There’s no question that the Milwaukee Bucks loom as one of the biggest threats in the Eastern Conference to the Celtics for the foreseeable future. However, some ill-advised contracts given out over the past few offseasons had put somewhat of a ceiling on their ability to add more key pieces around MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo for the next couple of summers. With Khris Middleton looming as a max contract candidate this summer and other key role players (Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez) hitting the open market as well, it was going to be financially challenging for the Bucks front office to even retain their current core and keep pace with the Sixers, Celtics and Raptors from a talent standpoint.
Milwaukee took a major positive step in achieving that goal on Friday though when they found a taker for a pair of overpriced veterans as part of a three-team swap. The Bucks sent seldom-used Matthew Dellavedova and an injured John Henson to the Cavs, along with a protected first-round pick and a second-round selection in exchange for point guard George Hill. In a separate part of the deal, the Cavs and Wizards also swapped forwards (Sam Dekker for Jason Smith) and second-round picks.
The ramifications of this deal reach far beyond an upgrade on the floor this year for Milwaukee, but we’ll start there from a Celtics standpoint. Boston fans are very familiar with the work of Hill after seeing him for seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals last year. He was an inconsistent piece at best for the Cavs in a starting role last year, but he’s a very big upgrade over Dellavedova even at age 32.
It also appears Hill has something left in the tank after being handed more of a featured role this year in Cleveland’s offense following the departure of LeBron James. Hill is averaging 14.7 ppg and is shooting a career-high 51 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range. That type of accuracy makes him an ideal running mate to spread the floor around Antetokounmpo and Middleton and is a more reliable defensive player than Bledsoe. Mike Budenholtzer coached Hill as a Spurs assistant back before the guard was traded for Kawhi Leonard, so there’s a sense of familiarity there that should provide value for the Bucks. They add a good piece without taking away anything from their current rotation since Dellavedova wasn’t playing much and Henson is out until March after undergoing wrist surgery.
Is Hill the piece that will put the Bucks over the top in the East? Absolutely not, but it puts them firmly above the Sixers in the East power rankings right now and not too far behind Toronto/Boston. Hill is a more reliable shooter than Bledsoe and that will make the Bucks offense that much tougher to defend in the postseason when Antetokounmpo is working his drive and kick game.
While the in-season impact of the deal is notable, the bigger concern about this deal for C’s fans should come due to the long-term implications.
Henson and Dellavedova are scheduled to make a combined $21 million for the 2019-20 season and that would have made up roughly 25 percent of the guaranteed money on the Bucks payroll heading into next season. By flipping those contracts for Hill, they wipe all of those obligations away and are left taking back just $1 million in guaranteed money from Hill’s contract for 2019-20. The 32-year-old is scheduled to make $18 million next season but only one million is guaranteed, which will allow Milwaukee to waive him before July 1st and pocket those savings.
- I hope Fred Hoiberg got a bit of a laugh on Saturday night upon watching his former team get handed their worst loss in franchise history just three games after he was fired. Hoiberg wasn’t a great NBA coach but he probably deserved a little more time with this group after having so many key rotation pieces missed the first 20-plus games of the year. New head coach Jim Boylen is an old school guy that demands effort but it’s going to be just as challenging for him to pull anything more than 25 wins out of this mismatched young roster.
- Kevin Love is aiming for a return to the court in mid-January after undergoing foot surgery last month. If he proves he’s healthy over that span, it will be interesting whether Cavs try shopping him ahead of the deadline or if his new pricy extension (four years/$80 million) will keep suitors away.
- Look for the rumor mill to heat up plenty in the next week. December 15th is the first day that free agents signed during the summer can be traded. A lot of teams are also trying to complete deals now (like the Cavs) in order to have the option to repackage players ahead of the trade deadline (need 60 days to move a player again when it’s not a one-for-one deal).
- Tough break for the Nuggets, who currently reside in the second spot in the Western Conference, after losing Paul Millsap to a broken toe on Friday night. He’s expected to miss several weeks, which will test the Denver roster as Gary Harris (hip) and Will Barton (knee) also remain sidelined for the next month with injuries.
- I’d expect one of the first players traded on December 15th to be Carmelo Anthony. The Rockets could use the roster spot and Daryl Morey likely feels obligated to give him an opportunity after banishing him from the day last month after just 10 games. It’s evident right now that the small forward was not the main problem for a Rockets team that’s still floundering under .500 a quarter of the way through the season.