The Milwaukee Bucks are looking for a point guard to pair next to Giannis Antetokounmpo after shockingly waiving Damian Lillard to sign Myles Turner. The free agency options don’t seem as enticing, especially with the Bucks looking to capitalize on a weaker Eastern Conference.
It’s also their window to ensure Giannis stays in Milwaukee long-term. After making a bold move to pull the plug on the Lillard era following his injury, the Bucks seem open to making a splash. However, with only one first-round pick and not as many lucrative contracts to trade, they need to play their cards right.
The Bucks ideally could do well with a combo guard, who can be a threat on-and-off the ball, considering Giannis is better off as a high-usage player. One potential trade target they can pursue is Anfernee Simons, who got traded to the Boston Celtics for Jrue Holiday.
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Simons averaged 19.3 points and 4.8 assists on 46/36/90 splits last year with the Portland Trail Blazers in 70 games. He's versatile and fits the description of a combo guard. The Celtics have reportedly considered trading him to further cut their costs for next season amid Jayson Tatum's absence and a staggering payroll.
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They have the second-highest active cap at $205,885,215. The Bucks, who are in a win-now position, can help them shed salary by trading for Simons.
NBA Mock Trade: How Milwaukee Bucks can acquire Anfernee Simons as Giannis Antetokounmpo's new running mate
The Bucks haven't shied away from exhausting their resources to ensure Giannis Antetokounmpo is well-equipped to compete for a championship right away. There's reason to believe they can take it a step further by pursuing Anfernee Simons from their rivals, the Boston Celtics.
It's a reasonable situation for Boston, considering it's not competing next year and its core of Derrick White, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, when healthy, will probably still be better than Milwaukee with Simons, Giannis and Myles Turner.
As for the Bucks, a fair chance to compete now can help them keep Giannis beyond 2027. Here's a mock trade proposal sending Simons to the Bucks, which can help each team achieve its offseason goals:
Bucks get
- Anfernee Simons
Celtics get
- Kyle Anderson
- Gary Harris
- 2031 protected first-round pick
Jazz get
- Kyle Kuzma
- 2026 second-round pick (via Bucks)
The Bucks will need another team to help the Celtics reduce their salary cap. The Jazz can be the third partner in this deal. They have been more than open to taking on bad contracts amid another rebuilding season. The Bucks send the remainder of Kyle Kuzma's two-year contract to Utah, attaching the Jazz's 2026 second-round pick.
Meanwhile, the Celtics save $14.8 million in salary by taking on the remainder of Kyle Anderson and Gary Harris' two-year deals. They would be $7.6 million under the first apron after this trade.
As for the Bucks, they don't entirely lose their future draft capital by making the 2031 pick a swap, allowing the Celtics to select
The trade must be finalized after Oct. 8 to comply with Gary Harris' newly signed player restriction.
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