With Peyton Watson off the board, the Milwaukee Bucks' interest will shift to Jonathan Kuminga and Bennedict Mathurin. Milwaukee has the needed assets to acquire either of them if they so desire, as they are armed with a massive trade exception, picks, and players that could be useful in a sign-and-trade. The question is whether they should. Let's look at the case for and against Mathurin.
The case for the Bucks adding Mathurin
It never hurts to add as much talent as possible. Having traded Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer, Milwaukee should be focused on adding as many young, up-and-coming contributors who could be staples for the franchise for years to come. In theory, Mathurin checks off that box, given the growth he has shown throughout his career with the Indiana Pacers and LA Clippers.
Though he played a career-low 54 games, Mathurin just had his most productive season yet, having averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, all career highs. Plenty of teams would love to add a 24-year-old who puts up those types of numbers; they just don't have the capital to pull off a deal like the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee's plan at the moment should be to stack talent and figure out who fits where as the year goes on.
The case against the Bucks adding Mathurin
The Milwaukee Bucks have so many guards. Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., Tyler Herro, AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr., Brayden Burries, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Caris LeVert are players who will be on the hunt for playing time this coming season. Adding another guard into the mix could complicate things even further for Taylor Jenkins as he looks to shape his rotation.
Above all else, adding another guard, especially one who would cost a hefty amount, could demote players like Brayden Burries and Kasparas Jakucionis. Burries looked like a rising star at Summer League, while Jakucionis has the tools to be an excellent floor general. The Bucks bringing the best out of them could be more difficult with another high-end ball-handler running things.
The biggest argument against adding Mathurin is that the team should avoid landing another guard and instead pursue a forward, where they could use another body. That's why Peyton Watson made so much sense as a target before he landed with the Cavaliers. Mathurin is certainly a nice player, but the fit is far from seamless.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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