This would not be an ideal scenario for the Bucks.
Doc Rivers’ tenure as the new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks has not gone as planned as they have gone winless since he took over. They even lost to Damian Lillard’s former team the Portland Trail Blazers. Though Milwaukee still sits at No. 2 in the Eastern Conference standings with a 32-16 record, the organization still felt the need to roll with a midseason coaching change by firing rookie Adrian Griffin and bringing in an experienced veteran in Rivers to run the sidelines. This decision signals that the Bucks are prepared to make changes at the NBA trade deadline as the second half of the season rolls through.
However, handing over the Bucks to an experienced vet like Rivers won’t be enough. This roster is still heavily flawed and could be the cause of the Bucks’ downfall come the postseason. Much of the Bucks’ struggles this season come from the defensive end — and is still a persisting theme for this team. They have gone from having the 4th-best defensive rating in the league last season to just 19th in 2023-24.
The Bucks pretty much discarded every bit of perimeter defense from their roster when they made the Damian Lillard-Jrue Holiday trade this past summer. However, not only did they lose the All-Defensive guard, they also lost their other top perimeter defenders like Grayson Allen, Jevon Carter, and Wesley Matthews. Instead, the Bucks are relying on a backcourt of Lillard and Malik Beasley — two poor defenders — to be their first line of defense. And this is pretty much where their defensive struggles are stemming from.
Milwaukee is looking to the trade market to address its defensive deficiencies. But what if they can’t find any answers from there? Let’s lay out the Bucks’ nightmare scenario ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline.
Rolling with a Damian Lillard and Malik Beasley defensive backcourt through the postseason could spell doom for the Bucks. And if that stands, Milwaukee’s chances of competing against the best of the East, who are more complete and have better structured rosters, is doubtful to say the least.
It’s clear that upgrading their perimeter defense is the Bucks’ top priority at the NBA trade deadline. But what if they can’t? Milwaukee has its targets. Dejounte Murray, Alex Caruso, Matisse Thybulle, and Royce O’Neale are just some of the names floated around as potential trade options for the Bucks. But can they even get one of them? The Bucks don’t have much assets to work with. As it stands, they only have two second round picks they can trade.
Caruso and Murray are both pipe dreams. Thybulle could be a solid target, but Sean Highkin of The Athletic pointed out that Thybulle has veto rights over any deal in his contract. And given the way his time with the Philadelphia 76ers ended, he might not sign off playing under Doc Rivers again.
O’Neale is likely the most viable target and the Bucks could have a workable deal in place for the Brooklyn Nets to consider doing business. But several teams are also eyeing O’Neale from the Nets. Given Milwaukee’s lackluster assets, the competition could easily outbid them.
With the Bucks’ draft cupboard all dried up, it will definitely be a challenge for Milwaukee to make a needle-moving trade that can instantly patch up their holes defensively.
To make this an even darker nightmare for the Bucks, what if the other Eastern Conference contenders get better at the deadline?
The Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks have already their respective blockbuster deals by trading for Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, respectively, from the Toronto Raptors. The Miami Heat also made a splash last week by acquiring Terry Rozier from the Charlotte Hornets. Those three playoff hopefuls might not be done doing business.
The Celtics have the best record in the East and have no issues on both ends of the floor. But they do lack some depth and would like to add size up front and versatility on the wings. Nonetheless, Boston is in better position to make an upgrade ahead of the trade deadline. They have more assets to work with as they can trade up to two future first round picks and have seven second rounders at their disposal.
Meanwhile, the 76ers are also in a good position to make a deal at the trade deadline. They have some expiring contracts and a pretty good haul of draft picks that came from the James Harden trade earlier this season.
Simply put, the rest of the field in the East could get better as they have more valuable assets to work with than the Bucks. Sure, Milwaukee is still right up there with Boston and Philadelphia as a top-tier contender. But they also have the most glaring flaw that could expose them in a seven-game playoff series.
