With the 2018 NBA Finals off to a roaring start, there’s no better time than now to take a look at three teams that could soon be in need of some hefty investment.
The Milwaukee Bucks is a professional basketball team that has been in the National Basketball Association since 1968. The Bucks have only won one championship, in 1971. They are currently looking to make a second-straight trip to the NBA Finals after winning 66 games during the regular season and leading the Eastern Conference for most of the year. Read more in detail here: milwaukee bucks trades 2021.
The defending NBA champions have battled to remain near the top of the Eastern Conference so far this season, and reinforcements will be difficult to come by at the trade deadline for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Prior to a Jan. 28 game against the New York Knicks, the squad is 30-20 in the Eastern Conference standings. The top six teams in the East are all within two games of each other, so it’s still anyone’s game.
Milwaukee has been struck hard by the injury bug, but when they’re near to full strength, they’ve proved to be one of the league’s best — the Bucks are 18-4 when Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday all play.
So, with few players in high demand throughout the league and few future draft selections available, Milwaukee will have to rely on the buyout market to bolster its team in preparation for another long playoff run.
Here are three buyout possibilities that would be ideal complements to Giannis and company:
Goran Dragic is the number one objective for everyone.
When the phrase “buyout” is spoken, Dragic is at the top of the list. If the Toronto Raptors do truly make him available, he will be the most coveted and wanted player on the market.
After the first four games of the season, he left the squad, returned briefly in November, and then departed again. He hasn’t returned since.
The 35-year-old Serbian has played in the league for 13 seasons and has appeared in five games in 2021-22. When Dragic returns to the court, no one knows what shape he’ll be in.
In 2020-21, he was a strong second-unit floor leader for the Miami Heat, averaging 13.4 points and 37.3 percent three-point shooting on roughly five tries per game.
At the time, George Hill is serving as Holiday’s backup in Milwaukee. Hill has appeared in the third-most games this season and is averaging more over 25 minutes each night.
He does, however, only average 7.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He was the NBA’s leading 3-point shooter a few years ago, but his percentage has dropped to only 31.3 percent presently.
Milwaukee would benefit from acquiring a more consistent, productive, and floor-spacing hand behind Holiday. Holiday and Dragic may share minutes in the backcourt because of their size and strength.
Gary Harris, a seasoned guard, gives the Bucks extra shooting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHEXf SYY3Q
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As Brook Lopez’s absence persists, a backup center would be a more appealing target. His younger brother, Robin, may be a buyout victim, but in this instance, Milwaukee signs Harris, another ex-Orlando star.
Holiday, Pat Connaughton, Grayson Allen, and 35-year-old Wesley Matthews make up the Bucks’ backcourt rotation. Since returning from injury earlier this year, Donte DiVincenzo hasn’t been the same player.
Milwaukee is seventh in the league in 3-point shooting and sixth in points per game, and all of its guards are capable of contributing.
Allen, on the other hand, has the highest point average of the bunch, averaging 11.8. Connaughton is the only other player to average double digits and shoot over 40% from beyond the arc.
Harris is merely another option who has shown to be a capable two-way guard throughout his career. This season, he’s averaging 11.8 points in 29.8 minutes per game in Orlando, with shooting splits of 44/36/85.
Finally, Thaddeus Young brings some weight to the table.
The elephant in the room in Milwaukee is yet another major factor to consider in resolving Lopez’s absence. Bobby Portis has spelled Giannis, who has spent a lot of time at the five.
With the exception of a few short cameos by DeMarcus Cousins, who has since moved on, the Bucks have had a quiet season.
Young is a 14-year veteran with a 6-foot-8, 230-pound frame who has participated in 51 postseason games. It’s not a lot of experience, but it’s not insignificant for a squad aiming for back-to-back championships.
Despite providing a solid senior presence on a youthful team with an 18-31 record, Thad has been withering away as a reserve player in San Antonio, appearing in 33 games but not starting a single one.
Young may not be able to spread the floor as much as head coach Mike Budenholzer would want, but he’s an experienced power forward who has also played some small-ball center late in his career.
He would provide Milwaukee versatility up front, as he could defend a center in certain combinations while enabling Antetokounmpo to roam as a rim-protector.
It would also enable Bud to give Giannis a rest and go with Thad and Portis in the frontcourt instead of Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Portis, or go with the current third option of playing very small.
Young isn’t a game-changer, but he’d provide the Bucks a deeper big-man rotation, which might help them unleash their two-time MVP in key matchups as they pursue a title.
NBA.com provided all data.
RELATED: When Jason Kidd named Giannis Antetokounmpo the starting point guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, he unleashed his limitless potential.
The “stephen a: giannis” is a player that the Milwaukee Bucks are considering buying out. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been an MVP candidate for the past two years, and it would be a smart move to buy him out now before he becomes too expensive.
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