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Who do the Milwaukee Bucks have to give up in a trade for Dejounte Murray?
A recent report detailed the Milwaukee Bucks’ interest in acquiring the Atlanta Hawks’ two-way guard Dejounte Murray. The report is surprising and unsurprising at the same time—surprising that the front office is willing to pursue a player as coveted as Murray despite their limited trade assets and unsurprising given how the Bucks need a boost on the defensive end of the floor.
While it remains to be seen how serious (or how seriously the Hawks will take the Bucks’ offer), these players will likely be involved if a trade were to go down.
Bobby Portis
Portis plays a massive role for the Bucks, giving the team a much-needed spark off the bench. Although some of his numbers are down this season—partly due to the slight decrease in minutes and shot attempts—the 6-foot-10 veteran remains a nightly double-double threat whose salary ($11.7 million this season) remains reasonable given his role and production.
Letting Portis—a tremendous fan-favorite in Milwaukee—would undoubtedly hurt the team’s morale, but given the defensive woes the Bucks have faced this season, it’s not a move that can be ruled out.
“Trading Portis, who has cemented himself as an all-time fan favorite, would undeniably sting for the Bucks fanbase. However, similarly to the Damian Lillard trade, where the Bucks gave up Jrue Holiday, if there's an opportunity to make a major splash, the front office has to genuinely make a play for the player involved, especially one like Murray, who could help this team out a ton defensively,” Dalton Sell of Behind the Buck Pass wrote.
MarJon Beauchamp
MarJon Beauchamp is the Bucks’ best young player who has improved substantially since his rookie season. However, he’s become a victim of the team’s win-now campaign and has not been part of the team’s rotation lately.
In fact, Beauchamp was sent to the Bucks’ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, last week to get some reps in. But with the Bucks’ current focus on winning a championship, it’s understandable why they might consider trading away their young prospect.
“Beauchamp has value, but his role with the Bucks has shrunk as the season has gone on to the point where he currently isn't in the rotation. Though it would be nice to keep him around and develop him and unearth that potential he possesses, if the team has to trade him to land a win-now piece, they shouldn't shy away from it,” Sell added.
