Friday, November 22, 2024

The Milwaukee Bucks are sending Brook Lopez to the Phoenix Suns in an intriguing pre-draft trade

The Milwaukee Bucks are certainly a team to watch this week as the 2024 NBA Draft approaches. After two consecutive seasons in which they were eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, it’s clear that there are some significant changes to be made to their roster. They have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard under contract for the next two seasons, but they haven’t assembled a championship-caliber supporting cast yet.

Milwaukee’s NBA Championship window isn’t expanding and the team’s roster is getting older. As a result, there is a feeling around the league that the Bucks are making several of their key players, members of the 2021 NBA Finals-winning team, available via trade.

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As such, there are plenty of trade proposals involving these players, and some of them are sentimental fan favorites. One intriguing development involves Brook Lopez reuniting with his former Milwaukee head coach.

The trade proposal suggests that the Milwaukee Bucks send Brook Lopez to the Phoenix Suns

Milwaukee Bucks, Brook Lopez and Marcus Smart
May 7, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) attempts a dunk against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first quarter of Game 3 of the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory credit: Jeff Hanisch – USA TODAY Sports

Although Lopez signed a two-year contract with the Bucks last year, there was always a risk he wouldn’t finish it with Milwaukee. As head coach Doc Rivers considers how to drastically change the roster to best fit his two superstars, Lopez has suddenly become a major trade factor.

Jason Burgos z Sportsnaut suggests the Suns, currently coached by Mike Budenholzer, could be a potential target. His Lopez trade to Phoenix would look like this:

  • The sun gets: Brook Lopez and MarJon Beauchamp
  • Bucks receive: Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little and a future second-round draft pick

As for the Suns, they could also acquire Lopez and Beauchamp in exchange for Nurkic, Nassir Little and a future second-round draft pick. In principle, it would make sense to switch centers and see if they can get better results in different systems.

An extra second-round pick is tempting for Milwaukee, which traded five of them for Jae Crowder. The selection sent to them will likely be one of the original selections sent as part of this transaction.

How would Jusuf Nurkic and Nassir Little benefit the Milwaukee Bucks?

Milwaukee Bucks
April 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (20) makes a basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half of Game 4 of the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at the Footprint Center. Must-Have: Joe Camporeale – USA TODAY Sports

While Lopez is a great interior defender and rim protector, he is not the best rebounder. Nurkic, on the other hand, averaged 11.0 rebounds last year. That being said, Lopez is a three-point specialist while Nurkic is 28% effective on three-pointers.

Nassir Little wouldn’t be much more than a bench starter as he averaged just 10.2 minutes per game for the Suns. He shot 36% from three two seasons ago, but shot just 30% from beyond the arc last season.

The obvious key to the Bucks’ job would be Nurkic, but he may not spread the floor well enough to work in the Bucks’ system.

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