This Milwaukee Bucks have made it clear that they want to add younger and more athletic players to their roster. They certainly added some intriguing prospects and youthful talent by selecting AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith in the 2024 NBA Draft. They also signed Delon Wright and Stanley Umude in free agency.
That said, none of these moves are impressive. The Bucks have NBA championship aspirations in 2024-25 and need to immediately add players who will lend a hand them improve their on-court product. Given that Milwaukee is already in the second zone of the NBA salary cap, they are constrained in what free agents they can sign.
Because of these restrictions, many have concluded that the Bucks will trade some of their more high-profile veterans. In fact, it is rumored that multiple Bucks players from the 2021 NBA Finals are now on the trade list.
However, a team insider suggests that two of those players may not be as tradeable as people think.
Milwaukee Bucks have hired an assistant coach to work with their current elevated players.
This morning, news broke that Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has finalized his coaching staff. In the article in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Team insider Jim Owczarski had this to say about the decision to hire former Philadelphia 76ers assistant Jason Love:
“The plan is for Love to team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis.”
Of course, Lopez and Portis are the two players the Bucks are rumored to be looking to trade this offseason. Since they don’t have many tradeable assets, those two players would provide the best return. However, Owczarski’s report suggests Milwaukee is planning to bring back both players.
Of course, he also notes that this is “the plan.” As we saw last year with this team, plans can change quickly.
Should the Milwaukee Bucks trade Brook Lopez and/or Bobby Portis?
As mentioned, Lopez and Portis are two players the Bucks could (or would be willing to) trade for the best return. While Lopez is a great rim protector, he is not a very versatile defender. Portis is a great scoring threat off the bench and has finished in the top three in Sixth Man of the Year voting each of the last two seasons. He is not a great defender, though.
The problem with moving either one of them is that the Bucks would have to replace the positive attributes each brings to the table. It’s highly unlikely that Milwaukee could trade Portis and get a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate in return. They also won’t be able to move Lopez and simply find another center who can shoot 35 percent and average more than two blocks per game.
Milwaukee still has two roster spots to fill, so whether players are traded could depend on who else the Bucks can acquire.
For now, it looks like the plan is for both of them to return.
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