The Bucks have an obvious draft compensation line they aren't willing to cross for Peyton Watson, but they should add Ryan Rollins as another non-starter in trade negotiations with the Nuggets. Along with refusing to give up a first-round pick, the Bucks also shouldn't entertain any talks about trading away the 24-year-old Rollins who was arguably the most improved player in the NBA last season.
Ryan Rollins need to be off the table in any trade
Not only was Rollins a great player for Milwaukee on both ends last season, but he's also on an incredibly cheap contract at just $4 million per season. He took the mantle of the Bucks' lead guard while providing exceptional value on his contract and justifying the team's decisions to move on from older and more expensive guards.
Given his contract amount and solid production - 17 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists per game with great efficiency - Rollins is arguably a better asset on his own than Watson, who will undoubtedly demand a much higher contract from the Bucks. In fact, trading for Watson may even come with additional financial baggage as the Nuggets look to clean up their salary sheet. It's fine for the Bucks to bring in Watson and take on another small but bad contract, but not if it somehow costs them Rollins in the process.
Even with the Bucks' recent influx of young talent through the draft and Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, Rollins remains one of the most intriguing prospects on the team. His growth last season was totally unexpected and potentially changed the team's rebuild timeline entirely. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of Rollins' development is his versatility to play multiple positions and fit in with other young studs thanks to his versatile skillset.
Pairing Watson and Rollins would be a dream come true
The ideal outcome of acquiring Watson would be to see him take a similar jump as Rollins did last season. Watson flashed some similar potential as an individual scorer and shooter when forced into a bigger role for the Nuggets last season, but the sample size is very limited. The Bucks can give him more opportunity to continue growing while also setting him up with Rollins as a running mate.
Both players are also solid defenders; Watson could be considered an exceptional one. So a dynamic duo of Watson and Rollins has the potential to be a two-way terror one day if both players could develop together on the same team. That should be the future the Bucks strive for, as long as they don't have to give up too much for Watson.
Any trade that ships Rollins out of Milwaukee needs to have a fabulous return for him. With his cheap contract and proven production in a starring role, he should have even more value than Watson. So unless the Nuggets are willing to add first-round picks of their own, they shouldn't even think about getting Rollins back.
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