This Milwaukee Bucks They’re making no secret of the fact that they’re in the market to make some large changes to their roster for the 2024-25 NBA season. After trading Damian Lillard slow last offseason, the Bucks had bigger aspirations than just another first-round exit in the NBA playoffs. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dame under contract for at least the next two seasons, they’re in win-now mode. Simply put, they can’t afford another disappointing season anytime soon.
Part of the reason the Bucks are desperate is that they simply haven’t drafted and developed well. While Giannis will be remembered as the greatest player in franchise history, few of his current teammates started their careers like he did, drafted by Milwaukee.
MarJon Beauchamp, AJ Green and Andre Jackson Jr. were the only other Bucks draft picks who saw any semblance of real playing time last season, with most of their players being former free agents or players acquired via trade.
How the Milwaukee Bucks Acquired Their Most Important Players
Giannis, as mentioned, was drafted by the Bucks and remains their best example of draft success. Lillard, of course, was acquired in a trade last offseason for Jrue Holiday, who was himself acquired by Milwaukee in a trade in 2021.
Khris Middleton, though best remembered as a Bucks player, was originally drafted by the Detroit Pistons and sent to Milwaukee in a trade. Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and Pat Connaughton all came to the Bucks in free agency, as did most of their bench players.
There is no doubt that the Bucks are NBA championship contenders with Giannis and Dame, but they only have them for so long. If Milwaukee is going to continue their unbroken streak of success, they need to start drafting and developing players, as well as adding the right players to their roster.
As the 2024 NBA Draft approaches, rumors are circulating that some of the current veterans could be traded for players who would be a better fit on an NBA roster (since they can’t sign any free agents for more than the veteran minimum).
NBA Analyst Reveals Milwaukee Bucks Ready to Trade Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton
IN a recent article published on Basketball buzzNBA expert Michael Scotto revealed that the Bucks are making Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis available on the trade market ahead of the draft. He wrote:
“Rival directors also got the impression that Bobby Portis AND Pat Connaughton are available on the transfer market if Milwaukee can make a significant upgrade in a win-now deal. Both players, however, have been mentioned as potential trade candidates in the past and nothing came of it. Portis ended up as a Sixth Man of the Year finalist for the second year in a row.”
Both players have some fondness among Bucks fans for being part of the team that won the NBA Finals in 2021. However, both have also been criticized by fans on social media for their poor play in the postseason.
The club must also have taken note of how poorly they have performed in the NBA playoffs since winning the title, given that both players were acquired via trade.
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