While the NBA waits to see what the Milwaukee Bucks do with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the team is reportedly eyeing other moves. Per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, D'Angelo Russell is a player on the Bucks' radar, but not because they think he can help them. Scotto says the Bucks could look to help the Dallas Mavericks cut costs by using their minimum players. Here is a mock that would do so.
Bucks help the Mavericks save some money in mock trade
In this deal, the Mavericks save $1 million and get off the $6 million player option Russell holds for next season, which he will almost certainly accept. When they signed Russell this past summer, the Mavericks were justified, thinking they were getting a nice veteran stopgap at point guard. However, Russell hasn't been in the rotation for quite some time, and he's currently just sitting on their books.
A second-round pick is a fair asking price on Milwaukee's end. They won't accept any deal to take on Russell's salary because they want to be friendly. At this point, he's not a positive asset, so Milwaukee needs something of value to take him off Dallas' hands. A second rounder four years down the road is not the most appealing asset, but at this point, the Bucks could use all the capital they can get.
On the season, Russell, a one-time All-Star, is averaging 10.2 points and four assists while shooting a mere 40.5 percent from the floor. Sure, at just 29, perhaps Russell still has some fuel left in the tank, and the Bucks could get a closer look at him as Kevin Porter Jr. recovers from injury in what would be a low-risk tNBA Trade Deadline addition.
It's not like the Milwaukee Bucks would be gutting a significant portion of their roster, either. While the signings initially had sky-high potential, Anthony and Coffey haven't panned out. Even with countless injuries across the board, neither player has been featured much in Milwaukee's rotation lately. Sure, them being on expiring deals is nice, but so is the thought of moving them for draft capital.
These are exactly the type of deals the Milwaukee Bucks should be looking at. Barring a miracle, the odds of them climbing out of their current hole are slim. Whether or not they trade Giannis over the next handful of days, the Bucks should be looking to stock up on as many assets as they can to help potentially get them back on track in the summer.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.