The Bucks Need to Shake Their Roster UP

Ishpeming, Mich.– The Bucks, who recently won the NBA Finals, decided to keep their core together this offseason. That was a mistake.

The Beginning of Milwaukee’s Modern Era

The Bucks had the best record in the NBA between 2018 and 2020. After finishing with a 60-22 record, Milwaukee’s draft pick turned superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo won the highly sought-after Most Valuable Player Award. The Bucks were the favorites to win the 2018-2019 NBA Championship headed into the playoffs, with all the momentum pointing their way. However, after leading 2-0 against the Raptors heading back to Toronto, Milwaukee collapsed. They lost four straight games against Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the Toronto squad.

After not much change during the 2019 offseason, the 2019-2020 season started in an all too familiar fashion for the Bucks. They finished with a 56-19 record due to the shortened COVID season, but were on pace to have a better record than 2019 in the same amount of games played. Once again, however, the Bucks lost in brutal fashion. 

Beating the Orlando Magic was easy. They beat Milwaukee in Game 1 of the first round, but proceeded to lose the next four. The Miami Heat were the Bucks’ first real challenge. And guess what happened? They folded harder than a folding chair, getting swept by the lower-seeded Heat nation.

After 2020’s brutal playoff loss to the Miami Heat, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks faced scrutiny from the NBA media. Fans began spreading rumors of Giannis being unhappy in Milwaukee. He was on the verge of being eligible for the Supermax Extension; a jackpot-level $220M over five years. The media simultaneously painted him as a playoff choker, but Milwaukee wanted his name signed across that contract badly. There were moves that must have been made in order for Wisconsin’s own to assure continued contention, and superstar satisfaction.

Holiday Upgrade

What does a great team with very little cap space do in the offseason to leap over the hump? You guessed it; they make a trade. And what better position to shape up than the one who brings the rock across the court and calls the plays?

On November 24, 2020, the Bucks acquired Jrue Holiday via trade. In exchange, they sent Eric Bledsoe to the New Orleans Pelicans, along with two first round draft picks, and two draft pick swaps, in which case the Pelicans would own the rights to the better of their draft pick and Milwaukee’s veteran point guard George Hill was also traded from the Bucks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in this deal. It took four teams to complete the trade that would also send OKC’s Steven Adams to New Orleans, Kenrich Williams from the Pels to the Thunder, and RJ Hampton to the Denver Nuggets.

Trade Reactions

The public was skeptical. Sure, everybody agreed that Milwaukee upgraded their point guard by swapping out Bledsoe for Holiday, but very few saw the cost of acquiring Jrue as worth his acquisition to the team. Bleacher Report seemingly questioned the Bucks’ front office’s sobriety immediately following the full trade details.

Jrue’s reputation at the time included very little durability, streaky shooting, and a lack of the clutch factor. He was a veteran player without a veteran composure, according to his critics.

Turning The Tables in Wisconsin

Despite the popular idea that this trade was a reach, their end goal was completed.

The Milwaukee Bucks were the winners of the 2020-2021 NBA Finals, beating the Phoenix Suns 4-2. Giannis earned Finals MVP, and had one of the best single game performances in postseason history. 

More Troubles Ahead

The two seasons following their first place finish, the Bucks once again found themselves in a familiar funk. After losing to the Celtics in 2022, the Heat dominated Milwaukee on both sides of the court. This led to coach Mike Budenholzer being fired from the team. While a change in personnel is an okay start, it is not enough to change their fate this upcoming season.

Tying it all Together

The Bucks are coming off a humiliating first round loss as the 1 seed to the 8 seed Miami Heat. It was a failure of a season, despite what Giannis said to the media after their Game 5 loss.

They find themselves in an eerily similar situation to their 2020 roster.

Nobody can say the Bucks lost the Jrue Holiday trade, because it resulted in accomplishing Milwaukee’s ultimate goal. Don’t be afraid of overspending. Their current roster has been stagnant at best since winning the 2021 championship. 

A player needs to be traded. They did well in bringing back their core for trade asset purposes, and should look to capitalize on Khris Middleton or Brook Lopez’s value while it is still at its peak. The aging veterans can be thanked for their efforts in capturing the 2021 championship, but if Milwaukee hopes to stay competitive, they must make another big trade.