Milwaukee Bucks 2025 NBA Trade Deadline Big Board - Version 1

Rankings, stats, and analysis of 30 NBA players the Bucks could acquire

The 2025 NBA Trade Deadline is three weeks away, on February 6 at 2 pm Central time. Milwaukee Bucks GM Jon Horst tends to be active at the league’s transaction windows, so it’s a safe bet that the Bucks will do something on or ahead of deadline day. But what?

That’s the question I’m trying to get ahead of with my first 2025 Trade Deadline Big Board. I’ve ranked 30 potential trade options from the most appealing to the least, with the cost of the addition factored in. Given the Bucks’ extremely limited assets and salary slots, and the difficulty of the second apron which they’re currently in, it seemed more useful than ever to factor what has to go out to make a deal work.

This is why Jimmy Butler, despite clearly being the best player on this list, is not in my top two targets. The two players I’ve listed ahead of Butler can be gotten in one-for-one swaps, augmenting Milwaukee’s existing rotation instead of blowing it up.

The bottom of this article has an embedded chart with lots of information on each player, including the Bucks player making the least amount this season that could be traded for said player, some basic stats and metrics, and their remaining contract seasons. I used Delon Wright as the veteran minimum example piece for obvious reasons. You can subscribe to GSPN Premium for my writeups on all 30 players and that embedded chart, if you aren’t already.

1. Robert Williams III

2. Nick Richards

My top two targets shouldn’t be much of a surprise to anyone who’s been following my Bucks coverage this season. The need for an athletic center to give the Bucks a non-Giannis Antetokounmpo option to defend the rim without the athleticism concerns of Brook Lopez has felt apparent all season, and Robert Williams III and Nick Richards are the two most obvious candidates.

Both players are rumored to be available, and both slide into an easy salary slot for the Bucks. Bobby Portis can be sent for Williams, and Pat Connaughton for Richards works too. I gave Williams the edge because we’ve seen him have a legitimate DPOY caliber season for the Boston Celtics before injuries derailed his career. As scary as the prospect of additional injuries is, no center available offers that kind of proven defensive upside. Williams is reportedly healthy now and his minutes are limited more out of caution and the Trail Blazers having too many bigs.

Every trade on this list carries some risk. Richards is now gone to Phoenix anyway, but has not proven he is a championship starting center by any means. Williams has the injury concern. Jimmy Butler is demanding a max extension and pouting his way out of Miami, a tactic he’s used before. It helps that Williams has proved to be an elite play finisher too, shooting 70% from the field with the Blazers. But back to Butler…