1. Kris Dunn, LA Clippers
Some people might think Dunn is getting overhyped in this list of trade targets for the Bucks. Putting him over a former Sixth Man of the Year and a promising young player with a potentially high ceiling is quite a statement. Yet, he has earned it.
Playing it straight, the biggest problem with Dunn's public perception is that he played for the Utah Jazz, a team that most fans flat-out didn't watch at all. And who could blame them? They had a slow start that didn't get people engaged, suddenly became a great team in the month of December (they went on a 13-4 run), realized they were too good to tank and came back to be one of the worst teams in the league. It was a wild ride, but it was easy to overlook.
That's probably why Dunn's huge performances didn't shine as much. Just like some players can look good on losing teams, Dunn is the kind of winning player who thrives on a good team and helps it go from good to great but looks way worse in a losing context.
He can serve as a glue guy and the kind of role player who covers the team's flaws, raising both its floor and its ceiling. But the Utah Jazz were a good team for just one month, so for the most part of the season, he didn't have the chance to look so great.
He really needed a change, and he got it this summer when he was traded to the Clippers. But the Clippers are in a weird spot right now, so the Bucks should keep an eye on him. He cannot be traded until December 15, but he could be a realistic trade deadline target if the Clippers aren't that good without Paul George and start dismembering the team, which could genuinely happen.
Dunn is a great defender who can put pressure on the ball and is smart and well-positioned off-ball, so he can help and create turnovers. His hustle can win him a lot of 50-50 balls, he can run the open court and he can be useful on offense thanks to his explosiveness.
He can also be both a second-unit player, bringing some energy from the bench, and a starter next to Damian Lillard if the Bucks want to go for a more defensive lineup and use Gary Trent Jr. as a sixth man. Whatever you might want from a backcourt role player in this Bucks team, he can bring it.
It's honestly hard to find a better fit for the team as it's built right now. He was the kind of player the Bucks desperately tried to trade for last year, and even if they got a similar one in Delon Wright this summer, Dunn is an upgrade in almost every aspect of the game. So if the Clippers have a rough start and are willing to move some pieces, general manager Jon Horst should be asking for him as soon as he's tradable.
The Verdict: Pursue