Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Milwaukee Bucks
Now in his ninth season in the NBA, Evan Fournier has turned himself into a high-volume and very reliable sharpshooter on the wing. For his career, Fournier is shooting 37.5% from three-point range and has been one of the Magic’s “go-to” options on the offensive end of the court over the years.
Given the Magic’s lack of success though and the fact that he is in the final year of his contract, Fournier is an interesting name that has come up in trade rumors recently. Milwaukee is one of the better overall offensive teams in the entire league and with the addition of Fournier, they could become even more lethal.
The goal of the Bucks this offseason was to go out and try to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with as many scorers and shooters in the back-court and on the wing as possible in order to turn this team into a true championship contender.
They did so by adding key role players like Bryn Forbes and D.J. Augustin, but most importantly, Jrue Holiday. The Bucks’ top three guys this year are Giannis, Middleton, and Holiday, but they are missing that fourth key scoring option that they can lean on for production.
As mentioned before, Milwaukee has really struggled with Holiday out and when Middleton is not playing well, everything falls on Giannis’ shoulders once again.
This is the one thing the Bucks do not want happening, which is why trading for Fournier makes a lot of sense. Maybe giving up Lopez and two first-round picks is a lot for a guy in the final year of his contract, but both Evan Fournier and Khem Birch could join the Bucks and make huge impacts.
Getting rid of Lopez really is not that big of a loss, especially when the Bucks would be getting Birch in return, who is more than capable of being a solid rebounder and physical defender in the paint for Milwaukee. The only significant loss in this trade for the Bucks is the fact that they would have no first-round picks to their name until 2028, which could definitely be concerning if this team cannot make the NBA Finals.
Overall, the Bucks need that extra spark in their lineup and while they have some great role players in Donte DiVincenzo, Forbes, and Augustin, it is simply not enough for them to beat the best of the best in this league. For this reason alone, the Bucks should try to go out and pursue a guy like Fournier who can take a lot of pressure off of Antetokounmpo and Middleton on offense.
