With the NBA season coming to a close in the coming days, offseason chatter and mock trades are starting to heat up. For instance, ESPN recently composed a handful of mock deals they think should be considered by the Milwaukee Bucks, one of which involves adding Bradley Beal, but, perhaps more desirable, a first round pick in this upcoming draft.
Bucks could use draft pick, but Beal could be a poor gamble
The main draw here is the first-round pick. This class is loaded with so talent that even the 29th pick should be of interest. The youth-hungry Milwaukee Bucks need to find some young players who can help sooner rather than later, and they could absolutely snag one late in the opening round. Finding a young impact player in the draft could be a game-changer moving forward.
Then there's the rest of the package. With Damian Lillard injured and likely to miss significant time next season, it would make sense for the Bucks to consider moving him for pieces who could help. However, those players must possess legitimate upside. More upside than what the Bucks could receive when Damian Lillard returns to action.
One of the few advantages Beal does have over Lillard is that his Achilles is currently fine. Other than that, it's a tough sell, especially with his massive contract looming.
While Beal is still a nice player who can play a complementary role, he has undoubtedly shown signs of regression since joining the Suns. Furthermore, dating back to the 2018-19 NBA season, he hasn't featured in more than 60 regular season games in a single season. The Milwaukee Bucks don't need to trade for another star who is oftentimes injured and very clearly declining.
Admittedly, Royce O'Neale would be a nice pickup. He's coming off arguably his best season as a pro, averaging a career-best 9.1 points, 4.7 boards, and 2.2 assists while shooting a blazing 40.6 percent from downtown. He's the type of Swiss Army Knife role player this Milwaukee Bucks team could use as they look to embrace a more versatile style of basketball.
Swapping out Pat Connaughton for O'Neale would make plenty of sense for Milwaukee. The wing has not been his 2021 self for several years now and found himself out of the rotation for a good chunk of the year. O'Neale would be an immediate upgrade.
It feels much more likely that the Milwaukee Bucks will hang onto Lillard. If they find a way to trade into the first round, it would be great, but this likely isn't the way they go about it.
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