All of a sudden, it is January 2024, and a hectic time for the NBA is right around the corner. The trade deadline is less than a month out, and several teams will likely make deals in an attempt to improve their squads. One of the best parts of the deadline is seeing which of the major contenders, such as the Milwaukee Bucks, improves the most.
Oftentimes, the trades these said contenders make are just slight wrinkles to the roster, but sometimes these slight moves are of the most magnitude to already top-heavy teams. I will be grading one of the six mock trades for the Bucks proposed by Behind the Buck Pass' own Dalton Sell. This is a mock deal between the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks.
The odds of a full-out fire sale in Toronto have been increasing by the day. A top-to-bottom rebuild could be brewing for the Raptors at or before the deadline. OG Anunoby was dealt away to the Knicks in exchange for some young pieces, and with the interest Pascal Siakam has been drawing league-wide, another package of picks and players could be in Toronto's future.
This deal sees the Bucks acquiring young, lengthy wing Jalen McDaniels and veteran forward Otto Porter Jr. in exchange for Pat Connaughton, AJ Green, and two second-round picks, including one from this upcoming offseason.
Draft picks are very meager for the Bucks, and getting rid of them would be a tough decision to make. On the contrary, if you watch the Bucks play consistently, you know they have trouble defensively. A large part of these struggles stem from personnel, so any trade where Milwaukee can upgrade defensively has me listening and should have Horst listening, too.
Pat Connaughton has drawn a liking from fans over the years, but it might be best for both sides to move on sooner rather than later. Losing the familiarity and experience Connaughton brings to Milwaukee may take some time to adapt to. The pros outweigh the cons when it comes to involving Connaughton in this trade or ones similar to it.