With an overflowing roster, it was only a matter of time before the Milwaukee Bucks popped up in the rumor mill. Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Bucks are among teams calling around the league trying to strike a deal as they aim to shed two players—they need to get to 15 standard deals. With so many guards in town, it would only make sense for the calls to center around them.
Bucks' backcourt could use some trimming
Over half of Milwaukee's roster is guards, and that goes without including either two-way player in Kam Jones and Cormac Ryan. It, unfortunately, seems likely that the Bucks will cut Pete Nance due to the non-guaranteed status of his contract, but to relieve themselves of one more contract, all eyes will be on the backcourt. The question no one knows the answer to is... who is the odd man out?
The obvious guess is Caris LeVert. The Milwaukee Bucks traded for him this summer in a move to restock their draft capital stash. While his leadership has been useful, he hasn't shown much on the court to warrant a steady role. With a near $15 million salary, though, the Bucks likely wouldn't have any suitors eager to take him without draft assets attached, and that should be off the table.
With that, AJ Green feels like a possible pivot. While the Milwaukee Bucks could absolutely use his 3-point shooting, he is one of the few players who wouldn't just be a salary dump, as they could acquire some actual form of assets for him, in all likelihood. An elite shooter on a good contract, there would be plenty of suitors doing their homework on him if the Bucks put him on the table.
Brayden Burries is off limits. Kasparas Jakucionis feels like a long-term part of the plan. Ryan Rollins and Tyler Herro look poised to start. No one is taking Gary Trent Jr. That does leave one dark horse...
Kevin Porter Jr. is a question mark here
After one of his best statistical outings last season, some might want to keep Porter. It would make sense to, especially if the backcourt wasn't too crowded. However, he's one of the few players with the rare combination of high-level play and quality contract that could actually have teams interested in acquiring him for something decent in return.
Not only could the Milwaukee Bucks potentially acquire a pick for Porter if someone is interested in adding a legitimate floor general, but they could also clear room for their young guys. As things look now, playing time might be hard to come by for Burries and Jakucionis. However, if they traded away a ball-dominant piece like Porter, it gets easier to envision those two playing more, fueling their growth.
Yet, perhaps the Bucks want Porter around for the long haul and will try their hardest to make a trade elsewhere on the roster. For now, all Bucks fans can do is wait. Everyone should treat the upcoming final preseason game as potentially their last shot in Milwaukee.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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