The Milwaukee Bucks are entering this season as NBA champions. They defeated the two biggest surprises in the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks and the Phoenix Suns, on their route to the final goal. Now, as champions, they enter the season with a target on their back. The Brooklyn Nets will have a healthy team, just like the Los Angeles Lakers. The Los Angeles Clippers will have a fully healthy team when Kawhi Leonard returns from his ACL injury. To combat these teams and many other possible landmines, the Bucks have some potential trade candidates to consider going forward.
The Bucks really do not have a huge necessity for any position on their roster. Their starting line-up is set, with the only weak link being possibly Donte DiVincenzo, and even he is a solid option. The bench is also fairly good, a mix of role guys like Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton, and veterans like George Hill. However, to become the undisputed best roster in the league, they need just a bit more. The Bucks should definitely consider as potential trade candidates Eric Gordon and Mo Bamba.
Bucks trade candidates
Mo Bamba
The former Texas big-man has not had the best NBA career up until now. Firstly, he was drafted to an Orlando Magic team that does not need a center, as they had Vucevic at the time. Then, on average, he is given less than 20 minutes to play in games, which is not good for his development. The Bucks might be that change of scenery Bamba needs and Bamba might be that defensive anchor the Bucks need.
Of course, their current starting center, Brook Lopez, is a great defensive center. Lopez went through a major transformation on both ends of the court when he joined the Bucks. His immediate replacement is Bobby Portis and Portis is a solid option. However, he is primarily a power forward and the Bucks are missing size when they want to rest Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lopez.
Thus, Bamba and his size would be a godsend for the Bucks squad. The former 6th selection in the 2018 NBA Draft would be surrounded by some championship quality and would play for a great coach in Mike Budenholzer. These kinds of things really can affect a player, and Bamba really needs it. While all the stats above are true, about the Magic misusing him, it was also Bamba who did not have the best attitude when it comes to development. However, playing for an organization without a sense of direction is not the greatest motivation for young players.
The Bucks trading for Bamba would work out for everyone. The Magic would have even more space for Wendell Carter Jr, the center they have chosen to be their future. The Bucks would get size and defensive proficiency in the middle of the paint, something they lack from the bench. Bamba, most importantly, would get playing time, championship-level experience, and motivation to work on his craft. It seems like this would be a win for all sides.
Eric Gordon
If Bamba is good for the Bucks, then Gordon is perfection. As mentioned in the beginning, the only real flaw of this Bucks team is the two-guard spot. Right now, the two choices are Connaughton and DiVincenzo, both of which are solid. However, they are not the starting quality for a team with championship aspirations.
Last year, the Bucks were not tested to the full limit, as the Nets did not have Harden or Irving healthy for most of the series. Other opponents included a completely depleted Miami Heat, inexperienced Atlanta Hawks, and somewhat overmatched Phoenix Suns.
Thus, some flaws of the team were not on full display, and with the league on alert, this season might expose them. Getting Eric Gordon transforms their starting lineup. Of course, Gordon will not bring much on the defensive end nor will he do more than just shoot, but he is an elite shooter. In the starting lineup of Holiday-Gordon-Middleton-Antetokounmpo-Lopez, there are so many different skill-sets, threats, and matchup problems for the opposition.
The cost of Gordon has to be taken into consideration. He still has three seasons on his deal that he signed in 2019, but the Rockets are in a different position now. When he signed the deal, Houston was fighting for a championship and Gordon was a key member of that team. The Bucks are not in a position to chase someone of Gordon's paycheck, but in the case that he is bought out, which is a realistic possibility, the Bucks should be first in line.
Getting Bamba or Gordon will not make the Bucks that much better, if for nothing, than for the fact that the team does not have much room for improvement. They won a championship last season and the repeat is always the tough part, but getting fresh blood in would negate that effect. Gordon, especially out of the two, has the motivation to get the coveted NBA title, something he has been so close to with the Rockets on multiple occasions. Bamba, on the other hand, just wants to prove himself in a healthy environment. They need the Bucks and the Bucks just might need them, as well.
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