NBA trade season is in full swing and the Milwaukee Bucks are expected to be one of the many teams active in talks before February’s deadline. According to the latest intel, their primary plan involves a pursuit of either Zach LaVine or Bradley Beal.
“The Bucks’ motives would be two-fold: Cut enough salary from their payroll to get under the second apron and also add a talented, highly paid player to play next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the NBA’s top scoring duo,” wrote The Athletic. “Whether that would be Beal, or perhaps a star like Chicago’s Zach LaVine, in other potential scenarios remains to be seen.”
The Bucks have no direct links to LaVine or Beal, but their intentions are clear: maximize their current regime and build the best team possible by stacking talent whenever they can. With Giannis Antetokounmpo at the helm, the Bucks have already won one championship but they have greater ambitions that have yet to be met.
In this trade deadline, the Bucks are looking for any opportunity to improve but their asset pool is limited. Assuming they can cut enough salary from their payroll, the Bucks would have to find a suitable package without touching their current core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, and Khris Middleton. That only leaves a future first-round pick and some seconds to trade, which is not close enough to make a compelling offer for a high-profile player.
In the case of Zach LaVine, he’s been begging to get away from the Bulls but with averages of 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 51.4% shooting his production has been far too high for the Bulls to give away for cheap. With another three years, and $148 million left on his contract, LaVine is at the mercy of Bulls GM Marc Eversley and it’s no secret that he’s keeping the price high for his disgruntled young star.
The situation is entirely different with Bradley Beal. On the Suns, he’s been playing his role well enough but underwhelming play this season has put him at the center of trade rumors again. If not for his no-trade clause, the Suns might have already sent him to the Heat in exchange for Jimmy Butler. Alongside Damian Lillard, Beal would form an elite offensive backcourt for the Bucks who would free up space for Giannis Antetokounmpo to dominate the interior.
With a few weeks to go before the deadline, the Bucks still have some time to decide their next move but at 24-17, they need to make up ground quickly if they want to rise the standings and challenge for a top-three spot in the standings. With Giannis and Lillard, they are already one of the best but one more move could push them over the top as title favorites in the East.
Winners of four straight games, the Bucks were scheduled to play the New Orleans Pelicans tonight before it was postponed due to bad weather. Instead, they will prepare for their next game against the Miami Heat on Thursday, January 23rd, at 7:30 PM EST. On Saturday, January 25th, the Bucks play the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome at 10:30 PM EST.
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