From the moment the Milwaukee Bucks declined his fourth-year option, MarJon Beauchamp has been a name many fans have been waiting to get dealt.
With just minutes to go before the NBA Trade Deadline buzzer sounded, that came true. The Bucks have traded Beauchamp to the LA Clippers for Kevin Porter Jr. It's not the flashiest move, but there is plenty to dissect here.
On paper, the Milwaukee Bucks won this trade with the LA Clippers
Looking at both players, it's not controversial to think that Porter is the better player. For his career, he's averaged 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game. Meanwhile, Beauchamp is at 4.2 points and 0.6 assists. Why would the Clippers do this? After missing last season, Porter is having a down year, and he has an option for next season, while Beauchamp will hit free agency this summer. More flexibility to get off of a young player who wasn't making a sizeable difference.
On paper, Porter, a guard, doesn't really solve Milwaukee's major issue, which is a significant logjam in the frontcourt following the addition of newcomers Kyle Kuzma and Jericho Sims. Furthermore, it felt like the Milwaukee Bucks were officially handing over the backup point guard keys to Ryan Rollins, as they can now give him a standard roster spot. Now, there may be some competition on the bench, which isn't the biggest issue, but clearing out the frontcourt may have been a better use of time.
It's important to note that Porter is still under investigation by the NBA for a September 2023 incident regarding domestic assault, per The Athletic. That will certainly follow him to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Beauchamp likely won't immediately leap into LA's rotation, but perhaps there's an opportunity for him to fight for a rotation spot that wasn't there in Milwaukee. A former first-round pick, Beauchamp now officially goes down as a draft swing and a miss for the Milwaukee Bucks. He isn't the first over these past few seasons.
The Trade Deadline has now passed, and the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims and Kevin Porter Jr. It's certainly an interesting collection of names, but this roster still has some notable issues right now. Only time will tell how they gel on the basketball court, but the hope is that they can all bring the Milwaukee Bucks a spark to fuel a midseason turnaround.
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