6 Mock deals the Milwaukee Bucks should pursue ahead of 2024 NBA Trade Deadline
By Dalton Sell
A second mock trade between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks
Bucks/Hawks trade 2
This trade is much more unrealistic than the previous one, but it's still a move the Bucks must pursue if the Hawks are indeed open for business.
De'Andre Hunter is precisely what Milwaukee needs. He's a 6-foot-8 forward who specializes on the defensive side of the floor. He could be the piece this team needs defensively to turn a corner, giving them a player who can defend some of the best names in the business. Again, the Bucks have been hindered in the past by their wings being under 6-foot-5, and Hunter would eliminate that worry.
On top of his defensive excellence, Hunter is also a quality offensive player. For his career, he has put together averages of 14 points per game while shooting 36.1 percent from three. Having turned 26 in recent months, he's still got time to blossom into a two-way monster, and the Bucks could be a great environment for him to do so.
Financially, Hunter would be a pricey addition for Milwaukee, as he's in the first year of a four-year deal worth $90 million. The combined salaries of Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and MarJon Beauchamp would make it achievable for the Bucks. This would definitively be Milwaukee pushing all of their chips to the center of the table, giving up two key role players, a young wing, and their lone picks.
Yet, for a player of Hunter's caliber and another decent veteran in Matthews, it could be worth it.