The case for and against the Milwaukee Bucks trading their 2024 NBA Draft picks
Why the Milwaukee Bucks should NOT trade their picks
1. The Bucks need youth
One of the most glaring problems with the Milwaukee Bucks last season was their lack of youth and energy. The team looked old and slow at times, largely because, well, they were old and slow!
Per Salary Swish, Milwaukee's roster had the second-oldest average age in the league last season at 29.3 years old, and five of their top eight players in minutes played were over 30 years old. Not a single player under the age of 27 played 700 minutes last season for the Bucks. In short, the Bucks are just an old team.
While having an older team is fine for a win-now team because it means a lot of proven, veteran players who are typically more trustworthy, it also has its negatives. The Bucks' transition defense was consistently shredded against younger teams all season as they struggled to get back on defense.
Quicker guards and more mobile bigs consistently gave them trouble, and it seemed apparent they could use a jolt of youth, energy, and quickness. Adding some young rookies to the mix could be beneficial in providing that... if those picks do pan out right away.
2. The Bucks are in need of cheap and young role players, and the best way to find that is by adding players through the draft
The Bucks are in a very tricky spot trying to improve their roster this off-season. They are paying their top four players $145.6 million and have no cap space to add any substantial free agents. Essentially, they have to fill out their roster with cheap players and hope they can provide value and impact.
Well, the most valuable contracts a team can find are good players still on their rookie contracts. For example, Tyrese Maxey (drafted 21st overall) was being paid only $3 million per year for the last four years. As mentioned already, it is extremely difficult to find those players later in the draft, but if the Bucks COULD hit on one of these picks, it would be massive.
Milwaukee having good, young role players on rookie contracts is the best case scenario that allows them to improve while also staying within their budget, so they definitely could take the chance on using these picks in hopes it results in a player or two like that.
3. Milwaukee needs to begin thinking about a Brook Lopez replacement
It is no secret that Brook Lopez's time with the Bucks is nearing an end. At age 36, Lopez is entering the last year of his contract, and while he has still been very impactful in recent years, it is likely that after next season, the Bucks will be going in another direction.
If that is the case, the Bucks will need to find a new big man at some point between now and the 2025-26 season. However, they don't have the cap space to sign anyone good in free agency, and there aren't many current big men who have the combination of rim protection and floor spacing that Lopez provides.
If the Bucks don't see any big man options out there that they like currently, it would make some sense for them to draft a big with one of their picks this season and then let that guy develop for a year so that he can take over for Lopez in 2025-26.
Some potential big guys they can draft would be Kel'el Ware, DaRon Holmes II, or Ulrich Chomche, all players who can provide good rim protection and also have some shooting ability. Milwaukee has to start thinking about their future at the center position at some point, and they may elect to start addressing it immediately.