Milwaukee Bucks: Complete grades for the 2019 NBA offseason
By Jordan Foote
2. Malcolm Brogdon sign-and-trade
Because the Milwaukee Bucks chose to return Khris Middleton, George Hill and Brook Lopez (to be addressed shortly), Malcolm Brogdon was the odd man out this offseason.
The Indiana Pacers signed him to a four-year, $85 million offer sheet and essentially squashed Milwaukee’s hopes of returning the former Rookie of the Year.
The offer sheet was simply too much for the Bucks to match without losing another piece of the core. Khris Middleton’s pending contract was a no-brainer and Brook Lopez’s skillset is a lot more difficult to replace at the center position than Brogdon’s is at shooting guard.
Faced with a tough decision, Jon Horst opted to let his young player embark on a new journey.
Recouping a future first-round pick and a pair of second-round selections is better than nothing. Milwaukee very well could have ended up losing Brogdon for nothing more than one less salary cap-related headache. Instead, they get a few draft assets for down the road. Not too shabby.
All-in-all, losing a 50-40-90 player is going to hurt. Especially if that player is just about to enter his prime. Although this is true, Milwaukee is a team with championship aspirations and it can’t afford to even slightly overpay for talent.
The aforementioned Matthews will shoot 3s at an efficient clip and despite him not being Brogdon, he’ll suffice for the next season or two. For its hands being relatively tied, this wasn’t a bad move by the Bucks.
Grade: B