The Milwaukee Bucks will likely be among the teams involved in rumors all the way up to the buzzer at the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline.
They are always active, canvassing the market for possible trades that could help beef up the roster. This season, they have some clear needs. Although the roster has plenty of desirability, a few tweaks could go a long way in helping the team as they aim to scale the championship mountaintop. With all that said, let us rank what the Bucks should be targeting ahead of the February 6 trade deadline.
No. 3 - A backup playmaker
When the basketball isn't in the hands of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard or Khris Middleton, it's clear that the Bucks have a problem with facilitating. Rarely anyone else can create a shot for their teammates, which is one reason Milwaukee's bench ranks 25th in assists per game this season. They could certainly use a player capable of taking playmaking pressure off of the top stars.
While names may surface on the trade front, another option just surfaced via the G-League, as the Wisconsin Herd, Milwaukee's affiliate, added Dennis Smith Jr. The former lottery pick is coming off a season in which he was a strong backup facilitator and an even better perimeter defender. The Bucks could use both of those things.
Whether they end up clearing a roster spot for Smith or make a trade, the Milwaukee Bucks could use another capable facilitator in the coming months.
No. 2 - Another wing defender
A team can never have too many wing defenders, especially with how many injuries the Bucks have battled at that spot in recent memory. Although AJ Green and Andre Jackson Jr. have both given Milwaukee a needed lift on the perimeter this season, adding another versatile and switchable wing could make this team all the more lethal.
Two options the Bucks should be keeping an eye on are Portland's Matisse Thybulle and Chicago's Ayo Dosunmu. Both are experienced while still being fairly young, meaning they would fit in with the recent youth movement in Milwaukee. Both players would undoubtedly give the Milwaukee Bucks a jolt on the defensive side of the court.
No. 1 - An athletic big man
The Milwaukee Bucks are quickly finding out that having two unathletic big men manning the center spot is not a formula for success, especially when they are on the floor together. Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis simply cannot keep up with the young, energetic big men and guards of today, and the Bucks must find a way to combat it.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reports that the Milwaukee Bucks are seeking a lob threat to complement Brook Lopez, which makes sense. An athlete like Larry Nance Jr. or Robert Williams III would make a ton of sense for this squad, giving the team a versatile defender who can keep up with opponents of all shapes and sizes defensively.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.