The Milwaukee Bucks won their first championship faster than any expansion team in pro sports history, but who are their 25 best players of all time?
Here’s a fact you might not have known: No expansion team in the history of major North American sports won a title faster than the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks came into the NBA officially on Jan. 22, 1968, when an expansion franchise was awarded to a group headed by Wesley Pavalon and Marvin Fishman.
It was Milwaukee’s second NBA try, after the Hawks played there for four forgettable seasons in the early 1950s.
The first year was exactly what one would expect from an expansion team—27 wins and a spot in the coin flip for the first overall pick in the draft.
More hoops habit: 50 Greatest NBA Players Not in the Hall of Fame
Winning that coin flip produced the right to draft UCLA legend Lew Alcindor—later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—and the Bucks were champions of the NBA in 1971.
They have been back to the Finals just one other time since, losing a seventh game at home to the Boston Celtics in 1974.
Milwaukee had some nice teams in the 1980s, but were a level below the Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference, losing in the conference finals three times and being bounced from the postseason by one or the other for seven consecutive years.
The Bucks are 1,983-1,905 in their 48 seasons, a winning percentage of .510 that ranks 14th among the 30 active franchises in the NBA.
They’ve gone to the postseason 28 times, including a club-record 12 years straight from 1980-91. Their longest postseason drought was a seven-year stretch from 1992-98.
The Bucks were sold in 1985 to Milwaukee department store owner Herb Kohl, later a U.S. Senator. He held the team until it was sold to Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry for a then-record $550 million in 2014.
The Bucks played at the Milwaukee Arena from their inception in 1968 until moving into the Bradley Center—now known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center—for the 1988-89 season.
Milwaukee has had 10 general managers, with Don Nelson the longest-serving from April 1977 to May 1987.
Current GM John Hammond has been on the job since April 2008 and Wayne Embry had a run of just more than five years from March 1972 to April 1977.
Hammond is the lone recipient for the Bucks of the NBA Executive of the Year award, winning in 2009-10.
Nelson is the franchise’s winningest coach with a record of 540-344 from 1976-87, going 42-46 in the playoffs. Larry Costello, the team’s first coach, was 410-264 from 1968-77 and was 37-23 in the postseason, and George Karl’s clubs were 205-173 from 1999-2003 and were 14-18 in the playoffs.
Behind the Buck Pass
Current coach Jason Kidd is the franchise’s 14th head coach. He took the job in July 2014 and is 74-90 in the regular season and 2-4 in the playoffs.
Nelson is the only Coach of the Year winner in team history, taking the honor in 1982-83 and 1984-85.
Milwaukee has had the No. 1 overall pick four times, twice in the lottery era. Besides taking Abdul-Jabbar in 1969, the Bucks selected Indiana’s Kent Benson in 1977, Glenn Robinson of Purdue in 1994 and Utah’s Andrew Bogut in 2005.
They have had the second, third, fourth and fifth overall picks one time each.
Here are the 25 best players in the history of the Milwaukee Bucks. Players had to have appeared in 150 games and averaged a minimum of 20 minutes per game for the team to qualify for this list.
Next: Jonny Mac Was Bucks’ First All-Star
Jon McGlocklin was an expansion draft selection two years in a row, with the Milwaukee Bucks taking the shooting guard from the San Diego Rockets in May 1968.
Things worked out pretty well for McGlocklin, who was an All-Star for the Bucks in 1969.
He was fourth in the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1969-70 and 1970-71 and was third in free-throw shooting in 1968-69, as well.
McGlocklin averaged 10.8 points, 2.8 assists and a rebound in 30.5 minutes per game, shooting 53.1 percent from the floor and 9-for-10 at the line as the Bucks swept the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA Finals.
He appeared in five games in the 1974 NBA Finals, averaging 6.4 points and three assists in 20.8 minutes per game while shooting 56 percent from the field and 4-for-6 at the foul line, but the Boston Celtics beat the Bucks in seven games.
McGlocklin was the last of the original expansion Bucks when he retired in September 1976.
In eight seasons in Milwaukee, McGlocklin averaged 12.6 points, 3.2 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per game, shooting 50.5 percent from the floor and 86 percent at the line.
A third-round pick out of Indiana by the Cincinnati Royals in the 1965 NBA Draft, McGlocklin was chosen by the Rockets in the May 1967 expansion draft.
Founder of the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) the night he retired, McGlocklin has been a mainstay on Bucks television broadcasts for more than 25 years.
Next: Member Of The 12-Team Club
Former No. 1 overall pick Joe Smith had a historic NBA career—just not for the reasons one might expect from a No. 1 overall pick—and the Milwaukee Bucks contributed to that when they acquired Smith and Anthony Peeler from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a June 2003 trade in exchange for Sam Cassell and Ervin Johnson.
Smith is one of four players in NBA history to play for 12 different teams. He was a solid force at power forward before injuring a knee and missing almost half of the 2005-06 season.
.
In three seasons in Milwaukee, Smith averaged 10.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game, shooting .474/1-for-8/.807.
He was the first overall pick out of Maryland by the Golden State Warriors in the 1995 NBA Draft and was an All-Rookie selection in 1995-96.
Smith was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in February 1998 and signed as a free agent with the Timberwolves in January 1999, a contract that was later found to have violated the collective bargaining agreement.
He signed with the Detroit Pistons in November 2000 before returning to Minnesota in July 2001.
In December 2006, he was dealt back to the 76ers and signed with the Chicago Bulls in July 2007.
Smith was part of a three-team deal in February 2008, going to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who included him in a three-team deal in August 2008 that sent him to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In March 2009, he returned to Cleveland as a free agent and in August 2009, Smith signed with the Atlanta Hawks. He signed with the New Jersey Nets in September 2010 and was traded in December of that year as part of a three-team deal to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Smith retired after going unsigned as a free agent in the summer of 2011.
Next: The Pyerodactyl Played A Year In Italy Before Draft
Brandon Jennings’ approach to the NBA’s rule preventing players from jumping directly from high school didn’t involve college. Instead, he played a year in Italy before declaring and the Milwaukee Bucks took the point guard with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
He was an All-Rookie selection in 2009-10, announcing his arrival with a 55-point outburst in his seventh NBA game.
in July 2013.
In four seasons in Milwaukee, Jennings averaged 17 points, 5.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 34.6 minutes per game, shooting .394/.354/.813.
Jennings split the 2015-16 season between the Pistons and Orlando Magic, who acquired him in a trade deadline deal in February.
He averaged 6.9 points, 3.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game, shooting .368/.329/.731 as he worked his way back from an Achilles tendon injury sustained in January 2015.
Jennings signed a one-year, $5 million free-agent deal with the New York Knicks on July 8, 2016.
Next: Part Of Franchise-Changing Trade
Brian Winters had been an All-Rookie selection before he was included in the package the Milwaukee Bucks got in the biggest trade in franchise history, acquired with Elmore Smith, Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman from the Los Angeles Lakers in June 1975 in exchange for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley.
Winters was a two-time All-Star with the Bucks, finishing fourth in 3-point shooting and fifth in 3-pointers in 1981-82.
He retired in September 1983.
In eight seasons in Milwaukee, Winters averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 31.7 minutes per game, shooting .478/.363/.843.
Winters was the 12th overall pick out of South Carolina by the Lakers in the 1974 NBA Draft.
He was later an NBA and collegiate coach for 30 years, including two seasons as head coach of the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies from 1995-97, going 23-102 in parts of two seasons. He was interim coach of the Golden State Warriors in 2001-02, where he was 13-46.
Next: Was Synonymous With Perimeter Defense
Quinn Buckner was never a scorer, averaging almost nine points a game as a senior at Indiana, where he played for college basketball’s last undefeated national champion.
The Milwaukee Bucks chose Buckner with the seventh overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft and he built a career on defense.
A four-time All-Defensive selection with the Bucks, Buckner was third in the NBA in steals in 1977-78 and 1980-81 and fourth in 1976-77 and 1981-82.
He was traded to the Boston Celtics in September 1982 in exchange for the rights to retired Dave Cowens, who was attempting a comeback.
In six seasons in Milwaukee, Buckner averaged 10.3 points, 5.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 26.4 minutes per game, shooting .469/.269/.660.
Buckner was part of an NBA championship team with the Celtics and was traded to the Indiana Pacers in September 1985. He retired after he was waived in January 1986.
He coached the Dallas Mavericks for one season, going 13-69 in 1993-94.
Buckner is 22nd in NBA history with an average of 1.9 steals per game.
Next: Big Man Could Shoot It
The Milwaukee Bucks picked up All-Star Jack Sikma along with second-round picks in 1987 and 1989 from the Seattle SuperSonics in July 1986 in exchange for Alton Lister and first-round selections in 1987 and 1989.
Sikma didn’t recreate his All-Star days from Seattle, but he was a terrific shooter for the Bucks, leading the NBA in free-throw shooting in 1987-88 and developing a decent 3-point shot late in his career before retiring in the summer of 1991.
He was also second in the NBA in free-throw shooting in 1988-89.
In five seasons in Milwaukee, Sikma averaged 13.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and a steal in 31.2 minutes per game, shooting .447/.352/.884.
He was the eighth overall pick out of Illinois Wesleyan by the SuperSonics in the 1977 NBA Draft and was an All-Rookie selection in 1977-78, a seven-time All-Star and an All-Defensive pick in 1981-82 for Seattle.
Sikma was also part of the SuperSonics’ 1979 NBA championship squad and is 29th in NBA history with 10,816 rebounds.
Next: Solid On The Point
The Milwaukee Bucks acquired Jay Humphries from the Phoenix Suns in February 1988 in exchange for Craig Hodges and a second-round pick in 1988.
The point guard gave the Bucks solid, if not spectacular, play for the next four years before being dealt with Larry Krystkowiak to the Utah Jazz in June 1992 in exchange for Eric Murdock, Blue Edwards and a first-round pick in 1992.
In parts of five seasons in Milwaukee, Humphries averaged 13.4 points, six assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 31.8 minutes per game, shooting .486/.314/.792.
Humphries was the 13th overall pick out of Colorado by the Suns in the 1984 NBA Draft. In February 1995, he was traded to the Boston Celtics and retired when his rights were renounced in September 1995.
Humphries was a head coach in Korea for two seasons (2005-07), in the D-League for two seasons (2008-10) and also for a season in China (2010-11).
Next: Backed Up For A Champ
The Milwaukee Bucks picked up a couple of key reserves in advance of their title run, acquiring Lucius Allen and Bob Boozer from the Seattle SuperSonics in September 1970 in exchange for Don Smith (later known as Zaid Abdul-Aziz) and cash.
Allen was a key reserve for the Bucks in 1971 before becoming a starter for their 1974 club that reached the NBA Finals.
He averaged 7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 22 minutes per game in the 1971 NBA Finals, shooting 40 percent from the floor and 10-for-11 at the line in a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Bullets.
He did not play in the 1974 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, having gone down to a knee injury in mid-March.
In November 1974, Allen was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Jim Price.
In parts of five seasons in Milwaukee, Allen averaged 13.8 points, 4.4 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 29.4 minutes per game, shooting 48.5 percent from the floor and 75.6 percent at the line.
He was the third overall pick out of UCLA by the SuperSonics in the 1969 NBA Draft. In June 1977, he was traded to the Kansas City Kings, retiring after he was waived in October 1979.
Next: Point Guard A Master Thief
The Milwaukee Bucks gave up their starting point guard in order to get a younger, unproven one in June 1992, acquiring Eric Murdock along with Blue Edwards and a first-round pick in 1992 from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Jay Humphries and Larry Krystkowiak.
Murdock got a chance and ran with it, finishing fifth in the NBA in steals in 1993-94, before he was dealt with Eric Mobley in November 1995 to the Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for Benoit Benjamin.
In parts of four seasons in Milwaukee, Murdock averaged 14 points, 6.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and two steals in 29.9 minutes per game, shooting .450/.356/.793.
Murdock was the 21st overall pick out of Providence by the Jazz in the 1991 NBA Draft.
Released by Vancouver in July 1996, he signed with the Denver Nuggets in October of that year, but was let go in late November.
He signed with the Miami Heat in September 1997 before being released in July 1998 and in January 1999, Murdock joined the New Jersey Nets as a free agent.
In September 1999, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and in June 2000 was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks.
Murdock was traded again in August 2000, this time to the Detroit Pistons, and was waived in September 2000.
He attempted a comeback in the Continental Basketball Association in 2002 and played the 2002-03 season in Italy. A final attempt in the American Basketball Association in 2003 ended his career.
Next: Big Dog Helped Fuel Milwaukee Revival
The Milwaukee Bucks were picking first in the NBA Draft for the first time in 17 years and after Glenn Robinson earned consensus national player of the year honors while averaging more than 30 points and 10 rebounds as a junior at Purdue, the Bucks made him their guy to open the 1994 NBA Draft.
Robinson was an All-Rookie selection in 1994-95 and a two-time All-Star for the Bucks, finishing fourth in the NBA in scoring and second in minutes per game in 1997-98.
and a first-round pick in 2003.
In eight seasons in Milwaukee, Robinson averaged 21.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 37.4 minutes per game, shooting .463/.340/.812.
In July 2003, Robinson was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a four-team deal and after sitting out most of the 2004-05 season with an injury was swapped to the New Orleans Hornets in February 2005.
After being waived in March 2005, Robinson signed with the San Antonio Spurs in April of that year, retiring after earning a championship ring as a reserve with the Spurs.
He is 29th in NBA history with an average of 36.8 minutes per game and 44th with an average of 20.7 points per game.
Next: Elite Perimeter Defender Starred In Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Bucks acquired former All-Star Alvin Robertson along with Greg Anderson and a second-round pick in 1989 when they dealt Terry Cummings and a second-round selection in 1990 to the San Antonio Spurs in May 1989.
Robertson went on to earn an All-Star bid in 1991 and was a two-time All-Defensive selection for the Bucks, while leading the NBA in steals in 1990-91, finishing third in 1991-92 and fourth in 1989-90.
.
In parts of four seasons in Milwaukee, Robertson averaged 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, five assists and 2.7 steals in 30.8 minutes per game, shooting .473/.314/.742.
He was the seventh overall pick out of Arkansas by the Spurs in the 1984 NBA Draft and was the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player in 1985-86, while earning three All-Star bids, All-NBA honors in 1985-86 and being named All-Defensive four times.
He led the NBA in steals in 1985-86 and 1986-87.
In November 1993, Robertson was traded to the Denver Nuggets, but never played for them because of a back injury before being waived in October 1994.
He sat out the 1994-95 season before signing with the Toronto Raptors in October 1995. Released in July 1996, he played in the Continental Basketball Association before retiring in 1997.
Robertson is the NBA’s all-time leader with an average of 2.7 steals per game and is ninth in league history with 2,112 steals.
Next: Injury-Prone Big Man Still A Force
After earning consensus national player of the year honors as a sophomore at Utah, averaging more than 20 points and 12 rebounds per game, Andrew Bogut became the first Australian to be selected first overall when the Milwaukee Bucks took him to open the 2005 NBA Draft.
Bogut was an All-Rookie selection in 2005-06 and earned All-NBA honors in 2009-10 for the Bucks.
He led the NBA in blocks in 2010-11 and was second in 2009-10 and finished fifth in the league in field-goal percentage in 2005-06.
But the oft-injured big man was traded in March 2012 with Stephen Jackson to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Monta Ellis, Kwame Brown and Ekpe Udoh.
In parts of seven seasons in Milwaukee, Bogut averaged 12.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game, shooting .522/.045/.574.
Bogut was an All-Defensive selection in 2014-15 while helping the Warriors to an NBA title.
He appeared in 70 games in 2015-16, averaging 5.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 blocks in 20.7 minutes per game and shooting .627/1-for-1/.480.
Traded to the Dallas Mavericks on July 7, 2016, Bogut is under contract through 2016-17, the final year of a three-year, $36 million extension he signed in 2013.
He is 31st in NBA history with a field-goal percentage of .535 and 47th with an average of 1.6 blocks per game.
Next: Dobber’s Late Run Came Up Short
The Milwaukee Bucks upgraded the center position markedly in February 1980 when they acquired All-Star Bob Lanier from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Kent Benson and a first-round pick in 1980.
Lanier was an All-Star for the Bucks in 1982, but his late-career push for elusive playoff success fell short before he retired in September 1984.
In parts of five seasons in Milwaukee, Lanier averaged 13.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and a steal in 26.8 minutes per game, shooting .541/2-for-8/.736.
Lanier was the first overall pick out of St. Bonaventure by the Pistons in the 1970 NBA Draft and was an All-Rookie selection in 1970-71 as well as a seven-time All-Star in Detroit.
He later posted a record of 12-25 as interim coach of the Golden State Warriors in 1994-95.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, Lanier is 39th in NBA history with 9,698 rebounds, 48th with 19,248 points and 41st with an average of 10.1 rebounds per game.
Next: Swingman Was A Point Forward Prototype
Paul Pressey impressed with his athletic ability and versatility, averaging more than 13 points and six rebounds as a senior at Tulsa and the Milwaukee Bucks took the All-American with the 20th overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft.
Pressey was a three-time All-Defensive selection with the Bucks and often ran the offense from either the small forward or shooting guard spot.
.
In eight seasons in Milwaukee, Pressey averaged 11.9 points, 5.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 29.2 minutes per game, shooting .490/.219/.745.
Released by the Spurs in May 1992, he signed with the Golden State Warriors in November 1992 and retired after being waived in January 1993.
Currently an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, Pressey has been on NBA coaching staffs for more than 20 years.
Next: Bobby D An Unlikely Star
Bob Dandridge was a superstar at then-Division II Norfolk State as a senior, averaging more than 32 points and 17 rebounds a game before being taken by the Milwaukee Bucks in the fourth round of the 1969 NBA Draft.
The pick worked out extraordinarily well. Dandridge was an All-Rookie selection in 1969-70 and a three-time All-Star for the Bucks, as well as a stalwart at small forward on their two NBA Finals squads.
Dandridge averaged 20.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 39.3 minutes per game, shooting 52.2 percent from the floor and 11-for-16 at the line in a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA Finals.
He put up 16.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and a steal in 42.6 minutes per game, shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 77.3 percent at the line in a seven-game loss to the Boston Celtics in the Finals in 1974.
The Bucks received cash as compensation when Dandridge signed with the Washington Bullets as a veteran free agent in August 1977.
He returned to Milwaukee as a veteran free agent in November 1981, with the Bullets getting a fifth-round pick in 1982 as compensation, but Dandridge retired after being waived later the same month.
In parts of nine seasons in Milwaukee, Dandridge averaged 18.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals in 35.8 minutes per game, shooting .487/—/.770.
Dandridge was an All-Star in 1979 and an All-Defensive and All-NBA selection in 1978-79 for the Bullets and also picked up a second ring with Washington in 1978.
Next: Mid-Major Numbers Didn’t Lie
The University of Hartford isn’t big on the NBA radar, but after Vin Baker put up more than 28 points and almost 11 rebounds per game as a senior, the Milwaukee Bucks gambled and took Baker with the eighth overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft.
An All-Rookie selection in 1993-94, Baker was a three-time All-Star and an All-NBA pick in 1996-97 for the Bucks.
and a first-round pick in 1998 from the Cavaliers.
In four seasons in Milwaukee, Baker averaged 18.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 blocks in 38.3 minutes per game, shooting .494/.252/.634.
Baker was an All-Star and All-NBA selection in 1997-98 with the SuperSonics, but his career began to unwind because of drinking problems. He was traded to the Boston Celtics in July 2002 before he was released in February 2004.
Signed with the New York Knicks in March 2004, Baker was traded to the Houston Rockets in February 2005. He was waived in October 2005 and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in February 2006.
Signed by the Minnesota Timberwolves in October 2006, Baker retired after he was waived in November of that year.
Next: Big Paper Daddy Didn’t Have To Start To Star
Ricky Pierce wasn’t the headliner in a September 1984 trade with the Los Angeles Clippers that also brought the Milwaukee Bucks Terry Cummings and Craig Hodges in exchange for Marques Johnson, Junior Bridgeman, Harvey Catchings and cash.
But he turned into a star with the Bucks as a reserve. Pierce was the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1986-87 and 1989-90 and an All-Star in 1991 before he was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics in February 1991 in exchange for Dale Ellis.
Pierce returned to the Bucks as a free agent in December 1997, retiring in the summer of 1998.
In parts of eight seasons in Milwaukee, Pierce averaged 16.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and two assists in 26.2 minutes per game, shooting .516/.305/.865.
Pierce was the 18th overall pick out of Rice by the Detroit Pistons in the 1982 NBA Draft and was traded to the San Diego Clippers in October 1983.
In July 1994, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors and left in October 1995 to sign as a free agent with the Indiana Pacers.
Pierce was traded to the Denver Nuggets in June 1996 and dealt to the Charlotte Hornets in February 1997.
He was waived in August 1997 by the Hornets and played briefly in Greece before returning to Milwaukee.
Pierce is 18th in NBA history with a free-throw percentage of .875.
Next: Redd Hot Despite Balky Knees
Michael Redd opted to turn pro after averaging more than 17 points and six rebounds per game as a junior at Ohio State, but fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the 2000 NBA Draft.
Injuries sidelined him for much of his rookie year, but he emerged as an All-Star in 2004 and an All-NBA selection in 2003-04 for the Bucks.
Redd was third in the NBA in 3-pointers in 2002-03 and second in 3-point shooting and was fifth in the league in scoring in 2006-07.
Plagued by knee problems late in his tenure with the Bucks, Redd played in just 61 games over his final three seasons in Milwaukee.
He left to sign as a free agent with the Phoenix Suns in December 2011.
In 11 seasons in Milwaukee, Redd averaged 20 points, four rebounds, 2.3 assists and a steal in 33.4 minutes per game, shooting .449/.383/.840.
Redd retired in November 2013.
Next: Sam I Am Piloted Turn-Of-Century Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks, as part of a three-team trade, acquired Sam Cassell and Chris Gatling from the New Jersey Nets in March 1999, also getting Paul Grant from the Minnesota Timberwolves and sending Terrell Brandon to the Timberwolves.
Cassell turned into a team leader for a Milwaukee team that reached Game 7 of the conference finals in 2001 before falling short. He was third in the NBA in assists in 1999-2000, as well.
.
In parts of five seasons in Milwaukee, Cassell averaged 19 points, 7.2 assists, four rebounds and 1.2 steals in 35.2 minutes per game, shooting .468/.335/.866.
He was the 24th overall pick out of Florida State by the Houston Rockets in the 1993 NBA Draft and was part of two championship teams for the Rockets in 1994 and 1995.
He was traded to the Phoenix Suns in August 1996 and turned around to the Dallas Mavericks in December 1996.
In February 1997, he was on the move again, traded to New Jersey.
He made his lone All-Star appearance with Timberwolves in 2004 and was an All-NBA selection in 2003-04.
Cassell was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in August 2005 before being waived in February 2008.
Five days later, he signed with the Boston Celtics and earned a third championship ring with the Celtics.
He didn’t play the following season, but his contract was traded to the Sacramento Kings in February 2009.
Cassell has been an assistant coach with the Clippers since 2014 and has been an assistant in the NBA since retiring in 2009.
He is 36th in NBA history with 5,939 assists and 37th with a free-throw percentage of .861.
Next: Big O Pushed Milwaukee Over The Top
Oscar Robertson had been an MVP, an All-Star, a scoring champ and had all the individual accolades a player could dream of.
But when he went to the Milwaukee Bucks from the Cincinnati Royals in April 1970 in exchange for Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk, what he wanted was a title.
Robertson was a two-time All-Star for the Bucks, earning All-NBA honors in 1970-71 and finishing fifth in the MVP race that season. He was second in the NBA in free-throw shooting and third in assists in 1970-71 and finished fourth in assists in 1972-73.
And in 1971, he got his elusive ring, averaging 23.5 points, 9.5 assists and five rebounds in 41 minutes per game and shooting 52.3 percent from the floor and 81.3 percent at the line in a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the NBA Finals.
Robertson averaged 12.1 points, 8.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 48.1 minutes per game, shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 15-for-19 at the foul line as the Bucks fell to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the 1974 NBA Finals.
He retired in September 1974.
In four seasons in Milwaukee, Robertson averaged 16.3 points, 7.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 37.5 minutes per game, shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 84.3 percent at the line.
Robertson was a territorial selection out of Cincinnati by the Royals in the 1960 NBA Draft and was Rookie of the Year in 1960-61 and NBA MVP in 1963-64.
A 10-time All-Star and 10-time All-NBA selection for Cincinnati, he led the NBA in scoring in 1967-68, in minutes per game in 1964-65, in free-throw shooting in 1963-64 and 1967-68 and in assists seven times.
A member of both the NBA’s 35th and 50th anniversary all-time teams, Robertson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
He is 19th in NBA history with 43,886 minutes played, sixth with 9,887 assists, 12th with 26,710 points, third with an average of 42.2 minutes per game, 10th with an average of 25.7 points per game and fourth with an average of 9.5 assists per game.
Next: Ray-Ray Did The Outside Shooting
Ray Allen was a two-time All-American at Connecticut, averaging more than 23 points and six rebounds per game as a junior and the Milwaukee Bucks worked a draft night deal in June 1996 to get the fifth overall pick and a first-round selection in 1998 from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the rights to No. 4 overall pick Stephon Marbury.
Allen was an All-Rookie selection in 1996-97 and was a three-time All-Star for the Bucks, earning All-NBA honors in 2000-01.
He led the NBA in 3-pointers in 2001-02 and was second in 1999-2000 and 2000-01, while finishing third in free-throw shooting in 1997-98, fourth in 1998-99 and fifth in 1999-2000.
In February 2003, Allen was traded with Ronald Murray, Kevin Ollie and a first-round pick in 2003 to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason.
In parts of seven seasons in Milwaukee, Allen averaged 19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 36.3 minutes per game, shooting .450/.406/.879.
Allen was a four-time All-Star with the SuperSonics, earning All-NBA honors in 2004-05, and led the NBA in 3-pointers in 2002-03 and 2005-06.
In June 2007, he was traded to the Boston Celtics, where he was a three-time All-Star and helped win an NBA title in 2008.
He signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat in July 2012 and was part of another title team in 2013.
Unsigned since the summer of 2014, Allen has yet to announce his retirement.
He is the NBA’s all-time leader with 2,973 3-pointers, is 19th in league history with 1,300 games, 14th with 46,344 minutes played, 47th with 1,451 steals, 22nd with 24,505 points, 37th with a 3-point percentage of .400 and seventh with a free-throw percentage of .894.
Next: T.C. Bloomed As A Star After Trade
The Milwaukee Bucks made a blockbuster deal in September 1984, acquiring former Rookie of the Year Terry Cummings along with Ricky Pierce and Craig Hodges from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Marques Johnson, Junior Bridgeman, Harvey Catchings and cash.
Cummings was a two-time All-Star with the Bucks and was a two-time All-NBA pick, finishing fifth in the MVP voting in 1984-85.
and a second-round selection in 1989.
He returned to the Bucks as a free agent in November 1995, but after going unsigned in the summer of 1996, his rights were renounced in October of that year.
In six seasons in Milwaukee, Cummings averaged 19.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 32.1 minutes per game, shooting .484/.290/.702.
Cummings was the second overall pick out of DePaul by the San Diego Clippers in the 1982 NBA Draft and was Rookie of the Year in 1982-83.
In January 1997, he signed with the Seattle SuperSonics and in September 1997 joined the Philadelphia 76ers as a free agent.
In February 1998, he was traded to the New York Knicks and in January 1999 was dealt to the Golden State Warriors.
Cummings retired in October 2000 and is 40th in NBA history with 1,183 games and 46th with 19,460 points.
Next: M.J. Before, Well, M.J.
Marques Johnson earned consensus national player of the year honors as a senior at UCLA, averaging more than 21 points and 11 rebounds per game and the Milwaukee Bucks took the small forward with the third overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft.
He was an All-Rookie selection in 1977-78 and was also a four-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA pick with the Bucks as the first piece of their second act as NBA title contenders.
Johnson was third in the NBA in scoring in 1978-79, as well.
But in a September 1984 trade, Johnson was sent to the Los Angeles Clippers along with Junior Bridgeman, Harvey Catchings and cash in exchange for Terry Cummings, Ricky Pierce and Craig Hodges.
In seven seasons in Milwaukee, Johnson averaged 21 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.8 minutes per game, shooting .530/.145/.736.
With the Clippers, Johnson was an All-Star in 1986, but missed most of three seasons with a severe neck injury.
He attempted a comeback with the Golden State Warriors in October 1989, but retired after being waived in November of that year.
Next: The Squid Could Do It All
Sidney Moncrief was a two-time All-American and averaged 22 points and almost 10 rebounds—as a guard—as a senior at Arkansas. The Milwaukee Bucks drafted the high-flyer with the fifth overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft.
He wasn’t a standout right away, but he was Defensive Player of the Year in 1982-83 and 1983-84.
Moncrief was also a five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection and five-time All-Defensive pick with the Bucks.
He was fourth in the MVP voting in 1982-83.
Moncrief was second in the NBA in minutes per game in 1983-84, but knee injuries forced him into retirement in July 1989.
In 10 seasons in Milwaukee, Moncrief averaged 16.7 points, five rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 31.7 minutes per game, shooting .503/.276/.832.
Moncrief returned to the NBA in October 1990 with the Atlanta Hawks, retiring when his rights were renounced in September 1991.
He later coached at Arkansas-Little Rock, going 4-24 in his lone season in 1999-2000, and was a coach in the D-League, as well.
Next: Lew Was As Good As Advertised
Lew Alcindor had been the two-time national player of the year, a three-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player and had averaged 24 points and nearly 15 rebounds as a senior at UCLA when the Milwaukee Bucks took him first overall in the 1969 NBA Draft and outdueled the New York Nets of the ABA to get his name on a contract.
Later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he lived up to the hype—and then some. He was the Rookie of the Year in 1969-70, was named NBA MVP three times and was a six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection and a four-time All-Defensive pick for the Bucks.
He also finished second in the MVP voting in 1972-73, third as a rookie in 1969-70 and fifth in 1974-75.
Abdul-Jabbar led the NBA in scoring in 1970-71 and 1971-72 and in blocks in 1974-75.
He earned Finals MVP honors after averaging 27 points, 18.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 42 minutes per game, shooting 60.5 percent from the floor and 76.2 percent at the line in a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA Finals.
He put up 32.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.1 steals in 49.3 minutes per game, shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 70.8 percent at the foul line in a seven-game loss to the Boston Celtics in the 1974 NBA Finals.
But he wanted out of Milwaukee and the Bucks obliged in June 1975, trading Abdul-Jabbar and Walt Wesley to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Elmore Smith, Dave Meyers, Brian Winters and Junior Bridgeman.
In six seasons in Milwaukee, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 30.4 points, 15.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.4 blocks and 1.2 steals in 42.7 minutes per game, shooting 54.7 percent from the floor and 69.5 percent at the line.
With the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar won three more MVP awards, was the 1985 Finals MVP, a 13-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection and seven-time All-Defensive pick and led the NBA in rebounding in 1975-76, field-goal percentage in 1976-77 and blocks three different times.
He was also part of five NBA championship teams before retiring officially in June 1990, although he did not play after the 1988-89 season.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, Abdul-Jabbar was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996.
More hoops habit: NBA Finals History: Ranking The Last 50 Champions
He is the NBA’s all-time leader with 57,446 minutes played and 38,387 points and is second in league history with 1,560 games, third with 17,440 rebounds and 3,189 blocked shots, 40th with 5,660 assists, 13th with a field-goal percentage of .559, 30th with an average of 36.8 minutes per game, 15th with an average of 24.6 points per game, 23rd with an average of 11.2 rebounds per game and eighth with an average of 2.6 blocks per game.