Trade Grades
Click here for link to Dallas Mavericks Trade Grades
Mavericks get: C/PF Zaza Pachulia
Bucks get: Second-round pick (from Dallas)
Much like the Jared Dudley deal, Milwaukee is dealing away a quality role player on a reasonable expiring contract due to a positional logjam in exchange for a second-rounder. After surprisingly landing star PF/C Greg Monroe’s services on a 3 year/$50 million deal, the Bucks had a good problem: too much talent up front. Pachulia seemed to be the odd man out, so trading him made sense. But considering Dallas’ desperate need for a center and the Turk’s solid averages of 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds last year, one wonders if Milwaukee could have received a little more in exchange.
Grade: B-
Thanks to Jakob Flores (@jakeswgr.102613) for his contribution to this trade grade
Trade Grades
Click here for link to Washington Wizards Trade Grades
Wizards get: SF Jared Dudley
Bucks get: Protected second-round pick (from Washington)
Dudley is a very solid role player who averaged 7.2 points per game last year while on a reasonable $4.25 million expiring deal. He’s also an excellent defender and a great three-point sniper, a skillset that is valued very highly in the NBA today. So on the outskirts, one would assume that the Bucks got robbed, as they got essentially nothing in exchange for the 30-year-old. But you would be partially wrong: Milwaukee was absolutely loaded on the wing this summer, and that was before the team drafted rookie SG Rashad Vaughn and signed SF Chris Copeland. Though perhaps it would have made more sense to simply keep Dudley and use the draft pick and money on other positions, I’m only grading one trade here. And that one trade made sense in order to avoid a complete logjam on the wing.
Grade: B+
Major thanks to Corbin Fields (@ctuck_fields) for his significant contribution to this trade grade
Thanks to Jakob Flores (@jakeswgr.102613) for his contribution to this trade grade
Trade Grades
Click here for link to Toronto Raptors Trade Grade
Bucks get: PG/SG Greivis Vasquez
Raptors get: #46 pick (SG/SF Norman Powell), protected 2017 first-rounder
This one makes very little sense for Milwaukee. For starters, their backcourt, particularly at point guard, is absolutely stacked: PG/SG Michael Carter-Williams, rookie SG Rashad Vaughn, PG Tyler Ennis, SG O.J Mayo, PG/SG Jerryd Bayless (not to mention that the position-less Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker often play the two)... and now Vasquez as well? It’s ridiculous, there’s just not enough minutes to go around for all of these guys. Not to mention that Vasquez is 28 years old, not what a rebuilding team is looking for. In addition: they gave up a future first-rounder for him, also not what a rebuilding team is looking to do! This one doesn’t make sense no matter how you look at it.
Vasquez is on a fairly reasonable expiring $6.6 million deal, but that’s beside the point. He’s a good player, don’t get me wrong: the 28 year old’s stats knocked down 1.6 threes on a very efficient 38% shooting from downtown, as part of 9.5 points and 3.7 assists per game. He also boasts an imposing frame for a point guard at 6’6”, and is a solid defender in addition to being a knockdown shooter. He can also run the second unit for almost any team. However, with so much depth at both guard positions, and with the majority of the team’s core being about 22 years old, Vasquez is the furthest thing for an ideal fit in Milwaukee.
Powell is as athletic as they come. He has ridiculous length, is an explosive leaper, and is very quick. You know what that all adds up to: you guessed it, highlight-reel dunks. Everywhere. All the time. However, while those are great from an entertainment perspective, they only translate to two basketball points. And although he’s a solid defender, Powell will need to improve his jump shot for him to see much NBA action. Just like Vasquez, however, his role figured to be severely limited with the Bucks due to their insane amount of guards.
As stated above in the intro, this one was just flat-out stupid by the Bucks. There’s no need to sugarcoat that. Everything, from the age, to the fit, to the assets given up vs. the assets got, is just wrong. Even if in some parallel universe, Vasquez did make sense for the Bucks, they still gave up too much in terms of raw value for him [Vasquez]! I’m being nice on Milwaukee for this one, just because the first-rounder was protected.
Grade: C-
Bucks get: PG/SG Michael Carter-Williams, PG Tyler Ennis, C/PF Miles Plumlee
Suns get: PG/SG Brandon Knight, PG Kendall Marshall
76ers get: Los Angeles Lakers’ 2015 first-rounder via Phoenix (top 5 protected, turns into top 3 protected pick in 2016 if not conveyed)
Excellent move by Milwaukee here. They sold-high on Knight’s breakout year, and don’t even have to pay him this offseason now, where he will hit restricted free agency. In return, they netted a nice package, including a young rookie with upside in Ennis. Drafted 18th overall, he has been largely disappointing in the pros, averaging just 3 points and 2 assists per game, but has potential long-term. Plumlee is also a great add as the Bucks badly needed a big man as C/PF Larry Sanders continues to deal with injuries and off the court issues, and is now discussing a buyout with the team. The Duke product is relatively young at 26, so he fits in well with others, and can pair nicely next to PF/C John Henson in the frontcourt as Plumlee is averaging a solid 4.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block per game on 55% shooting in just 18.5 minutes. However, Carter-Williams headlines the package for Knight. The reigning Rookie of the Year has regressed slightly since last year and inefficient shooting and turnovers continue to be an issue. Still, MCW is averaging 15 points, 7.5 assists, 6 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1 three per game. He’s still on the rookie contract, as is Ennis, so Milwaukee clearly did excellently in terms of finances here, especially considering how they dodged handing Knight big money. And to scare all the other teams out East: financially is not the only way that the Bucks got even better with this trade.
Grade: A
Click here for link to Dallas Mavericks Trade Grades
Mavericks get: C/PF Zaza Pachulia
Bucks get: Second-round pick (from Dallas)
Much like the Jared Dudley deal, Milwaukee is dealing away a quality role player on a reasonable expiring contract due to a positional logjam in exchange for a second-rounder. After surprisingly landing star PF/C Greg Monroe’s services on a 3 year/$50 million deal, the Bucks had a good problem: too much talent up front. Pachulia seemed to be the odd man out, so trading him made sense. But considering Dallas’ desperate need for a center and the Turk’s solid averages of 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds last year, one wonders if Milwaukee could have received a little more in exchange.
Grade: B-
Thanks to Jakob Flores (@jakeswgr.102613) for his contribution to this trade grade
Trade Grades
Click here for link to Washington Wizards Trade Grades
Wizards get: SF Jared Dudley
Bucks get: Protected second-round pick (from Washington)
Dudley is a very solid role player who averaged 7.2 points per game last year while on a reasonable $4.25 million expiring deal. He’s also an excellent defender and a great three-point sniper, a skillset that is valued very highly in the NBA today. So on the outskirts, one would assume that the Bucks got robbed, as they got essentially nothing in exchange for the 30-year-old. But you would be partially wrong: Milwaukee was absolutely loaded on the wing this summer, and that was before the team drafted rookie SG Rashad Vaughn and signed SF Chris Copeland. Though perhaps it would have made more sense to simply keep Dudley and use the draft pick and money on other positions, I’m only grading one trade here. And that one trade made sense in order to avoid a complete logjam on the wing.
Grade: B+
Major thanks to Corbin Fields (@ctuck_fields) for his significant contribution to this trade grade
Thanks to Jakob Flores (@jakeswgr.102613) for his contribution to this trade grade
Trade Grades
Click here for link to Toronto Raptors Trade Grade
Bucks get: PG/SG Greivis Vasquez
Raptors get: #46 pick (SG/SF Norman Powell), protected 2017 first-rounder
This one makes very little sense for Milwaukee. For starters, their backcourt, particularly at point guard, is absolutely stacked: PG/SG Michael Carter-Williams, rookie SG Rashad Vaughn, PG Tyler Ennis, SG O.J Mayo, PG/SG Jerryd Bayless (not to mention that the position-less Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker often play the two)... and now Vasquez as well? It’s ridiculous, there’s just not enough minutes to go around for all of these guys. Not to mention that Vasquez is 28 years old, not what a rebuilding team is looking for. In addition: they gave up a future first-rounder for him, also not what a rebuilding team is looking to do! This one doesn’t make sense no matter how you look at it.
Vasquez is on a fairly reasonable expiring $6.6 million deal, but that’s beside the point. He’s a good player, don’t get me wrong: the 28 year old’s stats knocked down 1.6 threes on a very efficient 38% shooting from downtown, as part of 9.5 points and 3.7 assists per game. He also boasts an imposing frame for a point guard at 6’6”, and is a solid defender in addition to being a knockdown shooter. He can also run the second unit for almost any team. However, with so much depth at both guard positions, and with the majority of the team’s core being about 22 years old, Vasquez is the furthest thing for an ideal fit in Milwaukee.
Powell is as athletic as they come. He has ridiculous length, is an explosive leaper, and is very quick. You know what that all adds up to: you guessed it, highlight-reel dunks. Everywhere. All the time. However, while those are great from an entertainment perspective, they only translate to two basketball points. And although he’s a solid defender, Powell will need to improve his jump shot for him to see much NBA action. Just like Vasquez, however, his role figured to be severely limited with the Bucks due to their insane amount of guards.
As stated above in the intro, this one was just flat-out stupid by the Bucks. There’s no need to sugarcoat that. Everything, from the age, to the fit, to the assets given up vs. the assets got, is just wrong. Even if in some parallel universe, Vasquez did make sense for the Bucks, they still gave up too much in terms of raw value for him [Vasquez]! I’m being nice on Milwaukee for this one, just because the first-rounder was protected.
Grade: C-
Bucks get: PG/SG Michael Carter-Williams, PG Tyler Ennis, C/PF Miles Plumlee
Suns get: PG/SG Brandon Knight, PG Kendall Marshall
76ers get: Los Angeles Lakers’ 2015 first-rounder via Phoenix (top 5 protected, turns into top 3 protected pick in 2016 if not conveyed)
Excellent move by Milwaukee here. They sold-high on Knight’s breakout year, and don’t even have to pay him this offseason now, where he will hit restricted free agency. In return, they netted a nice package, including a young rookie with upside in Ennis. Drafted 18th overall, he has been largely disappointing in the pros, averaging just 3 points and 2 assists per game, but has potential long-term. Plumlee is also a great add as the Bucks badly needed a big man as C/PF Larry Sanders continues to deal with injuries and off the court issues, and is now discussing a buyout with the team. The Duke product is relatively young at 26, so he fits in well with others, and can pair nicely next to PF/C John Henson in the frontcourt as Plumlee is averaging a solid 4.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block per game on 55% shooting in just 18.5 minutes. However, Carter-Williams headlines the package for Knight. The reigning Rookie of the Year has regressed slightly since last year and inefficient shooting and turnovers continue to be an issue. Still, MCW is averaging 15 points, 7.5 assists, 6 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1 three per game. He’s still on the rookie contract, as is Ennis, so Milwaukee clearly did excellently in terms of finances here, especially considering how they dodged handing Knight big money. And to scare all the other teams out East: financially is not the only way that the Bucks got even better with this trade.
Grade: A