Getty LeBron James (right) and the Lakers could face a much stiffer test in Giannis Antetokounmpo (left) and the Milwaukee Bucks.
For the Bucks, Monday was a night for power moves, transactions that could very well seal their position at the top of the Eastern Conference for years to come—if, that is, they get a certain MVP’s signature on a supermax contract. Milwaukee came away with two trade-market prizes, bringing in Jrue Holiday from the Pelicans and Bogdan Bogdanovic from the Kings, remaking their backcourt and reasserting themselves as the team to beat in the East and maybe even the team to beat in the NBA overall.
Putting those two players in a lineup with Giannis Antetokounmpo, without losing forward Khris Middleton or center Brook Lopez, could very well deal a different kind of blow to teams like the Lakers and the Miami Heat because those moves should be enough to persuade Antetokounmpo to stay in Milwaukee on a supermax contract, thwarting plans of teams that had been taking aim at Antetokounmpo on the 2021 free-agent market.
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Bucks GM Jon Horst has reshaped his roster late Monday night, acquiring Jrue Holiday and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Giannis wanted to see some significant upgrades and it appears the franchise has delivered for him. Huge night for that franchise. Kings get Divincenzo, a real asset.
That was very much on the Lakers’ backburner. Same with the Heat, the team that walloped the Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals and the Lakers’ foe in the NBA Finals. Antetokounmpo could soon be wrapped up with a new deal to stay in Milwaukee.
Lakers May Need to Do More to Keep Pace With Bucks
On the floor, the moves by Milwaukee put immediate pressure on the Lakers.
The expected matchup with Milwaukee in the NBA Finals did not come to fruition last year because of the Heat’s upset of the East favorites, the fourth straight year the Bucks have been in the postseason and walked away disappointed. Milwaukee won a league-best 56 games and was the top overall seed last season.
But two weak points for Milwaukee were Eric Bledsoe at point guard and Wesley Matthews at shooting guard. The Holiday-Bogdanovic combo is a major upgrade, two versatile players who can handle the ball, shoot and defend.
Whatever Bucks ownership promised Giannis in their postseason meeting … I think they exceeded it.
Swinging trades for a two-way force like Jrue Holiday and a marksman of Bogdan Bogdanovic’s caliber before we even get to the draft is league-shaking work from Jon Horst and Co.
The Lakers pulled off the first major transaction of the offseason on Sunday, agreeing to a trade that would send away Danny Green to Oklahoma City, with the team’s draft pick, for Thunder supersub guard Dennis Schroder.
That addressed a need for L.A. as it seeks to defend its championship. But it does not match Milwaukee’s big moves. The Lakers may need to do more.
Milwaukee Bucks Still Have Poor Playoff History
In the end, the Bucks still will have much to prove in the postseason. Coach Mike Budholzer took heavy criticism last year (and the previous year) for being inflexible with his lineups and slow to make adjustments in the playoffs. That issue will come under more scrutiny should the Bucks become the powerhouse they now appear to be.
Still, in the proposed deal for Holiday (which can become official at the end of the week), Milwaukee gave up only Bledsoe and George Hill, plus a major haul of three first-round draft picks. The Bucks lost only Donte DiVincenzo, plus back-of-the-rotation players Ersan Ilyasova and D.J. Wilson for Bogdanovic.
It was a good night for Milwaukee, especially if a new contract with Antetokounmpo follows shortly thereafter, as expected. But in other locales—Boston and L.A. specifically—the pressure is on.
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