The Bucks took strides to improve their hoped-for playoff readiness in trading for a package headlined by defensive ace P.J. Tucker. Jonathan Tjarks of The Ringer posits that the Bucks should remain aggressive in looking to shore up their depth with further trades and potential buyout targets.
Tjarks wonders if Tucker, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer at age 36, can help compel Milwaukee to pivot to a more aggressive defensive approach. Tjarks hopes that the Bucks will be similarly aggressive off the court as well, in looking to add perimeter help as they continue to rethink their bench.
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- After playing in his 19th game of the season yesterday, Bulls power forward Lauri Markkanen has achieved the starter criteria in his rookie contract, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. His qualifying offer for the summer of 2021 will now be worth $9.03MM instead of $7.03MM. In the two seasons leading up to Markkanen’s restricted free agency, he needed to start at least half of his games with Chicago to qualify. Markkanen started in all 50 games he was available for during the 2019/20 season, and has started in all 19 games he has played thus far this season.
- After 21 years with the Pacers, advance scout Jimmy Powell has retired, per Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files. Powell has been replaced by former Celtics scout Gary Schmidt.
- Pistons rookie point guard Saben Lee has been methodical in approaching his development during the 21-year-old’s first NBA season, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News. “With the tortoise and the hare, the process was faster for the rabbit and everyone thought the rabbit was going to win,” Lee told Beard. “The turtle just kept his head on the end goal — and he messed around and won… That’s my mindset and how I feel like my process has been.” Lee has appeared in 19 games with Detroit, averaging 15.2 MPG thus far.
Saban Lee’s philosophy has taken him farther than mine has, but, it was the rabbit that messed around.
Milwaukee thinks Tucker will make them more aggressive. There’s a lot of presumably available bigs who could do that and aren’t running out of gas. Paul Reed.
Which bigs are available who are able to guard wings like KD, LeBron and Kawhi?
The Bucks already have Lopez, Portis and Giannis (small ball lineups) to play center. They needed someone who can guard these wings and allow Giannis and Middleton to focus more energy on the offensive side of the ball.
Good point. But I was right about the rabbit.
Good for Lee to get the time and opportunity to play considering Hayes has been out, but I expect to see Hayes come back full strong.
If they extend Markkanen, 4 or 5 years starting in the 15M range and escalating is probably fair. He is basically Gallinari. Who got 3/61M and previously was 3/64M.
Maybe but he doesn’t fit the roster
IMO it would be reasonable if the Bulls could somehow sign Markkanen for say $55 to $60 million for four years. Markkanen is much taller and more athletic than Gallinari. Markkanen is only 23 years old and is now a veteran not a young player.