The Milwaukee Bucks don't have avenues at their disposal to improve their roster. After re-signing Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton and then trading for Damian Lillard, the Bucks shot themselves into the second apron. This drastically limits their ability to make trades, including not being able to take on any money in a trade, and prevents them from signing anybody on the buyout market. The franchise also has only two second-round picks available to them to trade. It is going to be very difficult for the Bucks to make moves at the NBA trade deadline, but they can move Pat Connaughton and Jae Crowder.
General manager Jon Horst is among the most creative in the league and has a history of making moves at the deadline. He has his work cut out for him to improve the Bucks' 19th-ranked defense. Fortunately, these two players can be traded to help bring in reinforcements on that end.
Pat Connaughton, Guard
If the Bucks are going to make a trade before the trade deadline in a couple of weeks, the player most likely to be dealt seems to be Pat Connaughton. Connaughton is enjoying a solid bounceback season for the Bucks this year. In the 2022-23 campaign, he shot just 39.2% from the field, which was the lowest in a season for him since his rookie year. His 33.9% clip from three a year ago wasn't much to write home about either.
But Connaughton has bumped those percentages up to 44.9% from the field and 38.3% from three. Not only is he making himself serviceable on offense again, but he continues to fight on defense and make hustle plays that help his team win. There is value for a player like that on any team.
Unfortunately, for the state the Bucks are in, if they want to make upgrades, Connaughton almost has to be in a trade to make that upgrade happen. Connaughton just began a three-year $28 million extension this season. At $9.423 million, his salary is close to the average salary of about $10-$12 million, roughly what the midlevel exception was this offseason.
Connaughton, one of Milwaukee's young players, and their second-round picks could potentially fetch them someone like Davion Mitchell from the Sacramento Kings.
Connaughton has championship experience that every team would want. That includes Milwaukee, but if they want to make a trade, their options are limited.
Jae Crowder, Forward
Every team needs 3-and-D wings, and Jae Crowder is no exception.
He may not be the best defending jittery guards, but he can hold his own against burly wings, and the 43.3% clip from three he's posting this season is more than good enough to stay on the floor in tense moments. He's been a starter on two separate teams that have made a run to the NBA Finals. Crowder is everything that the Bucks want and need in a rotation player.
But, again, if they want to make upgrades around their roster, their options to do so are very limited.
In order to gain a couple of extra second-round picks to their disposal, their best path to doing that to make another trade might include dealing Crowder. Remember, the Bucks traded five second-round picks to the Suns for Crowder at the trade deadline last year. They may not get that haul, but they can add more picks if they make him available and reroute those elsewhere.
It doesn't seem likely the Bucks make a deal at all before the trade deadline given their position. But if they want to make some noise, they might have to dish out guys like Connaughton and Crowder to make that happen.
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