National Basketball Association

Milwaukee Bucks Mailbag: Hypothetical Scenarios And Trade Talks

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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In our first Milwaukee Bucks Twitter mailbag, Ti Windisch answers Bucks questions concerning trade talks and hypothetical scenarios.

Hello and welcome to the Milwaukee Bucks mailbag! In order to connect even further with Behind the Buck Pass readers we’ve decided to try a second mailbag–in addition to the one featured on the Win in 6 podcast, now we’ll have a text mailbag as well!

For this first one we just took answers from Twitter, but that might be amended going forward to provide inquisitive fans more options to contact us. Without further ado, let’s get to the questions!

@TiWindisch Miss all six, khris is immediately traded to the Hornets for Lance Stephenson + Bucks legend cash considerations, should he try?

— Matt McClannahan (@mehtastic) October 7, 2016

Generally I trust Giannis Antetokounmpo to do anything, but half-court shots are too risky. If he can have Stephen Curry step in and serve as his champion, then I’d try it.

Otherwise the stakes are just too high to go for it, especially considering how nervous Giannis looks to shoot even corner threes!

@TiWindisch They can bank this and use it later, now who should they target and should they develop core first

— Matt McClannahan (@mehtastic) October 7, 2016

It’s always tempting to go for a proven star with an opportunity like this. Imagine the Milwaukee Bucks plus LeBron James, Kevin Durant or Steph Curry! Those are the guys my mind initially went to.

Then I realized going younger is probably smarter. Imagine the Milwaukee Bucks plus Karl-Anthony Towns. He can defend, shoot, score inside and basically do anything you can imagine an NBA player doing.

Towns is going to be one of if not the absolute best player in the NBA soon. Now add him to a team that also has Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker–it’s too good to pass up, even if the Bucks already have three overpaid centers.

Towns has three years left on his deal, with the last one costing his team less than $8 million. Towns could be a legitimate All-NBA first teamer by that point. Find a way to dump a center or two and watch the young Bucks destroy everything in their patch.

@TiWindisch If you were the new GM, what would you be willing to give up to get rid of Monroe's contract?

— George Kondoleon (@georgeythegreek) October 7, 2016

Honestly, I’m not giving up much of anything to dump Greg Monroe. He looked great in Milwaukee’s first preseason game, and it sounds like he’s re-committed himself to the team.

He still isn’t a great fit, but I feel like there are only two scenarios where it makes sense for a team to trade assets to dump a player. Either their contract is long and will hamper the team long-term, or the team needs space right now to make a move.

The Monroe situation is neither. At most he’ll be a Buck for two more years, although he likely won’t take his 2017-18 player option depending on how the next CBA goes. Milwaukee has no urgent need for cap space–the only worthwhile free agent left is J.R. Smith, and he’s more than likely re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

As weird as it is for everyone to decide that he has to go, stepping back to see the bigger picture is important here. Despite his bad fit, Monroe is still a good player. The Bucks might dump him this weekend, which is fine, as long as they don’t give up a draft pick or anybody important just to get rid of him.

@TiWindisch @BehindTheBucks what kind of draft pick would we have to include to get a rid of MCW?

— Alex Koenig (@Alex_Koenig023) October 7, 2016

Much like my answer to the question about Monroe, I don’t see any pressing need to dump Michael Carter-Williams. He may not be the point guard to start with the Milwaukee Bucks, but he’s not atrocious or expensive.

If the Bucks made a deal that brings in a shooter the team sorely needs on the wing, then fine. Ben McLemore is not that player in my opinion, although there could be other options out there.

If I’m the Bucks though, I don’t see why MCW needs to go right now. Give him a chance to unleash hell while Giannis and Jabari catch their breath. That’s when he was at his best early in his career with the Philadelphia 76ers–their starting five was essentially a bench unit.

@TiWindisch What will Delly do this year to assert himself as the second most important piece after Giannis? (Keyword: will)

— Matt McClannahan (@mehtastic) October 7, 2016

Although I agree with Jordan Treske on Matthew Dellavedova being vital for the Bucks without Khris Middleton around, he won’t be more important than Jabari Parker. Jabari is going to have a legit breakout season and impress the hell out of everybody.

Delly might just be the third-most important Buck now, though. He’s the spacing injection the Bucks needed even with Middleton around–without him, now the need for Delly to stretch the floor is intensified further.

He may not be the third-best player on the 2016-17 Bucks, but having three centers means none of them are that crucial unless Milwaukee finally actually deals Monroe, or even John Henson. Then the answer here could change.

For the moment though, I could see Matthew Dellavedova being the third-most important member of the Milwaukee Bucks. What a time to be alive.