The NBA trade deadline is a little over a month away, with the final cutoff on February 23rd at 3:00PM Eastern. Always a source of much consternation and speculation, the trade deadline is a prime opportunity to take stock of a team’s roster needs, their current assets and reevaluate the course of the team for the rest of the season.
On the surface, the Milwaukee Bucks don’t look to have any pressing needs at the moment. Their two young stars are blossoming and Khris Middleton’s potential return looms as the best acquisition the team could ask for. Still, there are some clear long-term needs on the roster, and the ever cumbersome log jam at center remains an issue.
Those long-term needs are are point guard and center. The propensity of big men on the team seems to contradict the latter need, but it’s become clear the Bucks are still in need of a competent rim-rolling center who can also defend the rim. John Henson and Miles Plumlee aren’t cutting it, and while Greg Monroe is playing perhaps the best two-way basketball of his life, he game doesn’t quite fit the modern center archetype. Same goes for point guard, where Malcolm Brogdon’s sterling start to his career may mean he’s the long-term answer, but he lacks some of the off-the-dribble dynamism this team could use in the backcourt, particularly with Delly deficient in that area as well.
The potential assets on the team include Matthew Dellavedova, Mirza Teletovic, Greg Monroe and John Henson. Henson’s poor play of late may’ve swept any remaining bloom on his rose right off, but it’s possible some team looks at his career rim protection statistics and takes a flier. Delly may be expendable with Brogdon’s emergence, but the Bucks’ lack of point guard depth means Milwaukee would probably need a guard in return. Mirza Teletovic’s stretch-four abilities theoretically make him be valuable for teams looking to space the floor and while Greg Monroe is the best player out of these four, it seems as if most teams have written him off with his large contract, back-to-the-basket game and potential opt-out situation after this year.
In our view, unless a prime deal comes along, it may be prudent just to stand pat and let things roll. The franchise is heading in the right direction with its young stars, the goal is to not make a move that would hinder that.
We’ll have more content leading up to the trade deadline, but in the meantime, let us know in the comments how you think the team should approach this year’s deadline.