Any trade rumors connecting Trae Young to the Milwaukee Bucks were just speculation... until now. Per HoopsHype NBA insider Michael Scotto, the Bucks are among the teams that have monitored Young's situation. With Young becoming widely available in recent days, the Bucks may be circling him as a potential target. They should swiftly cross the Atlanta Hawks guard off the list.
Trae Young may cause more headaches than solutions in Milwaukee
Right off the bat, Milwaukee desperately needs size. They are so undersized that they have AJ Green masquerading as a small forward when he is a natural two-guard. Going after Young, who is 6-foot-2 and 164 lbs, isn't likely to do much to calm those concerns.
The Bucks have already been down this road with Damian Lillard. Trading for Young, another small guard, would show that they didn't learn their lesson, which is that two-way players are the key to success in today's NBA.
That is amplified by the fact that they would have to part with Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis, two of Milwaukee's bigger players, to match salaries to acquire Young. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner, and Jericho Sims being the only standard roster players coming in above 6-foot-7 would certainly highlight Milwaukee's roster flaws.
Young also doesn't fit Milwaukee's new vision, which has revolved around Giannis operating as the point guard. After a recent win, he flat-out said, "So pretty much when I'm a I'm a point guard, we win." Trading for a ball-dominant guard who needs to orchestrate the offense is only going to take the ball out of Giannis' hands, which would certainly be a bold choice after how they've been playing lately.
One way a Trae Young to Milwaukee trade would make sense is if the Bucks were also receiving draft capital to take on the nearly $100 million left on the guard's deal. NBA insider Marc Stein (subscription required) recently reported that the Wizards, another Young suitor, may require draft capital from the Hawks to agree to a deal. That should be the case for the Milwaukee Bucks as well.
There is a good chance this is simply the Milwaukee Bucks doing due diligence, as they always have when big names become available. Even if Young isn't someone they are enamored with, it makes at least some sense to kick the tires, especially if they can get some draft compensation. There are a handful of other targets out there who make much more sense for Milwaukee.
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