Report: Bucks willing to deal Michael Carter-Williams, Greg Monroe
Milwaukee might make big changes at the trade deadline by dealing their starting point guard and center. Would they get anything worth doing the deal in return, though?
By
Matt Moore
•
2 min read
This past summer, the Bucks had a high level of hype after a promising run to the sixth seed last year behind a stiff defense. Even though the offense tailed off after trading Brandon Knight, this year was supposed to be a major leap year for Milwaukee. They signed big-name free agent Greg Monroe this summer and with the continued development of Michael Carter-Williams, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jabari Parker, some thought Milwaukee could become a sub-contender.
Instead, the entire thing crashed and burned out of the gate. Milwaukee badly misses veterans Jared Dudley and Zaza Pachulia, who anchored their defense. Their bench regressed to average career levels, and the entire defense melted into a puddle of liquid cheese.
Now, the Racine Journal Times reports that not only could changes come at the trade deadline, but big changes, with both Michael Carter-Williams and even Monroe potentially on the block.
Based on conversations with several NBA execs from the Eastern and Western conferences, the Bucks are more than receptive to playing “Let’s Make a Deal.’
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But Carter-Williams isn’t the only frontline player the Bucks are apparently willing to move. A much bigger surprise is the Bucks have made it known that center Greg Monroe is available at the right price, according to some NBA officials.
Source: BUCKS BEAT: Is a major shakeup coming? : Basketball.
The Bucks are going through basically what happened to the Charlotte Hornets last year. A promising 2014 campaign led to big free-agent moves like adding Lance Stephenson, only to see the Hornets faceplant right out of the gate. Still, while the Hornets moved Stephenson, the Bucks should be careful with abandoning the entire structure.
MCW and Monroe's trade value is at its all-time low. There's no real gain to be had by dealing them; you're not going to find good deals for them at this point with MCW looking like an offensive computer virus, and Monroe like the worst version of himself as a defensive liability.
Note that the report indicates "NBA execs" from outside the Bucks. You should read that as vultures circling the big deer wandering through the season's desert. Expressing that the Bucks could move their big-name guys hurts the Bucks' value and could lead to a team getting a point guard who still has nights where he looks like he belongs in this league and a very talented post player for little in return.
We'll see if the Bucks overreact to this disappointing start under their new ownership with massive changes, but if they want to make real changes, they're not going to find improvements by dealing MCW and Monroe. You never improve when you deal from a position of weakness.
