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The Milwaukee Bucks are current NBA champions and they are in a good position to repeat. While their season has been up-and-down, they are still at the top of the Eastern Conference. Right now, the Bucks are just two games back of the leading Miami Heat. Giannis Antetokounmpo is once again in the MVP conversations and they seem to be cruising through the regular season.
However, the Bucks need to be on high alert, as there are possible threats to their championship case. Due to the volatile East, they are also only 2.5 games away from being in the play-in tournament, which would be a disaster. This season has proven over and over again that nothing is impossible, so the Bucks should still be active, as the playoffs approach. Thus, here is the biggest need the Bucks must address at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline.
Biggest Bucks need that has to be addressed
The Milwaukee Bucks seemingly have it all. They have a great roster built around a superstar, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is supported by his second in command, guard Khris Middleton who is there to provide defensive stability and shoot threes. The ship is manned by the steady hand of veteran Jrue Holiday, who facilitates the offense and also takes care of his defensive assignments. All of this is complemented by a great bench, headlined by Bobby Portis and Grayson Allen.
However, with the injury that Brook Lopez suffered after opening night, and the back surgery he had on December 2nd, there is a clear flaw in the Bucks setup. Unfortunately for the Bucks faithful, Lopez will likely be out for most of the season and when he comes back, it is questionable whether the former Nets and Lakers big man can play on the level the Bucks need him to play at. Thus, the biggest need that the Bucks must seriously address at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline is their hole in the middle.
There are a few different paths the Bucks can take, and there are options for every path. For instance, if the point is to get a replacement for Lopez's inside presence, one option might be Jusuf Nurkic from the Portland Trail Blazers. The Bosnian Beast has been on a tear lately and he is likely to be moved by the Blazers come February. After a slower start of the season, Nurkic has been great, and in the last eight games, he is averaging 20.6 points, 14.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.9 blocks, while shooting 55.9% from the field.
These numbers are made even more impressive when it is considered that Nurkic does this on 13.9 shots per game. Scoring 20 per contest on 14 attempts sounds great and while, if a trade was to happen, he would not get as many chances to score, Nurkic would still be a great inside weapon for the Bucks. Also, he is a fairly good defender and rim protector. Unfortunately for him, that part of his game has taken a hit, especially since his low mobility makes him a target in pick'n'rolls, but his active hands brought him 1.5 steals per game in the last eight, which is a great number for a center. Still, the Bucks might want to go in a different direction.
Being the fifth-best team in allowed points in the paint, the Bucks would probably look for something different. Their bigger problem is the fact that they allow the second-most makes and most three-point attempts in the league. Clearly, if they were to fill up the middle of their squad, it would have to be a bit more mobile center than the stiff Nurkic, one that could still follow guards across the perimeter should he be involved in any opposition play. Thus, the Bucks might be interested in someone like Richaun Holmes.
Holmes is an interesting one. The Bucks might have more mobile options, but Holmes is good enough in other parts of his game to cover for him not being the fastest center available. Holmes is having the best three-year stretch in his career playing in Sacramento and while he has dipped since last season, it is still going well for the former second-round selection out of Bowling Green. Holmes brings inside presence, while also being able to finish around the rim. He is shooting 69.7% on field goals this season while taking just 7.5 shots per game, which is impressive.
There is still the question of whether the Bucks would be able to pry Holmes away from the Kings. He is still a major part of their squad and they just signed him to an extension a couple of months back. By the time the February deadline rolls around, however, the Kings might be thinking they are out of the playoff race completely, which could work in the favor of the Bucks and their chances. Thus, it is worth a shot and a call towards the unpredictable Kings' front office.
Holmes would be a great addition to the squad, as he could further bolster the great defense of the Bucks. He does not take a lot of attention offensively, does his job in the limited time that he has, and he would be a very grateful player overall. With all these factors taken into consideration, the Bucks might be looking to add him to the roster, and while that would somewhat stifle their flexibility going forward, the Bucks would take a huge step towards making sure they repeat and possibly even go for a three-peat next season.
