The Milwaukee Bucks are on the verge of the biggest offseason in franchise history. The team is going to put a supermax contract in front of Giannis Antetokounmpo the second they’re allowed to do so, and though he’s made clear he doesn’t plan on requesting a trade under any circumstance, it’s unclear if he would put pen to paper on that deal.
There is still a ton that the Bucks would need to do beyond that, as is the case for any team with title aspirations that lost in five games in the conference semifinals. One potential course of action is to hit the trade market, and according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, this might mean needing the part ways with backcourt stalwart Eric Bledsoe.
Rival executives expect the Bucks to prioritize acquiring a playmaker and more shooting in the offseason to retool the roster around Antetokounmpo. Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe is under contract for multiple seasons and had another standout season by earning All-Defensive team honors, but he is expected to become a potential trade candidate, sources told The Athletic.
Bledsoe has been in Milwaukee since 2017. One of the best defensive guards in the league, Bledsoe has established a less-than-stellar reputation for struggling when the Bucks make it to the postseason — this year, he averaged 11.7 points and 5.9 assists in 29.7 minutes per game in the playoffs while connecting on 38.8 percent of his field goal attempts. What he does defensively is a big reason why Milwaukee has won a bunch of games last year, but his limitations on the other end of the floor (particularly as a shooter) make him an imperfect fit next to Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks have been mentioned as a team that might try to make a move for Chris Paul, which would seemingly require moving on from Bledsoe to make room. But even if that does not come to fruition, it would make sense that someone would want to bring Bledsoe on board, as he is a pretty good player. What Milwaukee would be able to get in return, of course, remains to be seen.
