Milwaukee Bucks Receive: F/C Christian Wood, G D.J. Augustin
Houston Rockets Receive: C Brook Lopez, G Donte DiVincenzo, F Semi Ojeleye, MIL 2022 2nd Round Pick
The Milwaukee Bucks are over the luxury tax line as a team right now and are set to be paying one of the highest bills in the league this season. It is almost impossible for them to make a deal at the trade deadline unless they are matching or giving up more money in salaries than they are taking on.
Brook Lopez is the key to the Bucks getting a deal done at the trade deadline this season and there is a good chance that they will look to move the veteran big man over the next week-and-a-half leading up to the deadline.
Now 33-years-old, Brook Lopez is nearing the end of the line and he may not be the same impactful center that he used to be after his back surgery earlier this season. Due to him being out, Lopez’s trade market is extremely low and the Bucks would most definitely have to give the Rockets incentive to take on his contract.
The Houston Rockets are rebuilding right now, so they are looking for three things – young talents, draft picks and cap space.
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D.J. Augustin is a veteran they would like to get off their books to free up some cap space and by making this trade with the Bucks, they will be able to free up a small chunk of cap space to spend on their current young talents. Not to mention, they would be adding former first-round pick Donte DiVincenzo on the wing.
At 25-years-old, DiVincenzo would fit right in with the Rockets’ rebuilding process and could be a key, proven young talent for them to utilize next to others like Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. He is a factor on both ends of the floor and is a career 34.3% three-point shooting, making Donte DiVincenzo a valuable talent for them to get as a result of taking on Lopez’s salary.
Trading away their depth, especially DiVincenzo, is not something that Bucks would like to do, but Christian Wood could really be a key talent that results in them making it back to the NBA Finals this season.
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He can rebound, score in the paint, extend his game to the perimeter and most importantly, take pressure off of Giannis Antetokounmpo to be the only productive frontcourt player night-in and night-out for this team.
Since joining the Houston Rockets last season, Christian Wood has averaged 19.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and has shot 49.9% from the floor, 37.1% from three-point range. There are not many better big men in the league in terms of pure offensive production than Wood right now, hence why he could have a huge impact on the Milwaukee Bucks’ season.
