Milwaukee's going above and beyond to evaluate the available wings and guards on the market, but only one name actually addresses what this team desperately needs: Dejounte Murray.
Jake Fischer's reporting in The People's Insider Substack has the Bucks looking at a number of names, chief of which is Michael Porter Jr., who has deservedly taken up most of the headlines. Porter has long been a talented scorer with size who helps on the glass, but if he comes at the cost of Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis, Milwaukee's 18th-ranked defense (115.7 points given up per 100) only gets even worse. Ultimately, it would just be trading one problem for a bigger one.
The other names being reported are equally uninspiring, regardless of their name recall. Zach LaVine is a bad defender and empty scorer whose numbers don't translate to winning basketball. Jerami Grant is at this point not the same player who used to provide legitimate two-way value. Neither moves the needle for a team trying to keep Giannis happy.
Murray is one of the few trade targets that make sense for Milwaukee
Dejounte Murray can actually help the point of attack defense if he comes back healthy and puts it together. That's the exact thing Milwaukee's missing: a point-of-attack defender who can actually slow down elite opposing ball handlers (We've said it before and we'll say it again: Milwaukee has that in Andre Jackson Jr., but we're operating under the assumption that he remains in Doc Rivers' doghouse for the foreseeable future).
The major caveat: Dejounte Murray hasn't played yet in the current 2025-26 NBA season. He's still recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon he sustained last year.
But if he can come back strong, and that's obviously a huge if, he is the only name among Milwaukee's reported targets that really helps this team. Murray addresses their biggest weakness (perimeter defense) while also providing secondary playmaking and scoring that doesn't require him to be a primary option.
The Achilles recovery is terrifying from a risk perspective. Nobody knows how Murray will look when he returns, if he'll have the same lateral quickness that made him an elite defender, or if he'll ever regain the explosion that defined his game.
But every other option Milwaukee's considering thus far just doesn't make sense from a fit standpoint, given what this team needs. Porter and LaVine are talented offensive players who hurt an already bleeding defense, while Grant is nearing the end of his prime. At least with Murray, there's a realistic scenario where he returns at 85-90 percent and provides exactly what the Bucks need.
The timeline also works better for Milwaukee. Murray's not playing yet, which means his price is probably depressed. Teams will (rightfully) be apprehensive about the Achilles injury, which creates an opportunity for the Bucks to buy low.
The fit makes too much sense if Murray returns healthy. Last season before injury, he averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. That season, opponents turned the ball over in 2.8 percent more of their possessions when Murray was on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass, putting him in the 94th percentile in that statistic. Pairing him with the likes of Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins in the backcourt gives Milwaukee three legitimate two-way guards who can handle the ball and defend.
The defensive upside is what makes this gamble worth taking. If Murray comes back even close to his pre-injury form, the Bucks instantly upgrade from one of the worst defensive backcourts in the league to one that can actually compete in playoff matchups.
Every other name on Milwaukee's list is a lateral move at best or an active downgrade. Dejounte Murray is the only desperation move that makes logical sense if he can come back strong.