Milwaukee Bucks: 5 way-too-early trade targets for 2021-22 NBA season
By Dalton Sell
A big midseason trade can change everything for an NBA team, which is something that the Milwaukee Bucks know firsthand.
No example better represents this notion than Milwaukee’s trade for P.J. Tucker last March, who obviously became a key cog in the team’s title run. After starter Donte DiVincenzo went down in the first round, Tucker got a promotion into the starting unit and played a pivotal role for the final three rounds of the playoffs. Some will criticize his efforts offensively, and rightfully so, but they brought him in to play defense, and he surely did as he hounded the opposing team’s best players on a nightly basis. In the end, it was worth it as they won the title, something they would not have done without Tucker’s contributions.
Considering they just had a busy offseason and the new season is about to begin, the Bucks likely are not thinking about trades at this moment. However, as the season progresses, their needs will be more apparent and they could look to make another midseason trade to bolster their chances of repeating as world champions. With that being said, here are five way-too-early targets for the front office to consider keeping a closer eye on in the coming months.
Gorgui Dieng could be a trade target for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021-22
Although the front office patched up several holes on the roster during the offseason, one area that could cause some concern for the Bucks is the center position. Their depth is limited behind Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, and they could look to make a trade for another big man at some point next season to provide some insurance at the position. In that case, Gorgui Dieng could be a viable option for many reasons.
Dieng has always been a solid big man from a production standpoint, having averaged 7.8 points and six rebounds per game for his career. One interesting aspect of Dieng’s game is his ability to space the floor, having shot 35.7 percent from 3-point range since being drafted in 2013. It comes as a low volume sample size as the big man has never relied on that aspect of his game, but he is capable of shooting, which he proved this past season by hitting 42.9 percent of those shots. That shooting would make him an easy plug-in for the Bucks, giving them another quality stretch-five and someone who can hold up defensively.
Financially, a Dieng trade would also not be the most challenging thing for the Bucks to pull off if they so desired. The big man will make an expiring $4 million with the Atlanta Hawks next year, making him an affordable target for a team that is strapped for cash and assets. While it might not seem like the most pressing need at the moment, the defending champs could stand to bring in a center to play behind Lopez and Portis, and Dieng would fit the billing.