NBA Trade Grades: Bucks expand Pistons trade to scoop Nikola Mirotic

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks hands down got the best player in this deal, which is the ultimate goal in any trade. Trading Maker for Johnson straight up would’ve been something of a lateral swap for both sides, but lumping in the Pelicans to swipe Nikola Mirotic just made the best team in the Eastern Conference even more dangerous.

Turning Thon Maker, the unused Jason Smith and second round picks into an ideal stretch-4 like Mirotic is borderline highway robbery. Though he’s only played in 32 games this season due to injury problems, if he can return healthy, he’s the perfect fit for Budenholzer’s system.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is unstoppable with the ball in his hands, and the Bucks have used floor-spacers and the NBA’s second-heaviest 3-point onslaught to open up driving lanes. Mirotic, who is averaging 16.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.2 long range attempts per game this season, will only make Milwaukee more lethal in that respect. When teams go small to run Brook Lopez off the floor, the Bucks will have an answer:

Mirotic is converting 36.8 percent of his looks from downtown and was thriving alongside Anthony Davis before injuries took a toll. Assuming the calf injury that’s sidelined him for the last two weeks isn’t a big issue, the NBA’s 12th-most efficient 3-point shooting team just got even better.

Losing Maker could hurt 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 Lopez and even Giannis and D.J. Wilson in small-ball lineups. Mirotic restores the flexibility lost in Maker’s departure anyway.

Mirotic’s status as an unrestricted free agent this summer will complicate matters for a Bucks team that already has to worry about finding room to re-sign Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and Lopez. Those are problems for another day though, and it’s encouraging to see Milwaukee go all in with this group in a bid to not only win the East, but challenge for the NBA title.

After the Philadelphia 76ers made their move for Tobias Harris, the Bucks responded in kind. Giving up a whopping four second round picks is a fairly large price to pay for a guy on an expiring contract, but at least they didn’t have to surrender a first-rounder.

Assuming he can stay healthy, Mirotic is a tremendous fit to space the floor and bolster this team’s hopes for a deep playoff run, making the price more than worth it.

Grade: A