With Giannis Antetokounmpo’s impending free agency, it was inevitable that the Milwaukee Bucks’ front office was going to get some new faces in Milwaukee. A Jrue Holiday trade became the first move in building what they hope to be a championship roster for this season.
Jrue Holiday Trade to Bucks
What a bomb to drop at 11:30 pm E.T. Milwaukee has seemed to make it their mission this offseason to put quality starters around Antetokounmpo in an attempt to persuade him to stay in town. While rumors have surfaced that Victor Oladipo may be a candidate to land in Milwaukee, they went a different route and landed Holiday. The guard emerged as a veteran presence in New Orleans and led them to the playoffs twice in his seven seasons there.
This seemed like a smart move for New Orleans, as it looks like they are moving towards a younger culture with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.
Holiday, who is 30, is often considered as one of the best two-way players in the NBA. With Wes Matthews declining his option, Holiday will immediately fill the shooting guard position for the Bucks. Last season, Holiday scored 19 points per game on shooting splits of 46%/35%/71%. Holiday should bring much needed shooting and spacing to a Bucks team that seems to crumble when the opposing defenses keyed in on Antetokounmpo.
Bucks Trade Bledsoe, Hill and Picks
The Bucks traded away two of their key pieces from last season in Eric Bledsoe and George Hill. What seems to be the icing on the cake here for the Pelicans was the draft picks that they are getting in return, three in total.
Since coming to Milwaukee, Bledsoe has taken on a complementary role, as he has been the third and sometimes fourth option on the Bucks. He made his money though with his defense, finishing his time in Milwaukee with two All-Defensive Team selections.
Hill saw a career year last season, coming off of the bench for Milwaukee. He led the second unit for the Bucks to a tune of 46% from the three-point line, good for first in the NBA.
Bledsoe and Hill don’t seem to be long-term plans for the Pelicans, as they take on two pretty big contracts. With the three picks, it looks like New Orleans is looking to put young talent around Williamson and Ingram. One of the draft picks mentioned is the Bucks’ 24th pick. The Pelicans may even try to package these picks together in order to move up to grab a highly-touted prospect.
With the departure of draft picks, it looks like Milwaukee is pretty confident that Antetokounmpo will sign the super max. Milwaukee now becomes the newest team to feature a trio of multiple stars in order to make a push for the championship.
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