We have ourselves a trade in the NBA! No, it doesn’t involve the Cavs or Carmelo Anthony, but it is a swap involving a pair of teams scrapping for playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Hornets have reportedly worked out a deal that will send Miles Plumlee to the Hornets in exchange for Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst.
Story with @WindhorstESPN: Milwaukee has reached an agreement in principle to trade Miles Plumlee to Charlotte for Roy Hibbert/Spencer Hawes
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 2, 2017
Plumlee has played sparingly for the Bucks after signing a four year, $52 million deal in the offseason. He’s averaging just 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in under 10 minutes of play on average for Milwaukee in 36 appearances. The Hornets will hope that a change of scenery and more consistent playing time can bring out the best in Plumlee, who will have a reserve role behind Cody Zeller in Charlotte.
The Bucks will add some depth in the frontcourt with Hawes and Hibbert, both of whom have been playing between 16 and 18 minutes per game for Charlotte. Milwaukee will reportedly release Steve Novak to make room for the pair of big men.
Milwaukee will release Steve Novak to clear roster spot to absorb Hawes and Hibbert in Plumlee trade, league sources tell @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 2, 2017
Spencer Hawes seems to be looking forward to his new team, especially his new point guard.
.@matthewdelly sup m8
— Spence Needle (@spencerhawes00) February 2, 2017
It’s not a blockbuster move by any stretch, but it’s a reshuffling of cards in the middle of the Eastern Conference’s playoff race. The Hornets currently occupy the eighth seed in the East, one game ahead of the Bucks in 10th, and both seem to feel that a change was needed to try and get something going.
The Bucks give up the most in terms of upside, but also take on a pair of known commodities and shed salary for the future, as Hibbert will be a free agent next year and Hawes has a player option worth just over $6 million for 2017-18. The Hornets get a younger, more athletic player that Steve Clifford can try and mold into a quality defensive player.
