Bucks May Shop Ellis, Jennings, Gooden

The Bucks just made a major trade at the deadline to acquire Monta Ellis, and they may not be done dealing, according to a Western Conference executive who talked to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld.

The unnamed exec characterizes the Bucks as being in a "win now" situation, and if they fall short of expectations (likely by missing the playoffs), GM John Hammond will look to deal Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings or Drew Gooden this summer.

They're the three players with the highest scoring averages on the team this year, and Raskin identifies all of them as tradeable assets. Only Ellis, who makes $11MM a year through 2013/14, earns more than $10MM annually, and he plays shooting guard, where talent is at a premium right now, Raskin notes. Gooden, 30, is the oldest of the bunch but is putting up a career-high 14.5 PPG.

This could be wishful thinking by a front-office type who'd like to see those guys on the market. I think it would be premature to drastically alter the team when they'd have less than two months to show what they can do together. Milwaukee has never been a destination for top free agents, and with young assets on generally favorable contracts, Hammond might be wise to demonstrate a little patience here. 

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