Tag Archives: Milwaukee Bucks

NBA Finals Odds: Are Bulls Title Contender After Trading For Michael Carter-Williams?

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The Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks agreed to terms on a trade containing Michael Carter-Williams and Tony Snell on Monday. The two Eastern Conference rivals had been discussing the player swap over the weekend and finalized the trade early on Monday, with Michael Carter-Williams heading to Chicago and Tony Snell landing in Milwaukee.

Bucks Seek Offense

It was a crucial move (albeit an underwhelming one) for the Bucks, who lost a ton of offensive and outside shooting with a severe hamstring injury to starting shooting guard, Khris Middleton. With Middleton on the shelf for months (and possibly the entire season), Milwaukee badly needed some help on the wing. It’s certainly debatable if Snell provides that, as he was an inefficient performer during his time in Chicago.

Snell was never able to overtake a big role with the Bulls, where he averaged just over five points per game during the 2015-16 season, a year in which he shot just 37% from the field. While recent efficiency isn’t coming into Milwaukee with the Snell trade, the Bucks to land a versatile player who does have the ability to hit the outside shot. Even better, Snell can defend at a high level and brings length and versatility to a Bucks team that already has both in spades.

The idea for Milwaukee will be for Snell to take over a sizable role until Middleton can return. Once back, Middleton would star again at the two spot and Snell would slide back into a more ideal bench role.

Chicago Loses Shooting

As for Chicago, this is an odd trade. They give up a versatile wing player who can provide bench scoring and is a very useful defender, and in return get an arguable bust who has always been miscast as a star poing guard and really is more of a weak small forward who has a broken jumper.

MCW definitely has potential still and the Bulls are right to label him a versatile talent, but he adds zero shooting to a team already starving for it. Jimmy Butler remains the only starter in Chicago that can consistently hit jumpers, while Dwyane Wade is a distant second. Snell wasn’t being counted on for a major role, but he’s one less shooter the Bulls can use off the bench.

Instead they’ll turn to Michael Carter-Williams, who offers nothing from long range and has never been an efficient offensive player. He isn’t even a plus defender, as he’s merely gotten by for stretches due to his size, length and athleticism. MCW does provide the Bulls with a backup point guard upgrade over Jerian Grant and Spencer Dinwiddie, but it could be a rough transition from starting unit to the main bench when both of their top point guards struggle to hit wide open jump shots.

NBA Title Odds Don’t Change

Overall, this trade does very little for either team. Losing Snell doesn’t cripple the Bulls, and gaining Michael Carter-Williams doesn’t make them any better on paper. Milwaukee seems to have given away a former tantalizing prospect for almost nothing, too, while Snell offers the mildest of potential in a spot they need a ton of help in.

Bovada is giving the Bulls respectable +4000 odds to chase a title this year, and that has everything to do with big names like Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler.

They’re a hallow team with big names and no shooting, however. It will be an accomplishment for them to simply make the playoffs and compete once in.

Milwaukee losing Middleton is massive for a team that already struggled to put the ball in the hole. Snell doesn’t fix that, nor does he help their weak +10000 NBA Finals odds. Milwaukee certainly has talent and could be a fun team to watch, but they’re not going to be a playoff contender unless/until Middleton gets back in the starting lineup.

Rudy Gay and 5 Players the Milwaukee Bucks Should Trade For

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The Milwaukee Bucks were hoping to fight for an NBA playoff spot going into the 2016-17 season, but could quickly find that to be difficult with star scorer Khris Middleton likely done for the year. Middleton tore his hamstring recently and per reports, could be out for six months or longer.

Middleton’s injury will probably keep him out until March, while it could also end his season before it even begins. Best case, the Bucks can hope to make the playoffs and bring him back for a run later in the year.

That run is never happening if they don’t make a serious movie to help replace what they’re losing with Middleton on the shelf, however. The team did make a small effort already by trading for proven scorer Michael Beasley, but Beasley nor any of the other Bucks look to provide Middleton’s outside shooting stroke or consistent scoring.

It sure is a start, and it also took nothing to facilitate it. Tyler Ennis, a little-used backup point guard, got shipped to Houston for a guy who for sure can hit the floor and go get buckets.

Beasley is arguably an underrated talent that gives the bench added depth and he most certainly can help, but this can’t be where Milwaukee stops in it’s plight to improve with Middleton hurt.

Instead, if the Bucks are serious about competing this year, they need to make one or two more moves before the season starts. That could mean trading away guys like Greg Monroe, Michael Carter-Williams or others that simply don’t fit their long-term plans.

There are definitely some able bodies out there Milwaukee could target, so let’s take a look at five options that could make good sense:

Rudy Gay, F, Sacramento Kings

This makes a ton of sense for one obvious reason: Gay wants out of Sac-town.

His contract expires after this season, too, so the Bucks don’t need to worry about a big commitment or feel pressured to fit Middleton back into the rotation.

Gay provides experience, scoring and versatility right away and once Middleton returns, the two can be moved around to fit the lineup’s needs. Gay can effectively play the three or the four, while Middleton can play the two or three. Gay doesn’t necessarily solve Milwaukee’s immediate issue at shooting guard, but he can probably play there in a pinch, or the Bucks can try other options at the two.

The big draw is the Bucks get a solid, versatile talent that will be gone after the season and open the door back up to Middleton resuming his old role, and if things work out they could even explore a long-term deal. Gay makes a ton of sense for Milwaukee with their current situation, while it also gets him away from a team he apparently loathes. Because Gay wants out so bad and everyone knows it, it’s also pretty likely Milwaukee can get him on the cheap.

Gerald Green, G/F, Boston Celtics

Green finds himself back with the Celtics, the franchise that originally drafted him. It looks like his career has come full circle, but he belongs somewhere else with an actual role. It’s unclear what his role in Boston will be, but considering the insane depth at basically every position, more than 15 minutes could be difficult every night.

A shaky role has to have Green open to going elsewhere, and in Milwaukee – given the current situation – he’d be looking at a big role and maybe even one that has him starting. Green is an iffy defender and an erratic performer, but he an fill it up as a scorer and is an exciting player in space. He also knows his role and can play a niche pretty well, which could make him the perfect stop-gap option until Middleton returns. Milwaukee wouldn’t have to give up much of anything to land him – maybe a young player and a pick – if that.

Nick Young, G/F, Los Angeles Lakers

Swaggy P is a major NBA trade candidate thanks to the weirdness between him and D’Angelo Russell stemming from last year. Young has been sliding out of favor with the Lakers for years, too, so it’s only a matter of time before he gets dumped. Why not trade him to a spot where he could actually thrive until Middleton returns to full strength?

Young doesn’t really play defense and is basically a chucker, but the Bucks could use his outside shooting and overall scoring ability. He can still pile on the points and in Milwaukee could take on a pretty nice workload. Once Middleton returns, he could slide to the bench and offer solid scoring with the second unit.

Nik Stauskas, G/F, Philadelphia 76ers

Stauskas is another interesting option – maybe even more than Young or Green – seeing as he’s still quite young and may yet have the potential to develop into an NBA starter. His defense needs work and he’s far from a consistent performer, but he can shoot from long range and is generally a solid scorer and playmaker.

He still has some ways to go, but he was solid with the Sixers in spots last year and with their added depth this summer, he could see a lesser role. Unless Philly is randomly smitten with him, it probably wouldn’t take much to acquire him. Stauskas could launch three’s and help the offense while Middleton recovers and once back, Stauskas could hit the bench and offer some nice shooting as part of the rotation.

Alec Burks, SG, Utah Jazz

Burks may be the best bet yet, as injuries have slowed his NBA development and he may just need a new situation to get things back on track. Utah brought in the more reliable Joe Johnson and seems set with Gordon Hayward and Rodney Hood as their main wing starters, so the writing could be on the wall that his days with the Jazz are numbered.

Burks is a nice combo player who has the athleticism to score and defend, while he also can hit the outside shot at a fine rate. Health woes are always concerning, but Burks looks to be a full go for the upcoming season and could be a nice find via trade. He may cost the most (aside from Gay) in any prospective trade, but he could be a nice value and would give the Bucks awesome depth and versatility down the road.

Aside from the Bucks trading for Rudy Gay, landing Burks is the most attractive option on this list, by far. It’s understandable if this list of potential trade targets for the Bucks doesn’t impress, but here’s a two-sided reality: Milwakee doesn’t have a ton to offer in a trade and while they want help, they don’t necessarily need a long-term answer at shooting guard.

That answer already appears to be Middleton, who once back at full strength, is going to see a huge role and heavy minutes. What Milwaukee needs is another guy who can shoot and score and either will later see his contract end or will be easy to slide back into a lesser reserve role. Gay doesn’t fit the latter description, but everyone else here does, which makes them all perfect trade candidates in their own way.

What the Bucks do going forward is anyone’s guess. All we know is that if they want to make the playoffs, they need to do something. Adding Beasley was a step in the right direction. Their next move could dictate the success they have the rest of the year.

San Antonio Spurs and 5 Teams That Could Trade For Greg Monroe

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NBA rumors continue to fly during the summer, as free agency at a high level has ended and the NBA summer league is almost over. Teams have now moved on to trade talk, with Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay and Milwaukee Bucks big man Greg Monroe dominating the headlines.

Monroe Expendable?

Monroe recently became more expendable than ever for Milwaukee, who drafted Thon Maker in the 2016 NBA Draft and then re-signed center Miles Plumlee.

Monroe looked like a poor fit last year in his first season in Mil-town, as he offered solid offense and rebounding, but failed on the defensive end. His inability to defend at a high level has made him rather expendable for a team that doesn’t appear to need his offensive ability in the post.

The fact that the Bucks want to move Moose so badly could expedite a trade, while the San Antonio Spurs have already been linked as a potential suitor. Let’s take a look at the Greg Monroe to Spurs talk as well as his other top potential suitors as we try to nail down his next team for the upcoming 2016-17 NBA season:

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs, believe it or not, are the only team officially tied to Moose at the moment. The connection isn’t crazy, either, even though the team has added serious beef the last two years with huge signings in LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol.

That still doesn’t replace the loss of some muscle, as Tim Duncan retired, David West and Boban Marjanovic fled in free agency and Boris Diaw got dealt to the Jazz. Just like that, the Spurs lack depth down low. Moose probably wouldn’t have a shot at starting with such a stacked unit, but he’d be a useful big off the bench.

San Antonio would reportedly need a third team to step up to help facilitate any deal, but this could be a huge get for them. They’d be able to mask Monroe’s defensive deficiencies behind Gasol and Ridge, yet utilize his solid offense down low in the second unit. A deal is far from done, but it’s clear the Spurs are the leading contender to pull off a trade with the Bucks at the moment.

Los Angeles Lakers

If Moose wants to win, he probably wouldn’t mind a trade to San Antonio. However, it’s arguable the Spurs (and that third team yet to be known) wouldn’t give the Bucks the best deal.

A better deal (and role for Moose) could reside elsewhere, which is why there have long been ties between Greg Monroe and the Los Angeles Lakers. An odd signing of center Timofey Mozgov makes his addition a little less likely, but he could still take over the four spot, where the Lakers have been tested out both Larry Nance Jr. and Julius Randle.

The smart thing for the Lakers to do would be to stand firm and keep grooming those two talents, but if they want to get better quickly, adding Moose and playing Randle off the bench may be the better play. After all, Mozgov can help mask Moose’s defensive issues down low, yet they could still get solid offense and rebounding out of him at the four spot.

It might not be a perfect marriage, but there have been Greg Monroe to Lakers rumors before and they seem relevant again with him on the trading block.

Miami Heat

Again, the Spurs are the only team to be named as an interested franchise yet, so we’re just speculating here. However, Miami could make a ton of sense, as they try to rebuild and remain competitive on the fly.

They could very well be preparing to cut ties with power forward Chris Bosh and already did just that when they let Dwyane Wade sign with the Bulls. Even if Bosh is healthy enough to play (blood clots), they could see about cutting his bloated contract up or moving him.

If they can do that, the door could be opened to landing Moose, who could start at the four or come off the bench behind Bosh (if he’s healthy and stays). Miami doesn’t currently have the cap room to handle such a trade, but like the Spurs, could potentially find a third team to help make something happen.

Miami’s actual interest isn’t clear, but landing Moose would secure any concerns about Bosh and if Bosh returns to full strength, it’d give them a solid guy for their second unit.

New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans is another option, as the Pelicans have to be ready to move on from Omer Asik and with Moose in town, could rotate him and Anthony Davis as they please at the four and five spots.

The Pelicans don’t really need extra offense, but this is a situation where Moose certainly provides the rebounding Asik would, but is a far more polished offensive option. They’d lose defense with the swap, but The Brow could aid in masking Monroe’s defensive problems.

It’s worth wondering if this is a move that could actually stunt Davis’ growth, but it’s tough to argue against improving the Pellies’ starting five. Their defense would take a hit, but overall trading for Greg Monroe does make New Orleans a little better.

Portland Trail Blazers

Portland is another team we need to consider in the Greg Monroe sweepstakes, as they tried hard to sign Pau Gasol this summer. That shows us they may not have complete faith in Mason Plumlee at the five, and/or don’t love the idea of going small forever at power forward.

Moose would at the very worst give them a suitable big to pair with Plumlee, or he’d give them a mild upgrade at center. That would mean extra size and offense down low, while it would also free up the Blazers’ versatility with the rest of their lineup. The likes of Al-Farouq Amini, Meyers Leonard, Moe Harkless, Noah Vonleh, Ed Davis and the recently signed Festus Ezeli could all form a pretty formidable second unit.

It still remains to be determined who steps up and tries to finalize a trade for Greg Monroe, but all five of these teams feel like realistic options. Think it’s for sure the Spurs? Think someone else jumps into the Greg Monroe trade rumor discussion? Tell us what you think in the comments below!