The Milwaukee Bucks are experiencing another frustrating off-season. Since winning the championship in 2021, the Bucks have faced early playoff exits, ending in the first or second round each year. This is far from what fans anticipated following their 2021 title run.
During the 2023-24 season, many speculated that the Bucks would make a significant trade to bolster their defense. It turns out they nearly did.
Grant Williams recently disclosed that he was almost traded to the Milwaukee Bucks before the February 8 trade deadline.
“Charlotte was the best opportunity,” Williams said. “The only other team that probably would have been an option was Milwaukee, but the deal kind of fell through.”
Williams, a forward who played for the Dallas Mavericks at the time, was ultimately traded to the Charlotte Hornets. The move was surprising, considering Dallas had acquired Williams in a three-team trade in July 2023. Although Williams averaged a career-high 26.4 minutes per game with the Mavericks and shot a solid 37.6 percent from three-point range, his stint with Dallas was short-lived. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Williams “rubbed a lot of people the wrong way” within the Mavericks organization, which might have hastened his departure.
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The trade to the Hornets worked out well for Dallas, as they received forward P.J. Washington in return. Washington has been a crucial part of Dallas’ playoff run, averaging 13.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in the postseason and holding the third-best net rating on the roster, according to NBA.com.
The Bucks, meanwhile, could have benefited from Williams’ presence in their frontcourt. Their playoff hopes were dashed by the Indiana Pacers in the first round, especially as superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was sidelined with a calf strain. Adding Williams might have provided the depth needed to avoid another early playoff exit.
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