NBA rumors: Bucks expected to shop trade market
10/25/2024 02:37 PM
Despite having limited tradeable assets and an inability to aggregate salaries in future trades, the Milwaukee Bucks are expected to be active ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline. Although the Bucks are unlikely to want to part with Bobby Portis, the contracts of Pat Connaughton ($9.4 million) and MarJon Beauchamp ($2.7 million) are movable, per ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.
While there are many big trade targets this year, such as Kevin Durant or Jimmy Butler, a far more realistic target for the Bucks could be a reunion between Jerami Grant and Damian Lillard. The Portland Trail Blazers forward carries a big contract, but Milwaukee may be willing to temporarily go over the second tax apron. Either way, the Bucks must be creative to make the contract math work with few big-ticket tradeable assets.
Bucks feeling intense pressure to win now
Injuries derailed what could have been an NBA title for the Bucks during the 2023-24 season. Now most of the big teams in the East are likely trying to figure out how to find a final piece to be the push they need to capture the conference.
TNT’s Kenny Smith shared that sentiment via DJ Siddiqi of Forbes.
"They're all on the same plateau for the first time where the Eastern Conference is very top heavy," said Smith. "Any of those teams can win the East. In years past, it's just going to be these two teams and everybody else is just trying to get better. Those four teams are gunning for it now — the Bucks, the Celtics, the Knicks and the 76ers. They're going for it, they're going to try to win it all this year. Anything else might be a disappointment to them this year."
Milwaukee started the season strong with a dominant 124-109 road win against the Philadelphia 76ers, although Philly was without Joel Embiid. The Bucks were also without key frontcourt piece Khris Middleton as he continues his recovery from offseason surgeries on both of his ankles.
Head coach Doc Rivers is certainly ready to lead the Bucks and not listening to the detractors, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
"I'm eighth in wins. I'm fourth in playoff wins," Rivers said. "My dad used to say something, 'If somebody said something you would never listen to, why would you ever pay attention to it?' You know what I mean? "My numbers don't lie. I've coached for 25 years and I've had two losing seasons. And the two losing seasons, we were trying to f—— lose, yeah. So I've made the playoffs — whatever, I don't even know — 21 out of 25 years."
The Bucks have four games scheduled between now and the end of October, including three road contests against the Brooklyn Nets, Boston Celtics and Memphis Grizzlies.
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