The February 6 NBA Trade Deadline is nearing, and everyone has their eyes on the Milwaukee Bucks.
Whether it's a trade for Jimmy Butler, Bradley Beal, an athletic big man or whatever else, no one really has a clear idea what this team will do. Whether they decide to make a major splash or a move around the edges, one thing is clear, and that's the obvious decision to clear up a roster spot to sign two-way guard Ryan Rollins to a standard NBA contract.
The Milwaukee Bucks have to sign Ryan Rollins to a legitimate contract
With the Bucks wounded in the backcourt to start the season, two-way guard Ryan Rollins got some extended time. He fit in well with Milwaukee's youth movement, providing strong defense, athleticism, scoring and shooting. Doc Rivers has trusted the young guard so much that not only is he earning 12 minutes per game, a new career-high, but he also has all five of his career NBA starts this season.
The current predicament the Bucks face is that Rollins is still on a two-way deal, which means he has certain limitations. First and foremost, he can only appear in 50 regular season games; he is currently halfway there at 25, and there are 41 more games to go. Second, Rollins currently would be ineligible to suit up in the NBA Playoffs. Those are two restrictions the Milwaukee Bucks need to eradicate.
Simply put, Jon Horst, Milwaukee's general manager, needs to clear up a roster spot that will then be given to Ryan Rollins, and he needs to do it before February 6.
What are his best options? There has been some chatter about the Milwaukee Bucks finding a new home for Pat Connaughton, dumping his contract to get out of the second apron. If they are unable to do that, there were also rumors earlier this season that they were looking to give MarJon Beauchamp a change of scenery, which would likely be a salary dump. Either of those moves would make room.
Both deals are easier said than done. For Connaughton, he is making $9.4 million this season and has a player option worth the same figure next season. To dump that, the Bucks would undoubtedly have to cough up some legitimate capital. All they have is a first and second rounder each. That first should not be on the table in those talks, but is a second enough? Other teams may not value it that much.
What about Beauchamp? Making $2.7 million this season, he's on a cheap deal, so he'd be easier to move than Connaughton. However, rumor has it that he's been available for months. If that is true, it appears no one has wanted him. Could that change before the deadline? Sure, but if there was an interested suitor in him, one may think they would have come forward by now.
Of course, there are other pathways the Milwaukee Bucks could explore to free up a roster spot, such as in a multi-team deal for a big fish like Butler, but right now, moving Connaughton or Beauchamp is their best bet. Can Jon Horst get it done? He will unquestionably try hard.
Not freeing up a roster spot for Ryan Rollins would be a flat-out disaster for Milwaukee. Sure, he has not been a game-changing addition, but he's been a nice addition to this rotation, and he can be of great use in the backcourt. They need the type of spark he provides on both sides of the court. The first step in that process is moving someone to make room for the guard.
Signing him to a low-cost multi-year contract should be a no-brainer move.
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