Rumor has it that the Milwaukee Bucks are calling around the entire NBA looking to piece together a trade or two to beef up their roster.
Although there are countless teams across the league that would make for interesting trade partners, the Portland Trail Blazers may be the most compelling at this moment. Not only do they employ many intriguing players who would fit well with the Bucks, but there is also an element of familiarity between these two franchises stemming from the Damian Lillard trade that could help in any negotiations.
The Bucks and Trail Blazers would be great trade partners
No matter what position the Milwaukee Bucks are looking to fortify, the Trail Blazers have a player who may be able to help.
If the Bucks want a big man, plenty of fans have proposed Robert Williams III as an ideal trade target, and for good reason. While he's battled the injury bug over the years, Williams has always been a nice interior defensive presence who possesses eye-catching athleticism. With the way Bobby Portis has struggled on defense this year, many think swapping the two would make sense.
If the Bucks don't feel comfortable taking the risk with Williams but still would like a big, Duop Reath would make sense as a low-risk option. On a minimum contract, the Bucks could bring in the center without having to gut a prominent contributor, such as Bobby Portis, to get him. A move centered around MarJon Beauchamp for Reath would make sense.
If the Milwaukee Bucks don't want a big but instead want to make a play for a guard, Portland would still offer a few compelling options.
The obvious one is Matisse Thybulle. A two-time All-Defensive honoree, he would give Milwaukee another legitimate wing defender on the perimeter to take on household names. Thybulle is yet to play this season as he rehabs from injury, but that may mean his value is low, giving the Bucks the opportunity to pounce if they would indeed like another defensive wing for good measure.
If Portland's demands are too stiff or if the Bucks cannot find a good fit for Thybulle from a financial perspective, perhaps they could pivot to Dalano Banton. Since being traded to Portland last season, the 6-foot-9 point guard has played the best basketball of his career, serving as a two-way menace. On a minimum contract, it would not take much to get him in that regard.
Although it's unlikely that Portland would look to trade the potential-filled forward, Toumani Camara is another Trail Blazer the Milwaukee Bucks could at least inquire about if they are going up and down Portland's roster over the phone. He is quickly developing into a strong 3-and-D wing, and he's on an incredibly cheap contract.
Finally, if the Milwaukee Bucks want to go nuclear and move on from Khris Middleton, which does seem unlikely but not impossible, Portland has one of the more compelling trade-off options in Jerami Grant. The forward has the scoring and defensive chops to be a nice third-fiddle behind Milwaukee's top two stars. It simply remains to be seen how the Bucks feel about Middleton.
The Trail Blazers offer the Bucks plenty of compelling targets, giving general managers Jon Horst and Joe Cronin something to chat about before the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline. Perhaps they could reminisce on old memories while making some new ones.
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