Milwaukee Bucks: Can they trade for Anthony Davis?

Will it happen?

The short and easy answer is no, probably not. If a team with more lucrative assets decides to jump in, the Bucks’ offer will likely be blown out of the water. Thon Maker and Donte DiVincenzo are intriguing, but there are players out there who have shown much more and should be the centerpiece of a Pelicans rebuild.

There are other complicating factors. The centerpiece in a deal would most likely be a pending free agent, as both Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton can become free agents this summer (Middleton has a player option he is likely to decline). The Pelicans would need to somehow get some assurances that one would re-sign before making a deal.

From the Bucks’ side, they are close to the luxury tax; would their ownership group be willing to make that plunge this season to make a deal work? Is that financial hit worth it to them over a team that is already the best in the league statistically?

Yet, crazier things have happened. This past offseason no one was discussing the Toronto Raptors as a player for Kawhi Leonard, and suddenly their name was in the ring and they were trading DeMar DeRozan. They sent the co-star from a 60-win team packing in order to get a better star, and the Bucks would be right to do the same.

It’s possible the Pelicans demand that the Lakers or Nuggets give more of their available assets and tire of the negotiation and hardball. Los Angeles specifically may choose to keep a certain player out of a deal because they feel they have the leverage with Davis potentially wishing to end up in L.A.. The Bucks have the benefit of offering everything they have.

This will be a watershed moment for New Orleans. Is the organization trying to stay relevant to keep fans engaged? Is it committing to a full rebuild, chasing high picks the next few years as it offloads every valuable veteran? The outcome of this trade may decide whether this team plays in Smoothie King Center or Seattle in 10 years.

The stakes are much lower for Milwaukee. A core of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and Khris Middleton is terrifying for the rest of the Eastern Conference, but the Bucks are really good as currently constructed. They don’t need this trade, and are unlikely to make this move.

The possibilities are tantalizing, but Milwaukee should probably make its offer and keep focusing on what is ahead: an Eastern Conference playoff field they have a real chance to conquer en route to the NBA Finals.