The Milwaukee Bucks are shoving all their chips in the middle of the table, which is the exact right move if they want to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo for the long haul.
They reportedly traded for guard Jrue Holiday and then pulled off a sign-and-trade for Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, a move that adds yet another offensive option to an already-dangerous starting five.
The Kings had to make this deal with them running into cap issues, but it’s a disappointment for a team perpetually trying to show they’re moving forward in their rebuild. How did both teams do?
Let’s hand out some grades as we’ve done with other deals:
The trade
Bucks acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic and Justin James.
Kings acquire Donte DiVincenzo, Ersan Ilyasova and D.J. Wilson.
Bucks grade
Let me start off by saying I loved what Donte DiVincenzo brought to the Bucks last season as a blossoming 3-and-D player.
But we’re talking about Bogdanovic here. Suddenly, the Bucks starting five next season — Jrue Holiday, Bogdanovic, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Antetokounmpo — now includes the exact kind of player who is a fit with the Greek Freak: he’s improved defensive end, but it’s really his offense that’s valuable. He hit 2.7 of 7.2 three-point attempts last season, which means when Giannis drives to the hoop, he’ll now be surrounded by another dangerous shooter.
Ilyasova has a partially guaranteed contract next season and Wilson’s deal expires after 2021. So it’s really about giving up DiVincenzo, but if you’re trying to keep Antetokounmpo happy, this is more than worth it.
GRADE: A-
Kings grade
It feels like the Kings keep spinning their tires and don’t get where they need to be.
They paid Harrison Barnes, which might have been a big mistake. They gave Buddy Hield a big deal (which I approved of). De’Aaron Fox is fantastic. They have have a potential stud in Marvin Bagley.
But were they going to give Bogdanovic what he deserved to be paid? That’s when things would have gotten hairy with their cap, with five players getting A LOT of money, in a crowded Western Conference, but with not a lot of room to maneuver. It’s a weird place to be in, and if Bogdanovic had taken a qualifying offer and left a year later, the Kings would have gotten nothing back.
So while I get it, it just feels like another possible move toward yet another Kings rebuild. And that just stinks when this team felt like it turned a corner a couple of years ago. I like acquiring DiVincenzo, but it’s just a bummer that they couldn’t keep Bogdanovic. And then I wonder: if they were intent on trading him, could they have gotten more for him?
GRADE: C+
