The Bucks reportedly made Michael Carter-Williams and Greg Monroe available in trades.
Carter-Williams? Milwaukee reportedly told him he wouldn’t be traded before the deadline.
Monroe?
Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today:Milwaukee Bucks forward Greg Monroe won’t be dealt before Thursday’s trade deadline, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation.
Teams have placed calls to the Bucks to see if they can acquire Monroe, who is in his first year with the team. But those conversations didn’t advance, and one person said with emphasis there is zero chance Monroe is traded.
Like with Carter-Williams, this seems like a case of canvassing the market and not finding any satisfactory offers rather than a firm belief in Monroe.
The center has been a sometimes quality, sometimes awkward fit in Milwaukee. His interior scoring and rebounding are valuable, but he has struggled to defend in the Bucks’ aggressive scheme. He also doesn’t shoot 3-pointers to help their poor spacing, but that seems like a problem that could be solved around Monroe. Forwards Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo should improve as shooters, and Milwaukee could eventually find a better-shooting point guard.
The Bucks, 22-32, probably took a bigger step back this year than they anticipated. But they became younger and more talented. There’s something to work with in Milwaukee, including the possibility of trading Monroe and Carter-Williams after the season.