In some people's minds, the Milwaukee Bucks are the biggest disappointment in the NBA as they are 20-31 and seem to have very little chance of getting into the playoffs. The Bucks' lack of success this season can be traced back to last season's trade deadline when they sent Brandon Knight to the Suns and acquired Michael Carter-Williams in a very surprising deal. Well, the trade deadline is approaching once again, and the Bucks have big time names on the block, according to Gary Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
It is being reported that the Bucks are very open to making some trades before the Feb. 18 deadline, and two of the biggest names available are Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams. Many executives in the league believe the Bucks are more than receptive to playing "Let's Make a Deal." The Bucks have reportedly had ongoing discussions about potential deals because they are concerned with the team's play this season, as they are 6.5 games out of the eighth spot in the East.
Carter-Williams was the big get for the Bucks last season when they traded away Knight. Head coach Jason Kidd saw Carter-Williams as a younger version of himself, which is why he wanted him, and the Bucks were unsure if they were willing to max out Knight for his next deal so they pulled the trigger. Now that deal looks like a disaster, but Carter-Williams isn't without value.
Despite his inconsistent play this season, Carter-Williams is still just 24 years old and is under contract (for a very cheap price) next season before he will become a restricted free agent. Carter-Williams is a talented player, and although he hasn't figured it out yet at the pro level there will likely be teams out there that would be willing to take a chance on him as long as the price is right.
Monroe is the more surprising of these two on the block because he was the Bucks' big free agent signing last offseason. Monroe was expected to bring them to the next level this year, and although he has played very well it hasn't led to good results for the team. Monroe signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Bucks last offseason (they outbid the Knicks and Lakers for him), so he still has two years left on his contract (the last year of that contract is a player option that he will likely decline for 2017-18). Despite having two years left on his deal, the Bucks would be willing to trade him for the right price.
It is unclear how realistic a trade of Monroe is before the deadline, considering his big salary, but the Bucks have surprised us before. Monroe is averaging 16.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in what has been an excellent first season with Milwaukee, so teams will definitely want him; it is just a matter of whether teams could make the salaries work.
At this point it seems pretty clear that the Bucks will be very active over the next couple of weeks and they may even make some blockbusters. One executive said almost everyone on the team is available right now, according to 247 Sports.com, so it would be a surprise if the Bucks don't make at least one move.
