Remember when the Milwaukee Bucks looked like they were content with their roster before pulling off a blockbuster deal for Damian Lillard just ahead of camp in 2023? For a number of reasons, it did not go well. Now, with training camp inching closer, the Bucks might give fans deja vu, as rumor has it they are chasing dissatisfied Detroit Pistons star center Jalen Duren, per The Athletic's Sam Amick (subscription required).
With little to no time before the training camp festivities begin, the Bucks once again risk beginning the season in a jam with a new star who has no chemistry with his teammates.
Duren could be Lillard 2.0 for the Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks acquired Damian Lillard on September 27, 2023. Given how exciting it was that the team had just landed one of the NBA's best point guards, no one really cared how close to training camp this deal materialized, brushing aside concerns about chemistry or how quickly Lillard might gel with his new teammates. "He'll figure it out." He, unfortunately, did not.
Lillard's arrival late in the offseason wasn't the sole reason his Bucks tenure did not work out, as there were countless other factors that revolved around poor coaching and personal issues, but there is no doubt that chemistry played a part in year one. Most nights, it looked like Lillard was playing his own game. It wasn't his fault; he had to play on the fly because the team had no groove after the shakeup.
Had that trade happened earlier and the Milwaukee Bucks had time to ease into camp, perhaps it might have helped the transition. Now, in eerily similar fashion, the Bucks must ask themselves on September 22, 2026, whether they could overcome this scenario with Jalen Duren as camp inches closer.
Duren wouldn't be as hard to fit in as Lillard
Of course, the two situations aren't exactly one-for-one. Despite his success, Duren isn't a superstar like Lillard was when he came to Milwaukee, and he wouldn't have to mesh with another ball-dominant superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo. That could make his transition to the 414 a lot smoother if the Milwaukee Bucks were to pull off a stunner this late in the offseason.
It helps that expectations also aren't as high in Milwaukee as they were when Lillard came to town. Once he touched down, the Bucks were in championship or bust mode. Even if they get Duren, no one will be picking Milwaukee as their title favorite. They could spend this season ironing out the kinks and playing the long game in a way they couldn't afford to do with Lillard.
Yet, with the Bucks already beginning team-bonding activities before camp, one has to wonder how a move for Duren could disrupt things.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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