It's no secret that the Milwaukee Bucks' biggest roster hole at the moment is their small forward spot. The team will likely canvas the market for help all the way up until the NBA Trade Deadline, but there is a name who could be available long before then. Per NBA insider Jake Fischer (subscription required), new Nets forward Haywood Highsmith becomes trade eligible on December 15 and will garner plenty of interest. There is no confirmation from Fischer, but history shows the Bucks will likely check in.
Bucks should keep a close eye on Haywood Highsmith
Milwaukee's small forward rotation currently consists of Taurean Prince, Chris Livingston, Kyle Kuzma (if the Bucks want to play him out of position), and Amir Coffey, who isn't even on the standard roster. The team could certainly use another quality body, given that Prince and Kuzma are coming off brutal playoff showings, Livingston is still raw, and Coffey's spot on the roster isn't guaranteed.
Highsmith would be an excellent fit on this roster. Coming off his best season to date, the forward put up 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 38.2 percent from three and playing some tough defense. That's the type of player that every single contender would love to have on the roster; it won't just be the Milwaukee Bucks come December.
Fueling speculation on Milwaukee's interest in Highsmith is the fact that they have shown interest in him before. Miami Herald writer Barry Jackson reported last summer that Milwaukee had reached out to then free agent Highsmith, with former Buck Damian Lillard throwing out a recruiting pitch. It didn't stop him from returning to Miami, but now, he could be available once again.
Set to take home $5.6 million next season, Highsmith is on an incredibly team-friendly contract for contenders to absorb, making him all the more desirable.
A significant roadblock the Milwaukee Bucks could run into is that they are running low on assets at the moment. Trades for players like Jae Crowder and the recent move to dump Pat Connaughton to sign Myles Turner have gutted the team's draft picks. Other teams are certainly richer in that regard and could offer the Brooklyn Nets more, putting Milwaukee at a sizeable disadvantage.
There's no telling how the Milwaukee Bucks look in December. However, if their small forward concerns persist, they know of at least one trade target to look into.
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