The Milwaukee Bucks may or may not move Giannis Antetokounmpo by this year's trade deadline, but they're also considering smaller moves to net additional assets. One such maneuver could involve Mavericks guard D'Angelo Russell, per HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto.
"Should Milwaukee acquire Russell, the Bucks would likely look to acquire second-round draft capital while offering Dallas salary relief towards the luxury tax this season and clearing Dallas of Russell’s player option for next season."
As outlined by Scotto, bringing in some form of draft capital is the one and only incentive the Bucks have to add an unwanted player like Russell as they prepare for a likely second-half tank.
Bucks have nothing to lose if Mavericks compensate them fairly
A free-agent addition for Dallas last offseason, Russell is averaging 10.2 points and four assists in only 19 minutes per game, but inefficiency and defensive issues have limited his role with the Mavericks.
A combination of health issues and healthy DNPs led Russell to play just one game in January. His involvement has diminished substantially since the back end of November as the Mavericks have given Cooper Flagg the reins to the offense and leaned into another year of rebuilding.
Effectively, Russell has been reduced to a salary dump candidate.
That's where the Bucks come in. While Russell's two-year, $11.7 million contract is hardly exorbitant, every dollar is magnified by a steep tax bill in Dallas. Eliminating superfluous money from next year's books, including Russell's $5.9 million player option, is of interest to the Mavericks.
Whereas the Dallas payroll is barely over $1 million shy of the second apron, the Bucks sit comfortably beneath the tax threshold altogether. They could easily absorb Russell's contract in exchange for a pair of expiring minimum salaries. In practice, that would likely mean Amir Coffey and Cole Anthony.
The Bucks, of course, would not be doing this as Good Samaritans in the NBA marketplace. Russell is not particularly appealing as a player; he has compiled 0.1 win shares in 26 games and a negative-4.4 on-off rating. The chance to gain draft assets, however, should be enough to motivate Milwaukee.
As for the Mavericks, they have both a 76ers 2030 second-rounder and their own 2032 selection to trade. A second-round pick, even a potentially good one like Philadelphia's, isn't much, but it's far better than nothing. Depleted by years of wheeling and dealing, the Bucks' cupboards badly need restocking. They currently have no tradeable second-round picks of their own.
The 18-28 Bucks and 19-30 Mavericks occupy similar outlooks in '25-26. Adding players in an effort to win this season no longer makes sense. With or without Giannis on the roster, improving their lottery odds in the 2026 draft should be Milwaukee's priority No. 1 moving forward. Replenishing their barren draft stash in the meantime would be a welcome bonus.