The Milwaukee Bucks are in the midst of yet another disappointing off-season. All three off-seasons since the Bucks won the championship in 2021 have been preceded by a first or second round exit from the playoffs. Not something many expected after their 2021 title run.
Many thought the Bucks would make a trade during the 2023-24 season to address the defense. As it turns out, they almost did.
The Milwaukee Bucks Nearly Agreed To A Massive Trade
According to Grant Williams, he almost wound up as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks:
Grant Williams just revealed he was about to get traded to the Bucks, but “the deal fell through.”
Mavs almost got Bobby Portis instead of PJ Washington 😭 pic.twitter.com/F0z9htLsBa
— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) May 25, 2024
Prior to the Feb. 8 trade deadline, Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams revealed he was almost traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Eventually, he was traded to the Hornets by the Dallas Mavericks.
“It’s just, Charlotte was the best opportunity,” Williams said. “I think the only other team that probably would have been an option was Milwaukee but the deal kind of fell through.”
Zach Bachar of Bleacher Report further illustrated what happened with Williams:
It was a surprising move, as Dallas previously acquired the 25-year-old as part of a three-team trade in July 2023. While Williams didn’t drastically increase his production with the Mavericks despite averaging a career-high 26.4 minutes per game with them, he still shot a respectable 37.6 percent from three.
He may have worn out his welcome after just a few months in Dallas, as ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said that Williams “rubbed a lot of people the wrong way” in the organization during a Feb. 9 edition of The Hoop Collective Podcast (15:30 mark).
The trade with the Hornets has proven to be successful for the Mavericks, as they received forward P.J. Washington in return. Washington has been a key contributor throughout Dallas’ current playoff run, averaging 13.9 points and 6.7 rebounds each night in the postseason while owning the third-best net rating on the roster (via NBA.com).
Milwaukee could have used Williams to provide depth in the frontcourt, as the team fell to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs while superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play due to a calf strain.
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