The Milwaukee Bucks are well within the thick of things in the Eastern Conference race, but they have plenty of competition this year. With the Celtics, 76ers, Cavaliers, Nets, and others all fighting to lead the conference, this Bucks team needs to make some moves before the NBA Trade Deadline.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has put together another sparkling season for Milwaukee, and it has mostly happened without the services of Khris Middleton, who has missed a lot of the season due to injury. In his place, Jrue Holiday has stepped up and been a big part of their success this season, even stepping into the lead role with Antetokounmpo nursing injuries himself.
But there are plenty of areas this team needs to improve before the playoffs, and those additions can also come via subtractions from their current roster – here are two players the Bucks should move on from before the trade deadline.
Jordan Nwora
Having struggled to find a consistent role in Mike Budenholzer’s system, Jordan Nwora has failed to live up to his Louisville sharpshooter days upon entering the NBA. As streaky as he can be, the Bucks need much more consistency from their bench unit, making Nwora very expendable.
Across 32 games, Nwora averages six points, three rebounds, and one assist, modest numbers for a player that plays around 17 minutes per game. Even with Middleton’s injury, Nwora has not really seen an uptick in minutes, so a change of scenery would be the best outcome for both parties.
Any team looking to take a flyer on a career 38 percent three-point shooter should look at Nwora, who is on the books for a reasonable $3 million next season and a chance at a qualifying offer for the following year.
Serge Ibaka
Reports surfaced Friday about Serge Ibaka and the Bucks ‘mutually agreeing’ to part ways, making him the likeliest member of the Bucks to be on the move.
Having only played in two games since November 21st of last year, Ibaka has been on the outs with the team for a while it would seem, but he would be a solid backup big man for a contender looking for some help with their frontcourt depth.
The 33-yeara-old forward still has something left in the tank to offer an NBA team, and with Bobby Portis, Brook Lopez, and Antetokounmpo earning the vast majority of frontcourt minutes, the Bucks should feel comfortable moving Ibaka before the trade deadline.
The Bucks have limited resources to offer up in any deals before this year’s trade deadline, seeing as how their arsenal of draft picks is still recovering from the Holiday trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. But a sign of a successful team is one that its front office is willing to sacrifice the future for the present, something that Jon Horst will likely do again at this year’s trade deadline with any moves he makes.
Both Ibaka and Nwora will likely be wearing different jerseys in around a month’s time, which should help free up some bench minutes for any new players that join the team.
Follow Us
Subscribe