It's clear as day that the Milwaukee Bucks need a big wing defender at the small forward spot to take a leap forward, but new rumors are not helping that. Per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the Bucks have looked at both Zach LaVine and Anfernee Simons as possible trade options in recent times. While the duo is interesting, they won't solve the glaring defensive issue.
Bucks need a defense-first small forward
The Milwaukee Bucks have had no clarity at the small forward spot this season.
Gary Trent Jr. began the year as a starter but was demoted to the bench. Kyle Kuzma has been hit or miss but is a natural power forward. Taurean Prince was having a decent season but is out of the mix indefinitely following neck surgery. Amir Coffey had a chance to prove himself but blew it. This team needs to bring in some help at that position. LaVine and Simons aren't exactly that.
Neither player has the best defensive reputation, and a trade for either would beef up the backcourt. The Milwaukee Bucks would love to have another go-to scorer who can take pressure off of their star player in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but doing so with a one-way player could be problematic. That is all without even mentioning their hefty salaries.
It's only a matter of time before the Milwaukee Bucks do get linked to a small forward. Scotto notes that the team is doing due diligence on players around the NBA. Outside of LaVine and Simons, no names were directly mentioned, but it feels obvious that a forward or two is on that list. Given how things have gone this season, there has to be a desire to upgrade at that spot.
Opposing forwards continue to carve up the Bucks. If the Bucks plan to make any noise, they cannot keep letting bigger wings take advantage of their lack of size a the forward spot. It needs addressing sooner rather than later.
The problem is that the market appears to be dry right now. Even in Scotto's reporting, most of the chatter is about guards. Players like Ja Morant, Zach LaVine, and Anfernee Simons could be decent pickups, but they aren't solving Milwaukee's prominent defensive flaw. Of course, the trade deadline is still many months away, so there is plenty of time for more targets to surface, but it could be a while.
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