As first reported by Dan on RealGM and now confirmed by the Journal-Sentinel, Damon Jones is ditching T.O.'s posse and joining up with the Bucks on Saturday. As you probably know, Jones was acquired in the Mo WIlliams trade this summer but came to an agreement with the Bucks that he would not be with the team while John Hammond and company looked for a way to trade him elsewhere. The possiblity of a buyout was also discussed, but with the season nearing the midway mark and Jones unlikely to get anything but a minimum deal elsewhere, the potential cost savings to the Bucks are relatively small.
The real question: why now? Charlie Bell could miss time with the knee injury he suffered Tuesday against the Jazz, but the Bucks have missed Bell and Luke Ridnour at various points this season without feeling the need to bring Jones back into the fold. Aside from that, Bell hasn't really played PG at all this year with Ridnour, Sessions, and Tyronn Lue around. So unless some other roster move is forthcoming, adding Jones seems rather...random.
Jones doesn't need to report to the Bucks in order to be traded, so my guess is his departure isn't imminent. The more obvious answer might be a trade involving Tyronn Lue ($2.25 million), who Mike Bresnahan of the L.A. Times mentioned this week as a player of interest for the Lakers. The simplest deal involving the Lakers would be for Chris Mihm's expiring deal ($2.5 million), but that move doesn't fill an obvious need from a Bucks perspective. Lue's expiring and has done well as a shooter off the bench, so trading him isn't a real priority, nor is acquiring another mediocre seven-footer (that's where the Dutchmen fit in). Which would suggest that a more complicated deal is also possible.
UPDATE: Head over to WSSP where their headline story courtesy of Gery Woelfel also has this tasty teaser:
This may be a move that lines the Bucks up to make a trade in the near future. Rumblings going around have included PG Tyronn Lue and PF Charlie V involved in potential deals. Stay tuned to 1250 WSSP for the latest on the Milwaukee Bucks.