. Both look like they will be vital pieces of Milwaukee's future, with Burries dazzling at Summer League and Ament showing glimpses of potential as well. After years of poor drafting, it looks like the Milwaukee Bucks have a pair of curse-breakers.
Outside of one deal, which will be discussed in a minute, Milwaukee also spent wisely in free agency. Re-signing Jericho Sims, Ousmane Dieng, and Pete Nance while also adding Bogoljub Markovic and Kam Jones gives the Bucks depth and high-upside talent all around. Landing Caris LeVert and a pair of draft picks for two expendable veterans was also a massive win.
As noted by Hughes, the biggest knock on Milwaukee's summer is the Gary Trent Jr. deal. Despite a down year, the Bucks handed Trent a sizeable extension worth $64 million over four years. That's the type of money a young player gets after a career year, not a player who was sitting on the sidelines most nights. Yet, Trent can certainly bounce back and make this deal look far better.
General Manager Jon Horst faced a difficult decision and has made the most of it. No one knows if the Bucks will be legitimate title contenders anytime soon, but as he was forced to steer this team into a new era, it's fair to think he did a quality job.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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