The Serge Ibaka trade was a big risk for the Bucks
It seems like a good gamble, but don't mistake a lack of marquee names for a low-stakes move.
Editor’s note: the following article was pitched and written by Gyro Step assistant producer Eugene Choursoutoglou. Follow him on Twitter for more of his Bucks thoughts straight from Greece!
Now that the All-Star Game is over and teams are getting ready for their final push in the regular season, I think there’s a great opportunity to talk about the final look of the Milwaukee Bucks roster and how this team was formed.
This season already feels so long for Bucks fans. The roster has been through countless changes already and it feels like every week something new is going to happen. The team has been so unlucky with injuries and COVID this season, which results in a crazy stat: according to Eric Nehm of the Athletic, at some point during February, the Bucks had used 708 different lineups (!) which was, of course, the most for any team in the league by a large margin.
This roster has been through so many different phases. From thinking Semi Ojeleye could be an important role player in the playoffs and a P.J. Tucker replacement, to starting Thanasis Antetokounmpo at the 5 when Bobby Portis had Covid, hyping up Javonte Smart, pushing for Sandro Mamukelashvili minutes, being excited for DeMarcus Cousins, witnessing the Langston Galloway and Luke Kornet period, hoping for Donte DiVincenzo to work out, signing Wesley Matthews, being mad about cutting Boogie and witnessing the return of Greg Monroe. And all that happened before the trade deadline.
Jon Horst was particularly active during the deadline, which resulted in a very interesting trade. The Bucks acquired Serge Ibaka and two second round picks in exchange for Ojeleye, DiVincenzo and Rodney Hood. At first glance it looked like a decent trade. If we take into consideration the fact that the Bucks never seemed to trust Donte (it’s actually the second time he’s been traded), and the fact that Hood and Ojeleye were never going to be a part of the playoff rotation, then we can talk about a low-risk, high-reward trade. Was it a low-risk move, though?
I think it wasn’t. On the contrary, I think it was a gutsy move from Bucks GM Jon Horst and a move that could’ve easily backfired. It’s always risky when you trade three players in exchange for one in the middle of the season. Especially when this one has had back problems the last two seasons. Moments after the trade, the Bucks roster was extremely thin. With no timetable for Brook Lopez’s return and the uncertainty around George Hill’s neck condition, their bench options were dramatically limited. The situation became even more alarming some days later, with Pat Connaughton getting injured, which is going to keep him out for at least four weeks.
Even though Hood and Ojeleye were never going to be important pieces come playoff time, they were still useful options for the rest of the regular season, especially with the injuries that the Bucks had to face. With them being included in the trade, everything came down to buyouts and free agents in order for the Bucks to reach the minimum of 14 players. There was no real movement out there though, as teams were hesitant to buy out players. Dennis Schröder and Eric Bledsoe were some of the guys most likely to get bought out, but that has not happened to this day.
Options were limited and there was a real possibility that the Bucks would have to bring in guys on 10-day contracts in order to fill out their roster spots. And that, of course, could be very risky, as the options out there were not great. Recruiting players that would be able to help them, not only for the rest of the regular season but also for the playoffs, posed a serious problem the Bucks had to solve.
There was a scenario where the Bucks could have started the playoffs with a rotation of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Portis, Grayson Allen, Hill, Connaughton, Matthews, Ibaka and, hopefully, Lopez. Would that have been a bad rotation? Again, at first glance, someone might say no. But if we look at it more closely, we’ll see that there were a lot of question marks regarding the squad’s future in the playoffs.
Firstly, we still don’t know how long it’ll take for Brook to find his form, if, of course, that happens this season. Also, Matthews’ performances have not been the same after his ankle injury. Ηis offensive decline is worrying, considering the fact that he’s going to be a key post-season player. Last but not least, Donte’s departure took away some very crucial off-ball defense and energy that’s hard to find at this point of the season. With Hill out, the Bucks needed some kind of reinforcement at the guard spot.
Thankfully for the Bucks, James Harden and Ben Simmons being dramatic might have actually helped them. The Nets and Sixers made a blockbuster trade which sent Harden to Philadelphia and Simmons to New York. A domino effect took place, which resulted in the Nets waiving DeAndre’ Bembry. Horst took advantage of the situation and almost immediately signed him. A few days later, Goran Dragic signed with the Nets. The Nets then had to waive Jevon Carter to make a roster spot. Once more, Horst’s reflexes were on point, as he managed to sign Carter as well.
Bembry appeared in 48 games with the Nets this season before being waived on February 10. With the Nets, Bembry averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.8 minutes per game while shooting a career-high 56.8 percent from the field and a career-best 41.7 percent from three. He is not an amazing career 3-point shooter as he averages around 28.3 percent, but he has been particularly successful from the corner this season, where he is 12-of-22 on 3-point shots. Carter appeared in 46 games with the Nets before being waived on February 22. With the Nets, Carter averaged 3.6 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.0 minutes per game, while having the reputation of a great defender. He has already shown glimpses of great defensive work as a Buck, as he constantly presses the ball with high intensity and tenacity.
Are they going to be important for the team? Are they going to have significant roles in the playoffs? Are they going to actually improve the team? No one can tell this early on. What’s undeniable though is the fact that Coach Budenholzer now has more and better options in order to mix things up. Theoretically, Bembry and Carter should be better than Ojeleye and Hood. At least, that’s what their stats suggest. Horst basically turned Ojeleye, Hood and DiVincenzo into Ibaka, Bembry, Carter and two second round picks. Not bad.
Horst’s brave decision to pull the trigger on the Ibaka trade is particularly worth highlighting. It was not a low-risk move as many people have suggested. The options out there were limited and there were a lot of question marks in the air. Some of these questions are still around, but Bud has more options to choose from now. Horst was bold, he gambled and as the saying goes, fortune favors the brave. Therefore, he found some nice pieces in Bembry and Carter. The method was unorthodox, but it still worked.
These are the kind of trades that either come back to haunt you or make you a champion. And for Horst, this doesn’t seem like a nightmare thus far.
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