An NBA insider for an Eastern Conference team recently suggested a trade idea for the Milwaukee Bucks that could help them move Brook Lopez and get a high-upside replacement in return.
The Bucks 2023-24 campaign was a major disappointment. They hoped that future Hall-of-Famer Damian Lillard and new head coach Adrian Griffin would be the missing pieces to a championship puzzle. However, the organization felt the first-year coach was not living up to expectations and ousted him midway through the season.
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He was replaced by former Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers, and while they seemed to be heading in the right direction before the playoffs, an injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo sunk their season for a second straight year.
The expectations are still sky-high ahead of the 2024-25 season and Rivers reportedly wants to shake things up on the roster and coaching staff. He has already added former Lakers head coach Davin Ham to the bench, and center Brook Lopez is reportedly on the trade block.
On Wednesday, The Athletic Detroit Pistons reporter James L. Edwards III wrote on how the team is willing to take on big contracts in return for draft picks after striking out on notable free agents so far this offseason. Which seemingly makes the Pistons a good trade partner for the Bucks.
In the piece, Edwards III suggested attaching a future first-round pick to Brook Lopez in a potential deal, and in return Milwaukee could land former first-round pick Jalen Duren.
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“For Detroit, this move gets an elite rim protector and shooter from the center spot while also adding some draft capital,” he wrote. “On Milwaukee’s end, and I’m not sure if the Bucks’ fan base will love this, but it gets a recent lottery pick under team control who can play now while also opening up a significant exception to use.”
- Jalen Duren stats (2023-24): 13.8 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.8 BPG
Duren was the 13th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and averaged a double-double last season. While he has not reached the potential many foresaw for him two years ago, there is a belief around the league he still has a lot of upside at just 20 years old.
