Fourth-year swingman Donte DiVincenzo has generated “considerable” trade interest from teams around the NBA this season, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. However, the Bucks don’t intend to move DiVincenzo unless they can get back a good young player or a veteran who will help them win this season, per Scotto.
Last fall, when DiVincenzo and Grayson Allen were both eligible for rookie scale extensions, Allen signed a new contract with the Bucks and DiVincenzo didn’t. That made some people around the league wonder if Milwaukee was choosing Allen over DiVincenzo, but that wasn’t the case, according to Scotto, who says the team tried to extend both players and still has interest in re-signing DiVincenzo as a restricted free agent this summer.
Here’s more on the NBA’s defending champions:
- The Bucks are interested in adding a backup center to their roster, either on the trade market or via a buyout signing, Scotto confirms. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report previously named Jalen Smith and Daniel Theis as a couple possibilities for Milwaukee.
- Some rival executives are curious to see whether the Bucks will look to acquire a wing defender who can play a role similar to the one P.J. Tucker did on last season’s title squad, according to Scotto. The club may have hoped that offseason signee Semi Ojeleye would be able to fill that hole, but he got off to a poor start and hasn’t been part of the regular rotation since November.
- In case you missed it, DiVincenzo recently told The Athletic that he’s not concerned about being mentioned in trade rumors or about his looming free agency.
Wait, didn’t the Bucks just give up DeMarcus Cousins because they couldn’t pay him a minimal salary? Exactly what backup center do they want?
No, they gave him up because they wanted an open roster spot.
And he was actually terrible, despite the appearance of gaudy PER numbers. He was truly bad for 7 games, and was equally bad in 3 of the last 10 he played. He was only decent in 7 games, but he looked so bad doing it, stumbling and barely able to shove up shots that somehow dropped (that he used to thunder dunk). He could barely move and needs a walker and was no help at the rim–Bucks D was worst in the league with him on the floor–or able to switch and cover in the drop scheme.
They could afford him. They knew he was done and he’s proving that on a mediocre Denver squad wracked with injuries, barely able to get minutes and terrible when he does.
Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo and Brunson are college championships
2nd rounder Brunson is now far better than 17th pick DiVincenzo.
76ers sent Mikal Bridges to Suns for free in 2018.
IMO, Bridges has more trade value than Simmons now.
Donte was top 5 in D Rating in 2020. He’s top 15% at his position in rebounding percentage. He’s a FAR better defender than the guys you mention (Brunson is still a TERRIBLE player).
It’s not like the 17th is a high pick. Only 38 guys make the league each year, and only 6-8 become stars or very good (most from the lottery, though half the lottery end up busts or role players, while about 2 2nd rounders surprise each year on average).
Anything outside the lotto is a bonus.
Donte has been very good with the Bucks and fits the system.
He’s coming off a horrific injury that makes a player tentative and has only played 14 games this year.
His only problem is he hasn’t got his legs under him yet and isn’t shooting great.
He will. He’s going nowhere.
And while the other two ALSO have National Championships, NEITHER has the far more glitzy NBA ring.
Donte does.
(and Simmons is the best player not playing, the best PG defender in the league by far, and his career average stats, including eFG% are better than Jrue this year in his career year)
(Bridges wasn’t free. He was traded for a player thought to be by many the best in that draft and a potential generational talent)
Donte isn’t going anywhere and the Bucks don’t need a stiff like Theis or an underachiever like Smith.
They’re fine.
You might be right about Smith and Theis, but the Bucks interior defense is far from “OK”. They need at least one more player that can alter a shot in the paint, besides Giannis. There is an abysmal shortage of those players available.
I wouldn’t mind if they went for Dedmon. He can shoot alittle, screen and defend.
Their record over the previous couple weeks or so would suggest they’re not fine.
A team’s record in the middle of the dog days of a FAR too long NBA season is meaningless.
The Bucks had the best record in the league for 2 years in a row and couldn’t get past the second round.
Last year they were 3rd in their conference and 8th in the league (barely top 25%).
They will be fine once the play offs begin.
The teams that won’t be fine are the pretenders that currently have the best records in the league and also have among the best benches (GS and PHO). If your bench is integral to your success, you are a pretender, because when the play offs begin, it’s all about the 5 starters and 3 other guys who play 12 minutes a game (NOT 4-5 guys who are playing 20 a game).
NO team in the West has a chance against ANY of the top 5 teams in the East. Bucks might be better served with a 3-5 seed, allowing a couple of good teams to knock each other off. Heat and Sixers are the only teams that can compete with the Bucks in reality, and the Bulls are complete frauds because Derozan gets 7 phantom foul calls a game that he won’t get in the play offs.
This is the time of year the Bucks are figuring out rotations and adjustments for other team’s styles, which is why a blow out loss to a bad Denver team doesn’t matter.
They’ll probably win 25 of their last 30.