2024 Roundtable: Exploring Bucks' options to improve via draft, free agency, trade
By Dalton Sell
4. If the Milwaukee Bucks are looking to make a trade, who is one player you have your eye on?
Sell: Alex Caruso would have been the choice here, but he's now off the board, having been traded to the OKC Thunder. As a realistic pivot, the Milwaukee Bucks should call the Pistons and check in on Quentin Grimes. He's shown glimpses of strong play defensively, can shoot the long ball well and is on an affordable contract.
Moxon: All season, the Bucks struggled with their defensive backcourt, so looking to acquire Matisse Thybulle would be a huge trade for the Bucks. Now 27 and on the Portland Trail Blazers, he has a similar contract to that of Alex Caruso, but the asking price will not be as high. Thybulle has improved his shooting massively and alongside Lillard, he could take the defensive assignments against some of the stronger Eastern Conference guards the Bucks struggled to slow down this season.
Marzion: I don't really have one specific guy I love. I do think Tari Eason would be a dream addition if they could somehow get him, but I don't know how likely it is. Other names are Ayo Dosunmu, Quentin Grimes, Moses Moody and Jae'Sean Tate.
Schickert: Before the reports that the Grizzlies are not interested in trading him, my ideal trade target was Marcus Smart. The headlines would write themselves that the Bucks could get their missing piece with a former Celtic like the Celtics got their missing piece with a former Buck. Pivoting from that now, my next ideal trade target might be someone like Walker Kessler, whom some rival executives believe is available from the Utah Jazz. It's not clear what it would take to get Kessler - say MarJon Beauchamp and a draft pick - but Kessler would help the Bucks get significantly younger at the center position, add some rebounding and stay stout defensively.
LB: If the Bucks can trade Brook Lopez to Houston for a Fred VanVleet and some picks, I just think that would make a HUGE impact. Start Bobby at center. Add a Chimezie Metu and I think this team could be “fast and fun."
Valind: I would say Bruce Brown, but his salary is huge, and Milwaukee could only get him in exchange for Brook Lopez. Instead, Quentin Grimes is the player the Bucks should target the most. His salary is cheap, as he will only make about $4 million next season. Grimes would be a great backcourt partner for Damian Lillard, with the ability to take some of the tough matchups, allowing Lillard to focus on being the electric player he is on offense.
Darias: Bruce Brown is a player the Bucks are forced to ask about. He might be out of reach, but Toronto is in a weird spot right now and you can’t really tell which direction they’re taking next year, so maybe some unexpected trade can happen there. If not, Quentin Grimes looks like a player who could fit on the 3-and-D role.