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In a bid to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo aboard beyond the coming season, the Milwaukee Bucks made multiple deals on Monday night to bolster their roster. First, the Bucks executed a whopper of a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans for Jrue Holiday, with Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, three first-round picks and two pick swaps going to New Orleans. Then, Milwaukee worked out a sign-and-trade deal with the Sacramento Kings for Bogdan Bogdanovic, with Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson and Ersan Ilyasova heading to Sacramento.
Milwaukee is under a fair amount of pressure, as the team is looking to impress Giannis. The Greek Freak is up for an extension, and the team faces a Dec. 21 deadline to sign him to a supermax five-year contract extension, which is expected to be around $230 million. If the two sides cannot come together on an extension agreement, Antetokounmpo would be set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2020-2021 campaign. He could still sign the five-year supermax in ’21, or he could opt for a short-term deal.
Are the acquisitions of Holiday and Bogdanovic enough to sway Giannis' decision to stay in Milwaukee, where he earned Most Valuable Player each of the past two seasons? Does the trade lift the Bucks higher on the ladder of contention after a season in which they were sent home in the second round of the playoffs? Should they be considered the new 2021 NBA title favorite after the Los Angeles Lakers won in 2020?
These are questions that are worth exploring.
Holiday, now 30 years of age, is a proven scorer, but he's also a gifted facilitator. With the Pelicans last season, the crafty guard turned in averages of 19.1 points on 45.5 percent shooting from the field (35.3 percent from beyond the arc), 6.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 34.7 minutes per outing. Notably, though, he has just one guaranteed season left on his contract, which means he too can become a free agent next summer.
Simply put, the Bucks are swinging for the fences in an attempt to win now — and to keep Giannis. Bringing in Holiday and Bogdanovic means the team is giving up future draft assets that it could have used in the event of an Antetokounmpo departure.
Whatever Bucks ownership promised Giannis in their postseason meeting … I think they exceeded it.
Swinging trades for a two-way force like Jrue Holiday and a marksman of Bogdan Bogdanovic's caliber before we even get to the draft is league-shaking work from Jon Horst and Co.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 17, 2020
“We continue to focus on taking big swings, making the appropriate moves,” Bucks General Manager Jon Horst told reporters in a conference call on Monday, via The New York Times.
Still… is this trade enough to make the Bucks the favorite for this season? The short answer would seem to be no, as the Eastern Conference is expected to be stronger than it was. In Brooklyn, Nets All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant will be making their returns after injuries. The Miami Heat, last season's Eastern Conference champions, will be looking to build on their momentum behind the solid play of Jimmy Butler. There will certainly be other talented young teams vying for the top spot in the East, including the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors.
And how about the Western Conference? LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the Lakers to their 17th championship in franchise history last season, and they'll undoubtedly be looking to repeat. The Clippers will be in the mix as well, with All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George leading the charge. As of October of this year, the Lakers (+375) were viewed as the favorite to win the 2021 title, while Clippers (+425) are a close second. And let's not forget about the Golden State Warriors, who'll be bringing back Splash Brothers Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry.
All things considered, though, the Bucks will have a superb trio of talent in Giannis, Holiday and Khris Middleton. And furthermore, Bogdanovic gives the team another serious threat from the perimeter. Former No. 10 overall pick Brook Lopez will be holding down the center position for Milwaukee, giving the team a truly formidable starting five.
The Bucks will have what it takes, but will they be able to reach the NBA's proverbial mountaintop? As sand falls through the hourglass, we wait to find out.
