The Milwaukee Bucks are in the midst of an offseason that could prove to be a turning point for their franchise. While they still have a few years (at least) of an NBA championship ahead of them, they’ve also had two consecutive seasons of being sent home in the first round of the playoffs. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard together for the next few years, the Bucks will be relevant for the foreseeable future. However, they clearly have some work to do on the rest of their squad to get back to being championship contenders.
Due to the high salary cap (they are in second place), the Bucks cannot sign any free agents for amounts higher than the veteran minimum. They also have confined ability to make transactions. Due to their cap status, they must match each paycheck to what they bring in. In other words, they cannot create more cap space by trading an steep contract for a smaller one.
This, of course, means that Milwaukee may have to part with one of its key players if it wants to bring in any significant talent.
An NBA analyst suggests that the Milwaukee Bucks trade Brook Lopez to the Memphis Grizzlies for Marcus Smart
One of the ways Milwaukee can best improve is on defense. Trading Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trailblazers (and Grayson Allen to the Phoenix Suns) for Lillard was the right thing to do, but the trade came so behind schedule in the offseason that the Bucks didn’t properly plan for Holiday’s lack of defense.
Throughout the 2023-24 NBA season, the Bucks were consistently utilized by good three-point shooting teams and athletic, mighty players who could score away from the basket.
Of course, Brook Lopez remained one of the best rim defenders in the NBA; but has struggled to keep pace with more athletic centers that do not rely on internal scoring to be effective.
For these reasons, NBA analyst Jake Weinbach suggests the Bucks could consider trading Lopez for a more versatile defender. He suggests Marcus Smart of the Memphis Grizzlies as a potential trade target:
Brook Lopez should be generating a lot of interest around the league, but the Grizzlies, Pelicans and Magic are the first to come to mind as potential suitors.
Memphis would be fascinating because acquiring a center is on their offseason to-do list and the Bucks admire Marcus Smart. https://t.co/bv1yLo3mJJ
— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) June 20, 2024
Smart, the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, would be an immediate addition to the defense and would give the Bucks a player who can defend multiple positions.
Are the Milwaukee Bucks trading Brook Lopez?
If there’s anything that can be said about Bucks general manager Jon Horst, it’s that it’s almost impossible to predict what he’ll do. He found himself out of sight last offseason and completed the Lillard deal when no one knew the Bucks were even interested.
It’s quite possible he’s buying Lopez, although if so, it’s doubtful the media will find out. That being said, trading Lopez for Smart would make some sense as he fills a specific need for the Bucks.
However, Lopez is still one of the best shot blockers in the NBA. His interior defense changed and may continue to change the course of the game. If the Bucks trade Lopez, they will need to find another center to take his place around the rim.
This may prove more challenging than finding a versatile three-and-D wing.
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