Milwaukee Bucks: 4 Implications Of The Center Swap With Hornets
Center Could Be Thin Next Season
As recently as 48 hours ago, the Milwaukee Bucks had three centers locked up for at least three seasons each, giving them assurance of depth with limited flexibility.
By swapping out Plumlee for Hibbert and Hawes, the Bucks now have three centers who could hit free agency and walk away from the team.
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With the versatility of the remainder of their roster, it seems likely that Hammond and Kidd preferred the flexibility to the depth. But if Greg Monroe exercises his player option, and Hawes does the same, it will grant the Bucks cap space and a large need.
The reason this isn’t a major issue is that Milwaukee’s starting lineup is set elsewhere on the roster. They have All-Star level contributors from 2-4, with Middleton, Antetokounmpo, and Parker forming a young and talented core.
Matthew Dellavedova and Malcolm Brogdon form a solid defensive rotation at the point.
That leaves center, a role that can be filled by John Henson if the team spends its money on depth elsewhere on the roster. But the team also has the flexibility to pool those resources and produce a starting center of a higher quality than either Henson or Plumlee.
In the end, the Milwaukee Bucks offloaded a contract that was approaching bad, without taking on any long-range money in return, nor at the cost of another asset. They did not receive a true asset of their own, but Hibbert can provide spot minutes during their playoff push.
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With the impact Plumlee has had this year, Milwaukee did well to simply wipe their hands of the contract moving forward.