While other NBA teams in the East got better, the Milwaukee Bucks just added a few guys for their 2024-25 roster. And speaking of that roster, a key player may get moved as the season progresses due to a head-scratching reason.
A couple of months ago, Bucks general manager Jon Horst and head coach Doc Rivers discussed the team’s roster and upcoming free agency. With the Bucks operating as a second-apron team, they have limited flexibility in roster-building, entering free agency with only three open spots. This strategic approach reflects their commitment to balancing veteran experience with youthful potential.
Horst highlighted the intentional composition of the roster, noting the presence of six core players ready to compete for a title. He emphasized the importance of young stars like MarJon Beauchamp, AJ Green, and Andre Jackson Jr., who are expected to take significant steps forward this season. The addition of rookies AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith aims to further bolster this dynamic.
Rivers acknowledged the need for young talent alongside seasoned players, emphasizing the value of skill development in today’s NBA. He expressed confidence that the mix of youth and experience would enhance the team’s competitiveness, especially as they look to add more veterans through free agency.
Why The Milwaukee Bucks Could Lose Either Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, or Bobby Portis Jr. in an NBA Trade
Having an aging and expensive lineup of players around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard won’t really play out well for the Bucks’ future. In an analysis by Dan Favale for Bleacher Report, this scenario could lead to the front office having to trade either Middleton, Lopez, or Portis down the line.
“Venturing beyond next season changes the calculus. The Bucks will be right there so long as they have Giannis Antetokounmpo. But the core around him is either aging out, about to be priced out or both.
Lopez, Middleton (2025-26 player option) and Portis are all slated for free agency in 2025. General manager Jon Horst, meanwhile, has pretty openly discussed how Milwaukee is trying to hedge its bets against the future with the number of cost-controlled bodies on the roster, including recent draft picks AJ Johnson (No. 23) and Tyler Smith (No. 33).
None of the current youngsters come close to supplanting the aforementioned three. The Bucks don’t even have a developing big man on the roster behind Lopez and Portis, unless you’re smitten with 28-year-old Anžejs Pasečņiks. But the financial logistics of keeping the band together are only getting harder. Milwaukee could let all three of Lopez, Middleton and Portis walk next summer, and it’d still have a difficult time eking out $20 million in cap space (assuming Pat Connaughton picks up his player option).
Tough decisions can (and probably should) wait until they’re front and center after 2024-25. Moving any one of these three while actively upgrading the rotation will be hard. But losing one or more of them for absolutely nothing over the summer would be worse,” Favale wrote.
As it stands, all three players provide the Bucks with something substantial on either end of the court. Moving them will mean that the production they offer will have to be taken up by a young or unproven player in their roster. This will result in a lesser chance to compete well against other contenders in the Eastern Conference.
It remains to be seen whether Milwaukee will bite the bullet and trade these guys in the coming months. Hopefully, the Bucks will get something of value in return to keep their championship window open.
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