The idea of adding a complementary big man alongside veteran Brook Lopez seems more likely for the Milwaukee Bucks.
However, upgrading from the veteran Lopez while retaining a former Sixth Man of the Year candidate in Bobby Portis is also a possibility. If that’s the route the Bucks choose to take, Sports Illustrated proposed the following three-team deal between Milwaukee, the Indiana Pacers, and the Washington Wizards.
Wizards receive: Jarace Walker, James Wiseman, 2025 second-round pick (via IND), 2029 second-round pick (via IND), 2031 second-round pick (via MIL)
Bucks receive: Jonas Valanciunas and Aaron Nesmith
Pacers receive: Brook Lopez
Valanciunas is the Los Angeles Lakers’ top trade target and has been for several months now. The Wizards don’t have any reason to favor one destination over the other for the 32-year-old, so it simply comes down to the stronger trade package.
“While sending Lopez away would be tough, landing Valanciunas would help soften the blow,” SI’s Matt Levine wrote. “The veteran big man has looked good with the Wizards this season and he could be with this team for the next few years… Adding in Nesmith would be a bonus for a Bucks team that could use some extra depth around the edges.”
Could the Lakers trump a return of a 21-year-old former lottery pick in Walker? It remains to be seen. Wiseman and the second-round picks lack value, but the Pacers forward alone could outweigh anything LA can offer to Washington’s front office.
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