Milwaukee Bucks Trade Assets
Here's what Bucks GM Jon Horst has to peddle ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline
The Milwaukee Bucks under Jon Horst are never truly out of assets. Here’s what the Bucks have to deal ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline, assuming the new-look Core 4 of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez (plus Thanasis Antetokounmpo) aren’t moving.
Mid-Level-ish Veterans
Bobby Portis
Pat Connaughton
Figuring the exact ‘value’ of a player on the trade market is difficult. Both Portis and Connaughton are on reasonable contracts and have earned esteem around the league for their contributions to a Bucks team that has won a lot of games and a championship during their time in Milwaukee. Of course, a tanking team would have less interest in a champion role player than a team trying to make a playoff run. Both Connaughton and Portis have multiple years remaining on their contracts, which further limits their value to teams more interested in shedding salary than winning games in the near-term.
Worth noting: any trade bringing back a player who makes anywhere in the $10 million neighborhood realistically requires one of these two going out for salary matching purposes – and a player making around $20 million (like Dejounte Murray for example) requires both (unless a Core Four player was involved, which this article assumes does not happen).
The Young Guys
Andre Jackson Jr.
MarJon Beauchamp
A.J. Green
Chris Livingston
Beauchamp earns the most salary this season, but none of these four are on large contracts, so their most likely role is being the value asset in a bigger trade. These four are ordered in terms of their probable trade value, with Jackson Jr. and Beauchamp on the highest end. I think Green would have value to teams looking for shooting punch at a bargain cap hit (i.e. most of them), while Livingston has not shown enough yet to realistically carry much value as more than a flier (even though I like him!).
The Veteran Vet Minimums
Robin Lopez
Cameron Payne
Malik Beasley
Jae Crowder
I would be pretty surprised if either Beasley or Crowder were moved – it’s hard to find many vet minimum players who would be more valuable to Milwaukee than those two are. Realistically none of these guys will probably get traded given salary matching really limits the pool of players who could come back in any deal.
The Picks
2024 Portland second-rounder
2027 Milwaukee second-rounder
‘Second swap’ rights on:
2024 first (New Orleans/Milwaukee)
2026 first (New Orleans/Milwaukee)
2028 first (Portland/Milwaukee)
2030 first (Portland/Milwaukee)
The two second round picks are self-explanatory – the Portland one will be a top 35 overall selection in the upcoming draft, the Milwaukee one is less appealing.
The ‘third swap’ rights are inspired by what the Phoenix Suns did last year to gain additional second-round picks to trade. The Bucks could offer a secondary swap on the first round draft picks the Stepien Rule mandates they maintain at least every other year, so they would still have a first rounder on draft day but it would always be the worst of their own and the two swap rights teams.
For example, if the Bucks traded a second swap on their 2028 first round pick with Atlanta, Portland would get the better of Milwaukee and Portland’s first rounder, and then Atlanta would get the better of Atlanta and whichever of Milwaukee and Portland’s pick was worse (and would’ve gone to the Bucks). Realistically doing so with their 2024 first round pick doesn’t really make sense unless the team trading with the Bucks would be picking below them.
There’s no guarantee any pick actually gets conveyed, just like a traditional pick swap, but with less upside. Still, it’s something, as teams like Orlando showed by offering minor draft picks for second swaps with the Suns.
Can The Bucks Actually Trade For Anybody?
I think they can and will! Milwaukee has shown no hesitation to take on future cap hits that scare other teams, and Horst has made trades happen that seemed impossible previously. Before they traded for Damian Lillard, I was literally laughed at for suggesting Milwaukee would at least try to sneak into that discussion.
The situation has to be just right — I think the Bucks getting someone like the aforementioned Dejounte Murray is actually more likely than a sought after role player like Alex Caruso. But there are always teams either willing to shed veterans to help their rebuild or balking at future money owed to good players, which presents opportunities for Horst and the Bucks.