NBA Rumors: Bucks expected to be ‘major player’ at trade deadline. Will potential All-Star forward be top target?

The Milwaukee Bucks will be among the NBA’s most active teams in conversations at this year’s trade deadline. While a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade has been the talk of the NBA for over a year, league executives expect the Bucks to be a buyer ahead of Feb. 5 as they aim to surround their franchise player with more talent, according to ESPN.

“Among league executives contacted by ESPN, the Bucks were a near unanimous pick to be major players at the deadline,” wrote Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps. “General manager Jon Horst has canvassed the league in recent weeks for talent at basically any position, again looking to bolster the supporting cast around two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo… The expectation from a wide range of sources is that Milwaukee remains far more likely to add than to entertain trading the best player in franchise history.”

The Bucks have struggled as of late, losing four of their last five games. While they sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference at 17-24, all indications point to them continuing to build around Antetokounmpo.

Will Bucks target Michael Porter Jr. at deadline to pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Despite depleting most of their asset pool in recent seasons, the Bucks have enough in the cupboard to make a significant move. They have several mid-sized contacts to match salary and can trade one first-round pick in 2031 or 2032. Milwaukee could also offer a swap on whichever pick it doesn’t move.

“Milwaukee still has a first-round pick they can trade, and they’re $14 million under the luxury tax,” an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “I’ve seen teams make chicken salad with less.”

If the Bucks are intent on taking one last swing to compete with Antetokounmpo, Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. could be their top target.

Porter is the top player on the market amid a breakout season while stepping in as Brooklyn’s No. 1 option. The 6-foot-10 forward is in the running for his first All-Star appearance while averaging 25.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 49/40/84 shooting splits.

Porter’s elite floor-spacing and secondary shot creation would take a significant offensive burden off Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee’s offense is 16.1 points worse per 100 possessions with Antetokounmpo off the floor, the highest on/off swing among any NBA player to play over 400 minutes, per CleaningTheGlass.

With the Nets in the early stages of a rebuild, league circles view Porter as attainable at the deadline, although the price won’t be low. The Bucks could package Kyle Kuzma and other smaller contracts to match Porter’s salary in a trade. The inclusion of their unprotected 2031 or 2032 first-round pick should be enough to pique Brooklyn’s interest.

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