Could the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets be trade partners again?
If you remember the last trade deadline, Bucks F Jae Crowder was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Brooklyn Nets before being re-routed to Milwaukee. Milwaukee has been in the market for another wing defender, and with the Nets currently, in the middle of a rebuilding stage, they will be looking to unload all of their veteran players.
The Milwaukee Bucks are interested in Nets wing Royce O’Neale
With the NBA Trade Deadline looming, Milwaukee is looking for another defensive player to help fix the defense.
Milwaukee’s defense hasn’t lived up to the billing of a top-five defensive team like they were the past five seasons under former coach Mike Budenholzer.
The defensive scheme Adrian Griffin tried to implement didn’t work and now it’s up to new coach Doc Rivers to bring Milwaukee back to that level defensively this season.
It’s been Rivers’ preference to have 1-2 non-offensive threats on the roster. Milwaukee hasn’t had a player like that since PJ Tucker.
Teams showing interest in Royce O’Neale:
Bucks
Mavericks
Nuggets
Pacers
Timberwolves(Via https://t.co/xkdb1kpNhu) pic.twitter.com/r54ghYDrGE
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 27, 2024
This would be a massive trade for the Milwaukee Bucks. O’Neale is a longer guard who can defend the other team’s best wing player and is a jack-of-all-trades defensively.
The Milwaukee Bucks do have talent defensively, but Brook Lopez and Giannis are their only elite defenders.
Fans had high hopes Malik Beasley could fill Jrue Holiday’s role, but that hasn’t materialized. Milwaukee’s roster construction consists of players who can outscore you, but subtract Jrue Holiday from this roster, and you get opponents putting up All-Star game scores against the Bucks.
The Nets roster is chock-full of underrated defenders but not enough offense. Milwaukee has the opposite problem of an elite offense but a below-average defense. A trade with the Nets could be perfect for both sides, as Milwaukee could look to unload MarJon Beauchamp, Pat Connaughton, or Bobby Portis to not only be more formidable defensively, but GM Jon Horst could look to improve a bench unit that hasn’t been consistent this year.
There will be a ton of interest in Royce O’Neale and acquiring him could prove tricky, but this would be the top target for the Milwaukee Bucks to get at the trade deadline.
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