The Hypothetical Trade
Bucks acquire Russell Westbrook from the Houston Rockets
Rockets acquire Brook Lopez, Eric Bledsoe, DJ Wilson and Donte DiVincenzo from the Milwaukee Bucks
This is a scenario in which the Bucks would lose depth in exchange for the star power and experience of Westbrook.
The other way to make the salaries match would be to keep Lopez, Wilson and DiVincenzo in Milwaukee, and send Bledsoe and Khris Middleton to Houston in exchange for Westbrook.
The question then becomes if that improves Milwaukee, or is simply a lateral move.
But by keeping Middleton and adding Westbrook, Giannis Antetokounmpo would have two stars to run with, while admittedly losing their center in Lopez.
Now, let’s revisit the Durant analogy from slide one, as he relates to this in more ways than one.
When the Warriors signed Durant, it shifted the balance of power in the NBA, but it was not without cost. The Warriors parted with Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli, Leandro Barbosa and Brandon Rush in order to accommodate Durant.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. But the overarching point is sometimes star power comes at the expense of depth, as it would in this deal for Milwaukee.
