The Milwaukee Bucks have won six of their last seven games entering Sunday night's clash with the sputtering, injury-riddled Philadelphia 76ers. As the midway point of the season looms, the Bucks sit just 2.5 games back of the third-ranked New York Knicks.
Impressively, this feat was accomplished after a two-win, eight-loss start to their campaign.
A marginal trade could be on the horizon as the Feb. 6 trade deadline is less than three weeks away. Urgency will soon begin to seep into front offices across the league, leading to trades. The deadline encourages the league's procrastinating decision-makers to work through deals before that avenue of player acquisition is closed for the season.
Despite the second apron's financial restrictions, the Bucks could still make a marginal trade that resembles the following proposal:
Bucks receive: Georges Niang
Cavaliers receive: Pat Connaughton, 2031 second-round pick
Depending on the availability of his teammates, Connaughton has been in and out of the rotation as needed. The veteran wing would provide Cleveland with wing depth because their roster consists almost entirely of guards and centers. Connaughton would slot in behind Max Strus and Isaac Okoro, but shouldn't block opportunities for first-round pick Jaylon Tyson and second-year undrafted gem Craig Porter. Connaughton doesn't hold much of an impact when his shots aren't falling--this season, he is shooting just 28.8 percent from three.
Niang and Rivers overlapped for two years in Philly, so gaining the trust of the stubborn Rivers should not be a problem. In each of his two seasons playing under Rivers as a member of the Sixers, Niang shot over 40 percent from three on about five attempts per game. While immobile and relatively one-dimensional, the veteran stretch four would provide the surprisingly mediocre Bucks offense with a reliable shooter--just don't expect much else from the 31-year old.
The Cavaliers should probably not tinker with their roster too much before the deadline as they have only lost six games all season. Also, superstar Donovan Mitchell and Niang have known each other since high school as they played at rival prep schools in New Hampshire. So, Cleveland parting ways with a friend of their best player doesn't seem like an ideal decision. However, the spacing Niang would provide the Bucks' offense would help unlock the strangely average unit.
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