Some major moves are coming this NBA offseason for the Milwaukee Bucks. The first major change was firing head coach Mike Budenholzer, who was relieved of his duties after Milwaukee was upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.
After the Bucks find a new head coach to lead the team, some work will have to be done with the roster. Khris Middleton and Jevon Carter both have player options for the 2023-24 season, while Brook Lopez, Jae Crowder, and Joe Ingles are all free agents.
Shaking up the roster is likely overdue. But having Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way and winning a championship in 2021 overshadowed some of the shortcomings on the roster.
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The front office will have to get creative when upgrading things around Antetokounmpo as the team is short on assets to build a trade package with. Draft capital is also scarce from deals that were made previously. But that doesn’t dissuade people from making some bold predictions about what could happen for the Bucks this offseason.
Arguably the boldest is from Jack Deignan of Clutch Points. He suggested that the Bucks should make a run at acquiring Kawhi Leonard from the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason.
Bringing on Leonard to pair with Antetokounmpo would be a devastating duo for opponents to deal with on paper. They are two dominant players who have proven capable of carrying a team to the promised land on their own; as a duo, they would be nearly unstoppable.
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However, relying on Leonard to remain healthy and be that dominant partner alongside Antetokounmpo would be a major risk. He has proven incapable of staying healthy as a knee injury derailed any hopes the Clippers had at advancing in the postseason.
Also, for the Bucks, is parting ways with every available asset, which it would likely require to land Leonard, be worth it? That would be a major risk as there are already rumors floating around that the Greek Freak could be on the move sooner than later.
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This offseason is a big one as the Bucks will need to once again prove to Antetokounmpo they can build a contending roster around him. Acquiring Leonard should lead to plenty of wins, but it is a major risk to make a deal of that magnitude and would impact the franchise for years to come.
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