The Milwaukee Bucks are 14-11 in the NBA this season after they started the 2024-2025 season 2-8. Milwaukee has played a lot better basketball over the last month, but it remains to be seen if it will be good enough to propel them for the remainder of the 2024-2025 NBA season.
One name that has been mentioned in trade rumors since the last offseason is Bucks center, Brook Lopez. Lopez will be a free agent after the season. Milwaukee has yet to find a Brook Lopez replacement for the future.
Matt Levine Of Sports Illustrated Has Milwaukee Bucks Sending Brook Lopez To the Golden State Warriors In Shocking Three-Team Trade
Matt Levine of Sports Illustrated created a three-team mock trade between the Golden State Warriors, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Chicago Bulls. In this three-team deal, the Bucks would acquire center Nikola Vucevic and Torrey Craig. The Warriors would acquire Brook Lopez and Talen Horton-Tucker. As for the Bulls, they would acquire Andrew Wiggins, a 2025 first-round pick from Golden State, a 2031 first-round pick swap with Milwaukee, and a 2031 second-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks.
This would be a crazy trade because it would be intriguing to see Chicago trade within the division. The Bulls are 12-15 this season and at some point, they may tear it down and start all over. As for the Warriors, they have a 14-11 record this season but they may trade some players at some point.
Levine said about this mock trade:
“The Warriors would land Lopez to help them with their title quest for this season. They could see how things go and maybe retain him in the offseason. If anything, they get a large expiring contract to work with this summer.
Chicago gets a scoring wing in Wiggins and some extra draft capital. They have been trying to trade Vucevic for a long time and finally make it happen.
As for the Bucks, they land Vucevic to help anchor their team forward. The veteran can help space the floor, much like Lopez but he is a little younger.
Vucevic is also under contract for next season, giving the Bucks some insurance so they don’t potentially lose Lopez for nothing in free agency. His unique skill on the offensive end of the floor could work well alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.”
Getting Nikola Vucevic would bring a different dynamic to the offense for the Bucks. As good as Lopez is, Vucevic is younger and would be a reliable third option for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
Chance Lopez Does Not Get Traded
The interesting thing is that general manager Jon Horst may not want to trade Lopez by the NBA trade deadline. With the Bucks in the playoffs, they may want to hang onto him despite the fact they may not get anything back for him.
If Milwaukee thinks they can win it all this season, then they will probably not trade him. However if deep down the front office thinks that they can’t beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks, or the Boston Celtics in a playoff series this season, then the Bucks should take a swing like this and trade Lopez.
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