Milwaukee Bucks: Teams’ “Dream Trade Target” is the former defensive player of the year

When the Milwaukee Bucks play in the NBA in 2024–2025, a lot of questions will be raised about their roster.

Milwaukee was expected to be a team that was made for the NBA Playoffs after dealing Damian Lillard for Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen during the previous offseason.

It’s possible that they could have been, if Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury hadn’t occurred.

Giannis wasn’t the only player injured during the Bucks’ brief postseason run before the Indiana Pacers eliminated them, of course.

Later in the series, Lillard suffered another Achilles injury that kept him very limited and even kept him out of a game.

Despite continuing to play with an injured leg, Khris Middleton was able to participate in the entire series.

The Bucks found it difficult to put together a squad that could compete with the younger and quicker Pacers team without Giannis playing at all in the series and without Lillard at full strength.

With an average of 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game, Middleton had an outstanding performance.

In the series, he recorded four double-doubles and finished with 42 points in a defeat in Game Three.

Regretfully, Middleton was the only member of the Bucks roster to step up to the same level. Malik Beasley was horribly exposed on defense (as he was all regular season), Bobby Portis got himself ejected from a game, and the rest of Milwaukee’s reserves were just not good enough.

The Bucks had particular difficulty stopping the Pacers’ three-pointers and keeping up with their transition offense.

Although the Pacers were so dominant from beyond the arc that it was irrelevant during the series, Brook Lopez is still a top rim protector.

Strong defense was offered by Patrick Beverley, but as a free agent, his price is probably higher than Milwaukee can pay.

Due to their history of spending large sums of money on second-tier players, the majority of free agents will actually be more expensive than the Bucks can afford.

 

Milwaukee may search the trade market for a three-and-D wing because they are unable to pay for a high-profile player in free agency.

The star player for the Memphis Grizzlies, Marcus Smart, would be the Bucks’ ideal trade target if they decide to go that route, according to Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report.

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