Bucks Among Leading Contenders to Acquire Former Defensive Player of the Year Finalist

Jeremy Hanna | Dec 11, 2024

Nov 5, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Herb Jones (5) dunks against the New Orleans Pelicans in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Larry Robinson-Imagn Images / Larry Robinson-Imagn Images

After a rough start, the Milwaukee Bucks have shown new life as the season has gone on.

Currently, the Bucks boast a 13-11 record, winning nine of their last 11games. This has firmly put them in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

While this is certainly exciting for fans of the franchise, there are still places where Milwaukee can improve.

Most notably, the Bucks can use help on defense. While their interior defense is one of the best in the league, the team still needs help on the perimeter.

Fortunately, it looks like there is an excellent option that's reportedly on the trade market. And the Bucks have decent odds to land him.

According to Bovada (per NBACentral), Milwaukee has +450 odds to land New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones in a potential trade.

Jones is one of the best defensive players in the NBA, currently averaging 3.4 total rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Additionally, he is averaging 10.7 points and two assists.

This is reflective of Jones' last season, where he came fifth in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team.

This is reflective of his time in college, where Jones was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team twice (2020, 2021), SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2021), and SEC Player of the Year (2021).

Needless to say, Jones would be a great addition to the Bucks. Milwaukee is in the Top 10 for most defensive statistics except for three-point defense. Jones would be the perfect player to give the Bucks the perimeter boost they need.

While there's no way Jones would take Giannis Antetokounmpo's position at power forward, he would be a perfect fit at small forward over Taurean Prince.

While Prince boasts the highest three-point percentage in the NBA (53.6 percent), his other statistics don't quite match what the team needs right now. He is currently averaging 7.9 points, 4.2 total rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.8 steals.

With Damian Lillard and Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee has more than enough scoring power. Lillard is averaging 25.8 points per game and Antetokounmpo is leading the league with 32.7 points per game.

Where the Bucks need help is guarding that perimeter. And the best solution for that is easily Jones. If he does wind up on the trade market, Milwaukee should make a move.

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