Milwaukee Bucks: Can they trade for Anthony Davis?
The deal
The Milwaukee Bucks don’t have the blue chip player on a rookie contract to offer the Pelicans. They don’t have a Jayson Tatum, a Brandon Ingram or a Jamal Murray. The highest-drafted player on a rookie contract is Thon Maker, taken 10th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. Otherwise, their young assets are all rotation pieces, but without All-Star upside (with the possible exception of Maker).
That means a deal has to start with a veteran. Eric Bledsoe is younger and projects as a great fit alongside Jrue Holiday in the backcourt, and early suggestions are that the Pelicans would like to build around Holiday while moving their other veteran pieces. Khris Middleton is a possibility as well, but Bledsoe is arguably having the better season and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama — not all that far from New Orleans. With both hitting free agency this summer, the Pelicans may need to target someone they believe they can re-sign.
From there, the package would add some young pieces. Maker seems the obvious choice, as he has the highest upside of the young pieces and has recently made a trade request of his own. One of the young guards — Donte DiVincenzo or Sterling Brown — would likely follow, along with D.J. Wilson.
Now comes the salary-matching portion of the trade offer. Do the Pelicans want to move Solomon Hill? If so, that means the Bucks will need to get to at least $30.2 million in outgoing salary. If the trade waits until the Feb 7 trade deadline, then Milwaukee can include George Hill or Jason Smith in a deal. Hill is perfect for these situations because his high salary can be used to match in a trade, but with just $1 million guaranteed for next season, the Pelicans would be clearing significant cap space from next year’s books.
Finally, the cherry on top is a first round pick.
Because of obligations to the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers, that pick can be no sooner than 2024, and would convey either 2024 or 2025 depending on when their picks to Phoenix and Cleveland convey. If Davis and Antetokounmpo are both in Milwaukee, that is likely to be a late first-rounder, but both will have hit free agency by then; the upside on the pick will still be significant if one or both leave town.
The final trade, therefore, might look something like this. The New Orleans Pelicans would receive Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, Thon Maker, D.J. Wilson and Donte DiVincenzo, as well as a 2024 unprotected first round pick that slides to 2025 if necessary (the protections would have to get creative). The Milwaukee Bucks would receive Anthony Davis, Solomon Hill and a couple of extra players to balance the rosters, such as Tim Frazier and Cheick Diallo.