NBA Trade Grades: Bucks and Pistons swap Stanley Johnson for Thon Maker

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks got the better player in this deal, which is always the goal in any trade. It’s something of a lateral swap for both sides, but it certainly pads the wing depth of a team currently sitting in first in the Eastern Conference standings.

Johnson’s complete lack of offense was a burden to a team looking to return to the postseason, but his contributions on the other end should be a boon to the NBA’s top-ranked defense in Milwaukee.

He may struggle to find minutes in such a deep wing rotation, especially on a team that launches the second-most 3s in the league, but he could also thrive in a reduced role for a more competitive group. Having an extra bit of depth in the event of an injury never hurts either.

Johnson certainly won’t spread the floor with his 28.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc, but with so many shooters stationed around him, he may be able to carve out a better role on offense as a slasher. That certainly wasn’t a possibility in Motown given the Pistons’ dearth of floor-spacers.

Losing Maker could come back to haunt Milwaukee in the postseason depending on the matchup, since he thrived in the playoffs the last two years as an unexpected shot-blocker and stretch-5.

However, his upside never really materialized as expected under head coach Mike Budenholzer, especially with the emergence of Brook Lopez and even Giannis Antetokounmpo and D.J. Wilson in small-ball lineups.

Johnson’s restricted free agency could present a trickier problem compared to Maker being under team control for at least one more year, but then again, the Bucks have bigger priorities between Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and Lopez. Johnson could be a fallback option, re-signed for cheap if the offers don’t come rolling in, or simply cut loose to create more room for the other guys.

That final scenario might sting considering Maker’s youth, but even if trading him for a three-month rental is ultimately what comes to pass, the Bucks are all in now. This is a solid response to the Sixers acquiring Tobias Harris, even in the event Johnson has no long-term role on the team, and Maker’s insistence on a trade meant something had to give.

Grade: B-