The Milwaukee Bucks are not standing pat as the trade deadline approaches. Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported that the Bucks are looking to move on from Pat Connaughton and Cameron Payne.
NBA Rumors: Milwaukee Bucks Looking to Trade Two Players
Defense is Needed
The Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly seeking to trade a package that includes Pat Connaughton and Cameron Payne in an effort to upgrade their roster, per @JakeLFischer
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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 24, 2024
Milwaukee dominated the NBA headlines yesterday, firing head coach Adrian Griffin and replacing him with Doc Rivers within the same day. Multiple reports have come out stating that the change was due in part to the Bucks’ defensive woes.
Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst’s job is to achieve a balance between constructing a contending team and keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo happy. Griffin was reportedly Antetokounmpo’s top choice for the head coaching vacancy left by Mike Budenholzer, and Horst obliged.
Despite Milwaukee’s 30-13 start, several players (including Antetokounmpo) lost faith in Griffin. The swift removal of a head coach who guided his team to the current second seed in the East is exemplary of the tremendous power that franchise players hold in today’s NBA.
However, switching from Griffin to Rivers won’t magically fix Milwaukee’s deficiencies on defense. Connaughton, Payne, and a second round pick are what Milwaukee will try to use to acquire players to fix that.
Bucks’ Trade Piece #1: Pat Connaughton
Since arriving in 2015 from the Trail Blazers, Connaughton has been a key contributor of Milwaukee’s second unit. This year, however, he is playing 21.4 minutes per game, which is his lowest total since 2019-20.
He is currently averaging 5.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.
The 6’5 guard out of Notre Dame is currently in the first year of a three-year, $28 million extension signed in 2022. A career 36% three-point shooter, Connaughton could interest teams interested in having a reliable, veteran presence on the wing.
Bucks’ Trade Piece #2: Cameron Payne
Payne has endured a topsy-turvy career in the NBA. He is best known as the spark plug off the bench for the 2021-22 Phoenix Suns. That team reached the NBA Finals, only to lose to the Bucks.
Payne signed with the Bucks on a team-friendly one-year, $2.89 contract in October.
The Murray State product came in as the back up to Damian Lillard, but he has struggled to impose himself thus far. He is currently averaging 6.5 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in just over 15 minutes per game.
Bucks’ Trade Piece #3: 2024 2nd round pick(from Portland)
The Bucks are absolutely strapped for picks. The only draft selection they hold that would be mildly attractive to other teams is Portland’s second rounder in the upcoming 2024 draft. If the season ended today, it would be the 35th pick.
Fischer elaborated on the value of the pick in his article “There are some front-office figures who view that type of selection as more valuable than or the equivalent of a late first-rounder because the pick isn’t bound to a rookie-scale and carries lower tax implications.”
On it’s own, the pick may not intrigue teams on it’s own, but could be a solid sweetener in a packaged deal.
The Last Word
The Bucks now have two weeks to decide what Rivers can accomplish with the current roster. Milwaukee has been linked with high-profile perimeter defenders, such as Bruce Brown. To get that, they’ll have to offer more than just Connaughton, Payne, and a second round pick.
