Milwaukee Bucks win big at 2021 NBA Trade Deadline

No, the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t make a trade on the day of the NBA deadline, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t one of the bigger winners in the NBA. Like successful post defenders often do down low, the Bucks did their work early and are set up to cruise as a result.

I’m sure you’re well aware of this, but the Bucks made their big move in the offseason–something every other team failed to do at the deadline. When Milwaukee acquired Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans before the season began, it gave them the grace of having training camp and the entire season to work out any kinks with their new player. And that’s exactly what they’ve done. Milwaukee has tinkered with lineups and defensive schemes all season and appears primed to be playing their best basketball as the season progresses and the playoffs start–something they’ve failed to do in two seasons under head coach Mike Budenholzer.

The Bucks and general manager Jon Horst also struck a deal over a week ago when everybody was sitting on their hands. Milwaukee acquired P.J. Tucker from the Houston Rockets on March 17th, giving them an extra week and three extra games to integrate him into their system. So far so good for the team that has won eight in a row.

Despite not making a trade at the deadline, the Milwaukee Bucks are still one of the NBA’s big winners on the 2021 trade deadline day.

Another reason Milwaukee is a big winner at the trade deadline is that Kyle Lowry stayed put. Lowry–the biggest rumored player on the market and only one who could truly swing the outcome of a deep playoff race–ended up staying with the Toronto Raptors after they were unable to find a suitable offer for his services. It would’ve been a game-changer had the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers or even Miami Heat landed him at the deadline.

Instead, the 76ers were forced to pivot to a much smaller fish in George Hill. Don’t get me wrong, Hill will still be a nice fit for Philadelphia–he plays solid defense, can guard multiple positions, and is a great floor-spacing option, but he’s clearly no Lowry.

The Heat were a bit more aggressive, trading for Victor Oladipo from the Rockets and Nemanja Belicia from the Sacramento Kings. In the process, they shipped away rotational players in Kelly Olynk, Maurice Harkless and Avery Bradley. Oladipo is a nice scoring addition, but his defense remains suspect. As far as the Bucks go, Miami suddenly has very few Giannis defenders–something they relied heavily upon a year ago to get bast the Bucks in the second round. Is Jimmy Butler going to be the primary defender AND creator on offense? That’s some heavy lifting. Milwaukee also matches up EXTREMELY well if they go small with a lineup of Jrue Holiday-Donte DiVincenzo-Khris Middleton-Tucker-Antetokounmpo.

With the Brooklyn Nets standing pat as well (although they are the favorites in the East), the only other team to note is the Boston Celtics. The Celtics, who find themselves two games below .500 and in the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference added Evan Fournier as their main dish at the deadline. Fournier will give them tertiary ball-handling and shot creation, but won’t solve the defensive woes that plague them so.

The next step is the buyout market where players like LaMarcus Aldridge have already entered. Others such as Jeff Teague, Otto Porter and Austin Rivers could follow him shortly. They aren’t expected to be huge contributors on any potential championship team, but could shore up the end of the rotation for the Bucks or others. Let’s see how the cookie crumbles considering Milwaukee now has two open roster spots and money to use.