Grade the Trade: Bucks add former Sixth Man of the Year in intriguing mock deal

The Bucks' POV on this mock trade

It is a bit of a headscratcher for the Bucks as it stands, giving up their defensive anchor in Lopez for Clarkson.

Lopez's stock dropped last season due to the addition of Lillard taking shots away from him. Yet, under Adrian Griffin, the defensive scheme was nothing short of horrendous and had Lopez on the perimeter matched up with guards, where he just got exposed. This settled down once Doc Rivers took the reigns.

At 35, Lopez still averaged a solid 12.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks on shooting splits of .485/.366/.821 last season, all very similar to the stats he put up in the 2022-23 season, but with less shot attempts.

The partnership he and Giannis Antetokounmpo have built was essential to all of the Bucks' defensive success in recent years, and the additions of Wright and Prince help to bolster that defensive skillset on the roster.

Clarkson is an extremely talented offensive player, and since arriving in Utah back in 2019, he has been in constant trade talks as a target for contending teams. Last season, he averaged 17.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and five assists on splits of .413/.294/.881. That is all well and good, but the Bucks don't need scoring. Bobby Portis has been a great sixth man for the team, but also, the addition of Trent allows Rivers to move rotations and maybe see him come off the bench as a scorer.

Trent put up 13.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and a steal on splits of .426/.393/.771 last season. That's not far off Clarkson, on three fewer shots and with better shooting from the field and way better from beyond the arc. The Jazz guard attempted 14.8 shots per game in 30.6 minutes, which would drastically decrease in Milwaukee, so then would the trade be worth it?

Swartz says the Bucks should be "searching for players like Clarkson who can make a big impact while playing on a reasonable contract." The statement is fine, but the example is perhaps wrong. As mentioned, for the Bucks to match his deal, they would need to give up Lopez, and the interchange of those players may make the Bucks even better offensively; defensively, it could become a mess, and they would be back dealing with the same problems they faced last season.

The Rockets were involved in the rumors for acquiring Lopez last offseason, so conversations may reignite there, but the Milwaukee Bucks would likely look to take back role players from them, such as Eason, that fit their needs should Lopez be moved.

Clarkson is extremely talented, but regarding how the deal is constructed, it would be a very odd one for the Milwaukee Bucks to accept.

Grade for Bucks: C+