NBA Trade 2018-19 Review: Milwaukee Bucks - Mirotic Arrives, Davis Slips Away & more
Filled with nail-biting trade stories and rumor threads all throughout the final week, this mid-season trade window was unlike any other. Players held on to their franchises for dear life only to be informed that they have been shipped for someone better. Those who were lucky enough to stay were left with a bad taste of disloyalty towards their organizations.
As of this moment, the Milwaukee Bucks hold the league's best record going into the All-Star break, with their marquee power forward Giannis Antentokounmpo having being chosen as a team captain from the Eastern Conference.
Now that the constant buzz has died down, and the trade deadline is behind us, the Bucks do look somewhat better coming out on the other side. Let's do a comprehensive review of how this mid-season trade period panned out for the leading title contenders.
#1 Players they received and assets they had to let go of
The Bucks got to actively looking for landing spots for the former 10th pick of the 2016 draft, following his desire to be traded to a team where he would have 'a larger role'.
Thon sat out a bunch of games before being shipped to Detroit as part of a three-team trade involving the New Orleans Pelicans as well in which the Bucks acquired Nikola Mirotic.
According to ESPN,
The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired Nikola Mirotic from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Jason Smith, Stanley Johnson and four second-round picks, the teams announced Thursday. The deal also includes the Detroit Pistons, who had traded Johnson to the Bucks for Thon Maker on Wednesday.
Mirotic is averaging career-highs of 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds across the 32 games he has played this season, and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
This was a perfect bargain for Milwaukee as they let go of Maker and Smith who would fit other teams looking to add value and depth to their roster without having to dole out big money.