Even after trading away a franchise icon in Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks have done a good job setting themselves up for the future. They shouldn't throw that all away for a player with an assortment of red flags. Yet, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley proposed a trade that would send an All-NBA center, Jalen Duren, to Milwaukee in a sign-and-trade.
Bucks sell the farm in this mock Duren deal
Jalen Duren is a good player, but he's not worth this haul. If Brayden Burries is considered to be off the table, the Bucks are essentially giving up their three best assets here. Rollins is a rising two-way guard on one of the NBA's best deals. Turner, though he had a down year, is still a quality center who can play on both ends. A team entering a rebuild also shouldn't be so eager to trade a high-end pick.
If the Milwaukee Bucks were getting a legitimate difference-maker, maybe they would consider this, but Duren, at least for now, isn't that. There are plenty of concerns with the big man, mainly stemming from his playoff showing. After averaging 19.5 points while shooting 65 percent in the regular season, Duren's numbers dipped to 10.2 points on 51.4 percent shooting. He looked like a shell of himself.
Would the Milwaukee Bucks essentially sell their future with three of their most valuable assets for a player who might be a playoff dropper? That would certainly be a hard sell. It could quickly prove to be a disastrous move.
Bucks should hold off on big splashes for now
The Milwaukee Bucks should not be the team sending out significant assets in any deal for the rest of the summer. Instead, after missing out on Peyton Watson, they should look to absorb salary from any team looking to offload it in exchange for assets. If no situations present themselves, the team should keep this group intact and roll into the season.
Along the way, they could build up the trade value of players. Myles Turner's value isn't high after his down year, but he could be in demand in a few months with a bounce-back. Tyler Herro could be one of the hottest trade deadline players if he lives up to expectations. Heck, even Kyle Kuzma could be on teams' radars if he shows he can still play.
That's the smart approach rather than jeopardizing their entire future for a player who is good but is not worth the farm. After years of risky splashes to keep the Giannis Antetokounmpo era rolling, the Milwaukee Bucks can now be patient.
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