The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly interested in making a play for one of the hottest names on the market ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline.
According to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, Milwaukee has registered interest in Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks, who seems inevitably on the move before the deadline.
This is surprising to an extent. It's a bad eye-catching because of how bare Milwaukee's asset cabinet is following the Damian Lillard trade and how unlikely it is they could outbid other teams. However, the Bucks are known to check in on the big names whenever they become available for trade, even if it is just to kick the tires on what it might cost to get them.
Whether they're legitimately interested in making a play for Murray or just doing their due diligence on one of the top players on the market, the big question is which players may be involved. Here are the three Bucks likeliest to be dangled in trade talks, whether it is a multi-team trade or a straight-up deal with the Hawks.
Bobby Portis
If the Bucks make a trade for a player with a salary above $10 million, Bobby Portis would likely be the centerpiece of their offering. With an $11.7 million salary for this season, the big man is on a relatively affordable contract for his production, which could entice opposing teams.
In this scenario, it would be interesting to see what would happen with the big man. If a deal between just the Hawks and Bucks went down, the former could either hang onto Portis or deal him for other assets. If a third team is involved, Portis could be flipped there, while that team sends added capital Atlanta's way to sweeten the pot, which would help due to Milwaukee's limited draft assets.
Though he's having a hot and cold season, Portis undeniably still has value. He was a finalist in the Sixth Man of the Year running last year and is still among the top sixth men in the association. Plenty of the teams scouting the market for a backup big man would love to get a double-double machine like Portis on their hands.
Trading Portis, who has cemented himself as an all-time fan favorite, would undeniably sting for the Bucks fanbase. However, similarly to the Damian Lillard trade, where the Bucks gave up Jrue Holiday, if there's an opportunity to make a major splash, the front office has to genuinely make a play for the player involved, especially one like Murray, who could help this team out a ton defensively.
Pat Connaughton
Similar to Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton's decently sized contract would be needed if the Bucks were to make a big move before the trade deadline. The 31-year-old guard is making $9.4 million for the 2023-24 NBA season. Combined, the two salaries would allow Milwaukee to take back Murray, but that surely would not be the entire deal.
The difference between Connaughton and Portis is that the former is having a much tougher go of it this season. He's been in a mighty slump, and that's a hefty contract for a player who is having one of his least-productive seasons to date. If enough draft capital is attached, a team might be more willing to take on his contract, which extends another season beyond this one.
If the Hawks aren't high on taking back Connaughton in a deal, perhaps the Washington Wizards may be of assistance. According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the Wizards have trade exceptions they will look to utilize by taking on salary dumps from other teams for the right offer. It wouldn't be overly surprising if something like this went down in a trade for Murray due to all of the moving parts.
Once again, Connaughton is another player who earned fan-favorite status after helping the Bucks win it all in back 2021, but if the team has a chance to land a major upgrade, they have to try, even if it means they have to include him. That is especially true with how much the veteran guard has been struggling this season.
MarJon Beauchamp
Although he doesn't have a big salary like Portis or Connaughton that could be valuable in any trade, second-year wing MarJon Beauchamp is among Milwaukee's best assets. Without any first-rounders to offer, the Bucks could dangle Beauchamp, a first rounder from over a year ago, in discussions to try and captivate opposing teams.
Beauchamp has value, but his role with the Bucks has shrunk as the season has gone on to the point where he currently isn't in the rotation. Though it would be nice to keep him around and develop him and unearth that potential he possesses, if the team has to trade him to land a win-now piece, they shouldn't shy away from it.
Financially, he's on his rookie deal, so that wouldn't be a problem for a team looking to absorb his deal. This season, he's on the books for $2.6 million. Adding him would be a low-risk, high-upside move for a team willing to take a chance on the former first-round pick in place or in addition to draft capital, which would be Milwaukee's two remaining second-rounders.
It'll be interesting to see what happens with Beauchamp leading up to the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. They could very well hang onto him, but if the right deal presents itself, it would not be surprising to see them move on from the second-year wing to capitalize on their title window.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.