Milwaukee Bucks: 4 Implications Of The Center Swap With Hornets

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Oct 26, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Miles Plumlee (18) (center), Charlotte Hornets center Roy Hibbert (55) (left) and guard Nicolas Batum (5) (right) reach for the loose ball during the first quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

The Milwaukee Bucks kicked off the trade season by swapping big men with the Charlotte Hornets. What are the implications for this season and beyond?

For the Milwaukee Bucks as well as anyone in the league, trade season in the NBA is always a time for large hopes and dreams for teams and fans alike. Each team has before it a collection of assets and a list of team needs, armed with the hope of turning little into a lot.

The reality is that very few trades see superstars move around and, in fact, most involve bench pieces being shuffled as teams try to rejigger a weak spot in their rotation.

Last season, out of 29 players moved between Jan. 1 and the trade deadline, only four were consistent starters for their new teams.

When the Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Hornets began the official trade season on Thursday, they set the league on its usual course. Miles Plumlee, Roy Hibbert, Spencer Hawes — those names will not be participating in All-Star Weekend.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t implications to be drawn out to show how Milwaukee will be affected by the deal.

Those begin now, as the Bucks are now loaded at the pivot. Moving forward, the financial implications of the deal become more clear, as general manager John Hammond and head coach Jason Kidd pulled off a deal for the future much more than for the present.

This move was not the sort of deal that will propel Milwaukee into the playoffs, but it does give them the flexibility down the road to seriously build a contender. Before they reach that point, the path directly ahead is currently loaded with big men.

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