3 Recent trades that should have worked out better for the Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are known to be one of the most active teams in the NBA on the trade front.

Whether the move ultimately works out or not, general manager Jon Horst has never been one to shy away from making a splash if he feels like a move will help this team. For the most part, the moves the former Executive of the Year has pulled off were easy to justify when they went down. However, with many of them, for one reason or another, things just never pan out how fans had hoped.

Let's analyze three different trades in recent memory that should have worked out better for Horst and the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Grayson Allen trade

Fresh off winning a title in 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks beefed up their backcourt by acquiring guard Grayson Allen from the Memphis Grizzlies. Considering that the Bucks parted ways with Sam Merrill, the 60th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft who scarcely played the season before, and two second-round picks, this was viewed as a clear win for the Milwaukee Bucks in their quest to repeat.

At the time of the trade, Allen was coming off a career year in Memphis, averaging double-digit points while climbing in the ranks among the league's best shooters. He would fit seamlessly with the Bucks stars while offering insurance at the two-guard spot with Donte DiVincenzo recovering from surgery. This had the potential to be one of Horst's best moves, given the price and team needs.

Allen had his moments, even putting together the best regular season of his career in 2021-22. Yet, the moment that will define his tenure in a Bucks uniform is the playoff series against Boston in 2022. After catching fire the series prior, Allen's production fell off a cliff against the Celtics, averaging five points while shooting 20.8 percent from three and constantly being targeted on defense.

The guard put together a fine year the following season, shooting the long ball well while upping his production as a facilitator. His play wasn't as bad in the 2023 NBA Playoffs as it was in that series vs. the Boston Celtics, but he still didn't raise the bar enough against the Miami Heat, especially with the team dealing with the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

After two years, Allen's time in the 414 came to an end after he was sent to Phoenix in the three-team deal for Damian Lillard. Although the initial Allen trade is certainly not a stain on Jon Horst's legacy or anything close to it, it's a deal that should have worked out much better than it ultimately did in those two seasons the guard was with the franchise.

If Allen plays up to par in that Boston series, there's a decent chance there's another banner hanging in Fiserv Forum right now.