Why the Trade Could Work
From the Bucks’ perspective, there are some things to like here.
Kuzma is a piece to build around, as he’d join a team that (presumably) still has Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez, and others.
The picks are contingent and could be delayed in their conveyance, but they’re still picks that the Bucks wouldn’t have had otherwise.
But the biggest reason this trade would work is if Antetokounmpo himself wanted it, and tried to initiate it. If he made it clear he won’t re-sign and wants to join the Lakers, the Bucks should trade him to Los Angeles instead of watching him leave as a free agent.
Is that a likely scenario? Maybe not as of now. Antetokounmpo has not made any declarations about wanting to leave yet. But if he does, anything the Bucks can get for him is much better than simply letting him walk in 2021 as a free agent.
