Bucks Shopping Two Veterans After Doc Rivers Hiring

The Milwaukee Bucks are going through significant changes at the moment. Even though they are 30-13 and in second place in the Eastern Conference, the organization clearly doesn't feel like they have a championship-caliber group.

First, they got rid of their head coach five months into his tenure and brought in a polarizing coach in Doc Rivers. Now they are reportedly trying to move on from key rotation pieces ahead of the February 7 trade deadline.

Bucks Rumors: Milwaukee Shopping Pat Connaughton and Cam Payne

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, the Bucks are looking to trade Pat Connaughton and Cameron Payne for a roster upgrade.

31-year-old Connaughton has been a mainstay in Milwaukee for the past six seasons, providing solid two-way contribution. Cam Payne joined the team in the offseason and has done a good job as the backup point guard. Losing two key bench players might worsen the Bucks' depth issues.

After using all their valuable trade assets in the summer to bring in Damian Lillard, the Milwaukee Bucks don't have too many chips left. A package of Connaughton, Payne and low-level draft compensation is unlikely to bring high-level impact players.

However, Fischer pointed out that Milwaukee is trying to bolster their perimeter defense and some players mentioned include Matisse Thybulle, P.J. Tucker, and Alex Caruso.

Tucker played a key role in Milwaukee's 2021 championship but he is almost 39 years old and is extremely limited offensively. Caruso would be an excellent choice but whether the Bucks have enough assets to win the sweepstakes is unclear.

Fischer additionally mentioned the names of Dejounte Murray and Bruce Brown but called them "loftier targets" as it will be a challenge for Milwaukee to match salaries in a potential trade.

The Milwaukee Bucks are currently +210 to make the NBA Finals, second-best odds in the Eastern Conference. If you think they can make a run following trade deadline moves, don't forget to take advantage of FanDuel Sportsbook's sign-up bonus: get $150 guaranteed when you deposit $10 and bet $5 on any game, whether you win or lose!

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