With one of the most important offseasons in Bucks’ history here, some have called for Middleton to be traded. While it is unlikely to happen, nothing is off limits if it keeps Giannis happy. Here are some potential trade targets the Bucks could shoot for if they decide to depart from Khris.
Middleton for Beal
Beal’s name has been tossed around the trade market for a few seasons now. With Washington essentially in tank mode at this point, it’s easy to see them moving on from him. Could the Bucks entice Washington with a package including Middleton? Maybe, but given Middleton’s new contract it probably isn’t something Washington would desire. They are going to be looking for draft picks, young talent, and/or short contracts. None of which fit the description for Middleton.
Even if the Bucks could come up with something to get Washington to agree, they would likely miss Middleton’s defense. While Beal is an elite scorer, he leaves much to be desired defensively. I don’t see either team being able to come to an agreement with this trade.
Middleton to the Pacers
One intriguing idea would be to send Middleton to the Pacers for a couple of their promising players. The first of which would be Victor Oladipo. While Oladipo did have somewhat of a disappointing year, he was coming off of a horrific injury from the prior season. I expect Oladipo to bounce back with a good year next year. To make the contracts work out, the Pacers may have to include another contract, maybe TJ Warren? With this trade the Bucks would get a bit younger and add some more athleticism with Oladipo to run in transition with Giannis. If TJ Warren was included it would add an explosive scorer to a Bucks team that already has a great offense (in the regular season). I believe a Middleton for Oladipo trade could be a definite possibility.
Buddy Hield to the Bucks
Another potential idea would be to trade Middleton and a role player to the Kings in a package that includes Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes. Buddy Hield would add some much needed 3 point shooting but is not as good on defense as Middleton, and Barnes would be a great piece to replace Marvin Williams/Ersan Ilyasova. The biggest draw back is how much Barnes would be getting paid for a likely role player (24 mil/year). Buddy to the Bucks sounds like a great idea but it would be hard to see the Bucks giving up Middleton to get him unfortunately.
Overall Trade Picture
As of right now it appears much more likely Milwaukee will move on from Bledsoe than Middleton. While Middleton did have some rough games during the playoffs this year, he has also been vital to their success. Ideally the Bucks find another scorer that can score steadily to counter Middleton’s bad streaks he’s known for. But when Khris is hot, there aren’t many better scorers in the league. With that being said, nothing is off the table for the Bucks this offseason.
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