The Milwaukee Bucks were interested in acquiring Peyton Watson this summer, and they even floated Jaime Jaquez Jr. in a potential sign-and-trade, although the talks were entirely conceptual. That tidbit comes from The Denver Post's Bennett Durando (subscription required). Milwaukee ultimately chose to hold off, and Jaquez could eventually vindicate them for not intensifying their pursuit.
A big year for Jaquez could make Bucks forget about Watson
By not even making an offer for Watson, as Durando reports, the Bucks made it clear that they have all the faith in the world that Jaquez can play the role their would-be trade target could have. Barring some unforeseen last-minute move, Jaquez is likely a shoo-in at one of the starting forward spots, and a career year could vindicate the Bucks for leaving Watson in the rearview.
Whether it's Ryan Rollins, Kasparas Jakucionis, Kevin Porter Jr., or any of the other guards, the Bucks have a handful of excellent passers in tow. In addition to being able to create for himself, Jaquez can now capitalize on all of the looks he will get from his teammates. He's in a great position to shatter his scoring career high from last season when he was a reserve.
Of course, there is more to the game than scoring. While it's his bread and butter, he is also a capable passer and rebounder. The Milwaukee Bucks should put all of those skills to the test as they evaluate their newcomer. He should have even more opportunities with a youth-focused Bucks team than he had grown used to in Miami.
Jaquez's long-term Bucks future is a topic for another day
One of the bright sides that would have come with trading for Watson involved inking him to a new deal that would cement his future with the team. Jaquez does not have that. The forward will be a free agent next summer. Beyond wanting to simply build on last season's success, Jaquez will be motivated by his financial future as he seeks a second contract.
The Milwaukee Bucks must decide whether to keep him and make him a key component of their core for the foreseeable future or potentially move him. For now, they are giving him a runway to make that decision for them. If he plays well and potentially helps the team make unexpected noise, it would be far from surprising if retaining him was one of their first moves next summer.
If he struggles while Peyton Watson plays well in Cleveland, it could make the Milwaukee Bucks regret not being more aggressive in their pursuit this summer.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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