Unlike last off-season with their blockbuster move for Damian Lillard, the Milwaukee Bucks likely will not be making any seismic trades this summer.
Although the team will have a couple of tradeable draft picks that could be very useful in trade talks, their financial situation makes it unlikely that they pull off anything too massive. Truthfully, that's not the end all be all for the Bucks, as aside from just simply staying healthy, the best thing for this roster may be just making a few moves around the edges to complement their star players.
One such move that would fit the bill comes from Bleacher Report in their latest article involving a mock trade for every team currently not in the NBA Finals - so everyone, excluding the Celtics and Mavericks. Understanding Milwaukee's limited wiggle room, their writers posted an eye-catching proposal that would see the Bucks strike a deal with one of their division rivals.
The mock trade between the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls
The deal is pretty straightforward. To shed Pat Connaughton's $9.4 million annual salary over the next two seasons, the Bucks attach a first-rounder to him and send him to Chicago. In return, the Bulls give up Ayo Dosunmu, an eye-catching guard set to make around $7 million over the next two seasons.
It's an interesting proposal for both sides, so let us break down the perspective of both teams and give them each a letter grade based on how this deal would work out for each party.
The Milwaukee Bucks' perspective
There's a lot to like about Ayo Dosunmu's potential fit with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Above all else, it's clear that the Bucks need to add not just younger contributors this off-season but ones who can help tune up their perimeter defense. Dosunmu fits both. The 24-year-old has molded himself into a quality defender throughout his first three seasons with the Bulls, utilizing his 6-foot-5 height and 6-foot-10 wingspan to hound opposing matchups.
Those measurements, paired with Dosunmu's athletic ability and willingness to play multiple different positions when called upon, all make him an incredibly versatile guard. He wouldn't be the big wing defender this team has longed for in recent memory, but he would give the team a guard with solid height and length to hold his own against those opposing wings.
With Patrick Beverley set to test free agency, the Bucks could very well lose one of their best guards and perimeter defenders. Dosunmu could instantly slide into Beverley's role, occupying the starting shooting guard slot next to Damian Lillard or coming off the bench to lead the second unit. It would also help the Milwaukee Bucks get younger at the position, as Beverley is 35.
Further highlighting how good of a fit he'd be, Dosunmu shot a career-best 40.3 percent from deep this past season. Playing alongside Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, he'd get to tee off from long distance with good looks constantly. Having averaged 12.2 points in that timeframe, he could also provide a nice complementary scoring boost, something that wouldn't hurt at all.
The Chicago Bulls' perspective
The Chicago Bulls will face another off-season of deciding whether or not they will aim to contend or kick-off a rebuild.
If it's the former, keeping Dosunmu would make sense, as he's coming off arguably the best year of his young career. He could be a building block for this team as they look to get back to contending status in the near future, as he's a very nice complementary piece to Chicago's core players.
Yet, if they are willing to listen to offers and start collecting assets, which seems somewhat likely after the team was constantly mentioned in trade murmurs last season, Dosunmu could be a more realistic target for teams. They certainly would not take him for pennies on the dollar, so it would take an offer of something substantial to pry the guard away from Chicago.
Connaughton himself wouldn't be the most attractive asset, but that first-round pick could make this interesting. With ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (Subscription required) reporting that the Bulls could look to move up in the upcoming draft, having another first-rounder to offer teams could be a useful asset. If they like a draft prospect enough, perhaps they could move on from Dosunmu.
Connaughton could also give them a very tradable salary to utilize or give them a fine enough veteran who has won at the highest level. Again, the first-rounder is the real prize here.
The grades
If this is on the table, the Milwaukee Bucks should absolutely go for it.
Although it would be nice to draft a young player who could possibly develop into a long-term piece, there is always some risk with that. The Bucks would be taking a player and hoping they pan out in the NBA, while Dosunmu is already a proven product.
The guard would fit seamlessly with the Milwaukee Bucks, giving them a strong, lengthy defender who can take on tough defensive assignments while also providing a boost on the other end. At 24, he is still young himself, so it almost would essentially be like utilizing that draft pick, just a safer bet.
Losing Connaughton wouldn't be much of a blow. He'll always be a hero for his efforts in 2021, but in the years since, he just hasn't managed to rekindle that same magic. It was clear this past season that he had undoubtedly lost a step, and he possesses one of the most tradeable contracts on the roster if the Bucks want to make a decently sized trade like this.
For the Bulls, this mock trade would be about rounding up all of the assets possible in an attempt to move up in the draft in the coming weeks or simply add a first to use on their own. It depends on which direction they decide to go, but if they blow up the roster, this wouldn't be the worst return, but they could likely get more for Dosunmu.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
Grade for Bucks: A-
Grade for Bulls: B-