Milwaukee Bucks Receive: G Zach LaVine
Chicago Bulls Receive: C Brook Lopez, G Donte DiVincenzo, F Jordan Nwora, MIL 2021 1st Round Pick, MIL 2024 2nd Round Pick, MIL 2027 2nd Round Pick
Trading for LaVine would definitely cost the Bucks a lot and while it sounds really good, it could ultimately hurt them depth wise. This would be a decision that Milwaukee’s front office would have to think long and hard about as Brook Lopez has consistently been a great player for them on both ends of the court and DiVincenzo is a young talent that could grow into a great back-court contributor.
Last season in Milwaukee was Lopez’s second season with the organization and he averaged 12.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and shot 43.5% from the floor. With the Bucks, Lopez has had some of the best defensive years of his career and he has turned into one of the better shot-blockers in the league.
He has also improved his game as a three-point shooter and is the anchor for them in the paint. DiVincenzo, on the other hand, is a guy who has stepped up his game a lot this season and looks like he could be on track for a breakout year.
In five games with Milwaukee so far this year, DiVincenzo is averaging 14.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and is shooting 54.2% from the floor and 61.5% from three-point range. The sharpshooting guard from Villanova is in his third year in the league and if the Bucks are trading for LaVine, the Bulls will absolutely want him included in the trade package coming back to Chicago.
The draft capital the Bulls would be getting in return for LaVine is quite nice and while they are getting just one first-round pick, the additions of Lopez and DiVincenzo make up for another. Getting two second-round picks for future years is not bad at all either because those can easily be flipped to add veteran talent near the trade deadline at a further date.
All the draft assets the Bucks would be giving up though could absolutely be detrimental to their future and they would be giving up their chance at building a young core underneath their current core of players. However, it would make Giannis Antetokounmpo a very happy guy.
Let’s take a closer look at why this trade makes sense for both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Chicago Bulls.
