Trade season is rapidly approaching in the NBA, and the objective is clear for the Milwaukee Bucks: Bring in a player or two capable of defending.
Despite the finite assets at his disposal, General Manager Jon Horst will do his due diligence around the trade market to see how he can improve his team. Milwaukee's offense has started to click lately, but the defense has still hindered them. A strong perimeter defender could make a major difference for the Milwaukee Bucks.
That said, let us piece together the team's dream starting five following the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline.
Point Guard - Damian Lillard
This is the first entry of a list that will not feature too many surprises. There's virtually no shot at all that Damian Lillard is not on this team beyond the deadline. The Bucks just pushed their chips to the center of the table to get him this past off-season, and they are committed to winning with him as the starting point guard.
Lillard is still looking for a permanent groove, but he's looked much better lately after a slow start to the season. He's far more comfortable with his new teammates than he was a month or two ago, as he's finally started finding out where they like to be and how to play off of them. As the season goes on, that should only continue to progress.
The veteran guard has not come close to hitting his stride just yet. Though he's looked better lately, he's still got another gear. He's still in that feel-it-out period, and it'll be interesting to see where he's at by the trade deadline in February.