Although there have been almost no noteworthy transactions, NBA trade speculation season is in full swing across the league. With the Milwaukee Bucks sitting at 4th place in the Eastern Conference and some noticeable issues plaguing the team, many feel that it is only a matter of time before the Bucks make another win-now move. However, recent history shows that the Bucks have not been helping themselves out at the trade deadline. Perhaps a different strategy is needed to return this roster to its competitive potential.
Milwaukee’s Recent Swings for Veterans Have Not Worked Out Well
Bucks fans will recall recent win-now moves for veterans with playoff experience like the 2024 trade for point guard Patrick Beverley and the 2023 move that brought in forward Jae Crowder. Even the trade that sent away Donte DiVincenzo in exchange for Serge Ibaka was considered a solid move at the time. Let’s revisit exactly what those deals brought, starting all the way back in 2022.
Example 1 – Serge Ibaka
On February 10th, 2022, the Bucks entered a four-team deal with the Detroit Pistons, the Sacramento Kings, and the Los Angeles Clippers. Milwaukee sent away Donte DiVincenzo, who was an expiring contract, and veterans Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye. In return, they added two second round picks and one Serge Ibaka, a veteran big man with championship experience.
The move was received fairly well by both media and the fanbase, who felt that DiVincenzo was buried behind wings like Wesley Matthews, Grayson Allen, and Pat Connaughton. Ibaka was seen as necessary frontcourt depth who still had some high-quality years left. However, hindsight tells a different story.
Ibaka played just 41 games in a Bucks uniform. He ended his debut season by falling out of the rotation and played just 22 minutes in their playoff run that ended with a blown 3-2 series lead against the Boston Celtics. Although he re-signed for the following season, after barely coming off the bench over a 20-game stretch, he was dealt to the Indiana Pacers.
This move looks even worse when looking at how DiVincenzo’s career has taken off. Safe to say not many fans will recall this trade fondly.
The Milwaukee Bucks haven’t made a good draft pick since selecting Donte DiVincenzo in 2018 (I was finishing up my 7th grade campaign). They later traded him for washed Serge Ibaka. https://t.co/iI3sHkjIcH
— Pranav Sriraman (@PranavSriraman) October 31, 2024
Example 2 – Jae Crowder
On February 9th, 2023, the Bucks made a trade for Jae Crowder, a defensive specialist who had fallen out of favor in Phoenix. Milwaukee sent away five second round picks, two to the Brooklyn Nets and the remaining three to the Indiana Pacers. The move was initially received very well, and he immediately became a rotation player.
Bucks got their guy in Jae Crowder without giving up their 1st or a rotation player and now they have 2 open roster spots for a deep buy out market. I’d say the trade deadline was a success pic.twitter.com/tGvTpATrnR
— Jake Reetz (@jajareetz) February 9, 2023
Crowder made 18 appearances to finish out the regular season, but was a non-factor in the playoffs as the Bucks lost to the Miami Heat, a series that cost head coach Mike Budenholzer his job. After the season, Crowder literally stated that he did not know why Milwaukee traded for him and did not feel that he had a defined role on the team. Nonetheless, he re-signed with Milwaukee in the summer, and after another disappointing season, was let go in free agency. It took until late November 2024 for another team to give Crowder a chance, which Sacramento did, giving him a one-year deal.
Those five second round picks sure would come in handy in 2025, as despite many speculations, the Bucks truly don’t have many assets to offer other teams. Currently, only their 2031 picks are intact. It’s safe to say that this is one of the worst win-now moves in recent NBA history.
Example 3 – Patrick Beverley
While the Ibaka and Crowder deals were failures in terms of not adding to the team and also subtracting valuable assets, sometimes trades don’t work out for other reasons. Enter the 2024 Patrick Beverley-Cameron Payne swap. No Bucks fans are going to put up a fuss about showing Payne the door, but it’s also fair to say that “PatBev” did not add much to the team.
As alluded to, the 2024 deal on February the 8th was a straight swap between Milwaukee and the Philadelphia 76ers, who exchanged veteran point guards. Beverley entered Milwaukee with championship expectations, but was gone after just one year. With 26 regular season games played, he was a key part of the rotation in the playoff series against the Pacers, but was not able to help the team advance. After the Bucks lost another first round series, Beverley was gone. With his usual antics making headlines on his way out, he soon left the NBA and signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel.
This is yet another example of the Bucks making a move for a veteran who did not make a very big positive impact on the team.
What Does This Mean for the 2025 Milwaukee Bucks?
Clearly, the Bucks have swung and missed on some veteran adds in recent years. This has left the roster in the position of, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, being relatively devoid of strong pieces. Veterans like Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, Brook Lopez, and Pat Connaughton are all on the decline. There are almost no draft pick assets left, and not many attractive young players either. Where does that leave this iteration of the Bucks?
Perhaps the answer lies in a blueprint laid by recent champions. In 2021, the Denver Nuggets made one of the best trades in recent history, adding Aaron Gordon to the Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray core. The move resulted in Denver reaching the pinnacle in 2023. For the frankly low price of Gary Harris, RJ Hampton, and one first round pick, the Nuggets turned their solid playoff team that was beginning to stagnate into a perennial contender.
Even amongst all the noise for big names like Zach LaVine or Jimmy Butler, perhaps the Bucks need to find a more subtle approach. Rather than once again emptying the coffers of any and all assets, or making moves for veterans to try and marginally improve in the very short-term, maybe there is a more precise move that could get this team back to being a serious championship threat.
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