The Milwaukee Bucks sure seem desperate to make a splash before the NBA Trade Deadline, but it shouldn't grow to the point of agreeing to an Anthony Davis trade. On the latest episode of The Zach Lowe Show, the host pitched the idea of teams stuck in the mud, such as the Bucks or LA Clippers, going after the rumored to be available Davis to rejuvenate their contention hopes.
"You've got to look at teams that are desperate to win and underperforming and can bundle some expiring salary. And I said, like, I'd look at the Bucks. I'd look at the Clippers for Anthony Davis, and I still would for those reasons."
Sure, it would bring another big name to Milwaukee as the Bucks look to convince franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo that they are willing to spend big, but Davis is a massive gamble. This isn't a situation with Jrue Holiday or Damian Lillard where Giannis would instantly commit to the franchise for the foreseeable future if a move went down.
Anthony Davis has too many concerns to be Bucks' all-in trade target
Everyone knows what they're getting with Anthony Davis. He's a walking double-double who could instantly give any team a needed jolt on both sides of the basketball. It's not hard to imagine just how dominant of a duo he and Giannis Antetokounmpo would be, particularly defensively. It's clear to see why he would be the hottest commodity on the trade market if the Bucks keep Giannis.
Yet, there's also the other side of the coin, and that's the injury history. Injuries have always been the big man's Achilles heel. In fact, he's been limited to just 17 games this season because of them. Any team that trades for him knows they are taking a massive risk because injuries have always been an unavoidable obstacle for the former NBA Champion.
Can the Milwaukee Bucks afford to part ways with Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, and a first-round pick for a player with such massive injury risk? It would be the biggest gamble of the Jon Horst era. The rest of the NBA knows the team is desperate, but even that might be too much as Milwaukee's next move could dictate Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with the team.
While they could certainly explore trading for Anthony Davis, all signs point to the Bucks making a smaller move to tweak the roster. On a Bleacher Report livestream, NBA insider Jake Fischer said he thinks the Bucks will be hunting more in the $35-$38 million price range, far less than the $54 million that Davis will take home this season.
Milwaukee is desperate. No one knows what they have planned, but they should think long and hard about the potential risks of an Anthony Davis trade.
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