These Aren't Your Pre-Covid Milwaukee Bucks!

 When the National Basketball Association starts up in December, fans of the Milwaukee Bucks are really going to need a program.

This week, as the NBA went into the trade season (prior to tonight's draft), the Bucks were moving players left and right.

Gone are Eric Bledsoe, Donte DiVencenzo, George Hill, Ersan Illysaova and D.J. Wilson via trade. Out the door as a free agent is Wes Matthews (though he could come back on a team-friendly deal). Also exiting will be Kyle Korvar and Robin Lopez. 

That's eight members of the club that were on last fall's training camp roster. Of all of them, I think only DiVencenzo will truly be missed, as he was a young player showing promise. Bledsoe was a decent point guard but tended to disappear during crunch time.

So, what do the Bucks have coming in? 

• Point guard Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans (for players, three first round draft picks -- 2020, 2025 and 2027 -- as well as swapping first round spots in 2024 and 2026). Let's face it, if Milwaukee camps in the playoffs and wins a title, those first round picks are deep in the round, and not as important as those in the NFL. Holiday is a leader, a good scorer and a top-notch defender. A GREAT replacement for Bledsoe.
• Shooting guard/forward Bodgan Bogdanovic, a third-year pro, is a good, solid player. But the trade can't be finalized until Sunday because he's a restricted free agent, so the deal will be a sign-and-trade. UNFORTUNATELY, a day after writing this, the trade has apparently fallen apart. Stay tuned...

It's pretty clear that ownership is pushing all the chips to the center of the table in Milwaukee, loading up with quality to prove to superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo that the franchise is serious about winning. The Greek Freak is coming off a second straight MVP season, but only has one year left on his contract.

With luck, the Bucks will get Giannis to sign a supermax contract, a deal worth $228 million that would keep him in Milwaukee until 2026.

That's a lot of money, but when you want to bag a trophy Buck, you have to make some moves.

After all, doesn't the state's gun deer season start this weekend? Perfect timing for Milwaukee ownership.