It's going to be a hard challenge for the Milwaukee Bucks to get back to competitive basketball after they traded Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer. They’re banking on players to step up into larger roles so they can compete in a tough Eastern Conference, but their roster on paper might not be enough.
As a result, the Bucks have been exploring possible trades to trim down their roster and hopefully improve it. At the center of Milwaukee’s roster are young talents or players they received from the Miami Heat in the trade that they want to at least want to see play some meaningful basketball before they start exploring trades after they just landed on their new team.
There have been other players linked to possible trades, but are they enough to move the needle where the Bucks could see improvement this season?
Eric Jay Santos
“The Milwaukee Bucks will be facing an uphill battle this upcoming season after parting ways with Giannis Antetokounmpo. Tyler Herro is the closest semblance that Milwaukee has to a franchise star at the moment, and their roster lacks the firepower needed to compete against the best in the Eastern Conference.
Milwaukee could reignite playoff hopes by making another blockbuster trade. One idea is for the Bucks to offer Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, and Kevin Porter Jr. to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Zion Williamson, Jeremiah Fears, Karlo Matkovic, and draft compensation. Williamson provides an All-Star caliber level upgrade within the frontcourt.
Turner and Kuzma have limited upside as role players for a team trying to navigate its next era, while Milwaukee’s backcourt needs are already met without Porter in the mix. Adding Williamson would be a gamble, as he averaged 21.0 points and 5.7 rebounds over 62 games after an injury-plagued season, though recent optimism surrounding the two-time All-Star is worth exploring.”
Tre Allen
"I’m honestly not sure if the Bucks have many attractive assets that would be highly valuable in potential trades. The players who’ve been linked to trade talks, such as Kevin Porter Jr. and Caris LeVert, have struggled through preseason, with Porter having more value between the two.
Kyle Kuzma, Jericho Sims and AJ Green have also had their names mentioned in trades, but I’m not sure if they can get a player in return who can make an immediate impact. Sims was linked to the Lakers for Dalton Knecht, and I do think if the Bucks were to make that trade, having Knecht gives them more youth and potentially more scoring compared to Sims.
He showed promise in his first season with the Lakers, averaging nine points per game on roughly 38% from three. It would give Milwaukee more depth at the forward position, and if they’re able to unlock his potential, then he can definitely contribute to the team."
Ethan J. Skolnick
"There's no way that Kyle Kuzma and Myles Turner should remain on the Bucks roster until the end of the season, not with younger players needing those minutes -- but Turner will be more difficult to move than Kuzma, because of the years remaining on his contract. Similarly, the Bucks should be looking to move Tyler Herro if they're not planning to extend him, but they may need to wait a bit on that, just so that Herro proves he can stay reasonably healthy enough for a contender to want him.
Similarly, Kevin Porter Jr's baggage makes him difficult to move, at least for anything of real value.
In the interim, AJ Green makes the most sense as a guy to move. Green has a skill -- shooting -- that every team could use, and he's on an affordable number ($11.25 million per year) until 2030. If the Bucks can get back an expiring contract and a second-round pick to add back to their stash, that's a win."
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