Once again, the Milwaukee Bucks are out of the NBA Playoffs due to their lack of options to defend their opponents on the perimeter.
It's a pattern we've seen for years now, and this year was no different. All year long, the Bucks felt the loss of Jrue Holiday on the defensive end; the year before, it was the loss of P.J. Tucker. The Bucks rushed to find a quick solution, but Semi Ojeleye wasn't the answer. It wasn't Wesley Matthews. It certainly wasn't Jae Crowder. Where does Jon Horst turn to now?
As the NBA Finals conclude, fans and pundits alike are opining once again on who the next great defensive stopper for Milwaukee should be. Bleacher Report proposed a curious trade between the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors that sees Bobby Portis and Andre Jackson Jr. heading west for Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, a second-round pick and a future second-rounder. It's a relatively straightforward exchange that promises, at least on paper, upgrades in each team's areas of need at the moment. Let's break it down.
Bleacher Report's mock trade between the Bucks and Warriors
At first glance, this deal is clearly going to raise eyebrows. The Bucks would lose a key rotation player (and an extremely well-loved one at that) for unproven pieces and future flexibility, while the Warriors gamble on the health of a reserve big man and give up on a young wing with potential.
Given Milwaukee's relative lack of any trade capital, beggars certainly can't be choosers, and Portis is one of the few tradable assets they have left. For Golden State, acquiring a prominent player like Portis is going to be something of a last-ditch attempt at reviving their title hopes while they still have Stephen Curry.
It's certainly an intriguing suggestion from both sides and one that also makes a lot of basketball sense at least on paper. In this piece, we'll examine each team's point of view and assign a letter grade for how well this arrangement would serve each franchise given their needs and circumstances as it currently stands. Let's start with Milwaukee.