The Milwaukee Bucks will be looking to improve upon its 26-56 record. Center Andrew Bogut has improved every season and Michael Redd continues to be a top-notch scorer. Yi Jianlian showed a lot of promise his rookie and Point Guard Mo Williams is coming off his best season yet. The Bucks certainly have talent, but need to fill in some holes.
For starters, Charlie Villanueva and Yi Jianlian are very similar types of players. The team could really use a banger/bruiser to complement Bogut in the middle. In addition, Williams isn't a pass-first point guard and often prefers scoring to running the offense.
What Milwaukee really needs is another star calibar player to take some of the burden off of Redd. With Bogut's passing ability and agility, they might consider running more offensive plays for him in the post next season.
Free Agent Watch
The Bucks certainly have cash to spend. Many of their players are already locked up for at least a few years and they had just the 23rd highest payroll in the league last season. However, Milwaukee's never been known as a major attraction site for free agents to venture to, being as it's so small a market. If they are able to nab a free agent or two, they might consider a more physical power forward, a more versatile small forward or a pass-first point guard.
2008 NBA Draft
Had Oklahoma's Blake Griffin entered the Draft, he might be a good candidate for the Bucks with the eighth overall pick. That is, of course, if he slipped that far. The Bucks' main options at power forwad will be Kevin Love, Anthony Randolph or DeAndre Jordan. Love could be a good fit. Though, if they're looking for more of a run-and-gun style, he might not fit the bill. Randolph has tremendous upside, but right now his game reflects that of Villanueva and Yi Jianlian. The other options for the Bucks would be to draft a point guard, like D.J. Augustin or Russell Westbrook, or a versatile small forward, as in the young Italien sensation, Danilo Gallinari.
Trade Opportunities
No matter what happens, Charlie Villaneuva is probably on his way out. He's kind of a tweener between the forward spots and they'll want to give his minutes to develop Yi Jianlian. One feasible trade confirmed by RealGM.com's Trade Checker has the Bucks sending Villanueva and Forward/Guard Desmond Mason to the Memphis Grizzlies for Forward Hakim Warrick, Point Guard Kyle Lowry and Forward Brian Cardinal. Of course, that would assume they'd be willing to take on Cardinal's contract. He's been injured the last few years and his $6 million contract doesn't expire until 2010, but the deal would give them a young, athletic small forward who can play in the post, as well as a an up-and-coming point guard who's shown flashes of brilliance.
There is one trade rumor floating about. The Golden State Warriors apparently still want Yi Jianlian pretty badly and are willing to offer Forward Brandan Wright along with the 14th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft. Yi was drafted by the Bucks with the 6th pick in 2007, while Wright was picked 8th by the Charlotte Bobcats before being traded to Golden State for Jason Richardson. This trade would give Milwaukee an athletic prospect forward who may not be as versatile or skilled as Yi, but has tremendous upside nevertheless. It would also give them a top-15 draft pick in the 2008 Draft, which they might be able to use to select a young center like JaVale McGee, a point guard like Ty Lawson or a talented small forward like Donte Greene.
Milwaukee certainly has pieces to make a playoff run, but they have to continue to focus on developing Andrew Bogut and they have to fill in some holes. Bogut's development will be key to their success. He's a lot better than many give him credit for.
