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Bucks Lose Out on Prime Trade Target to Lakers Ahead of Deadline

Matt Levine

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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The Milwaukee Bucks have been expected to be one of the more active teams ahead of the NBA trade deadline. They have been connected to a few players but one of the more linked ones was Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith.

However, the dream of Finney-Smith coming to Milwaukee is now over. According to NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN, Finney-Smith was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The price wasn't bad for a player like Finney=Smith but in all reality, the Bucks probably couldn't compete. Milwaukee doesn't have very much draft capital to work with so any deal would have likely required them to move the only first-round pick that they have.

The Bucks have battled back to put themselves into a great spot within the standings and they are finally playing like contenders. While the team has lost two games in a row, Milwaukee has dealt with all sorts of injuries and it has detailed their progress.

Star guard Damian Lillard missed a few games both due to a calf injury and an illness. The veteran provided an update on his injury following his return against the Chicago Bulls.

“It was a mild strain to begin with,” Lillard said. “I did it against Atlanta in Vegas. It happened against Atlanta. I just tweaked it in the championship game to where it was like I’m going to miss — depending on when our next one is and how I feel — I’m going to miss that one and the one after that.

“But we got on that. We had been on top of that right away, so even when I tried to get back on the court, it was like a little bit tight because I hadn’t been moving, but it was alright. I didn’t have no issues.”

For the Bucks to do anything of substance this season, health will be the biggest factor. Like any team in the NBA, Milwaukee needs their two stars to be on the floor when the games matter the most.

Losing out on Finney-Smith is rough but the Bucks can pivot elsewhere on the trade market. This team has the tools to win it all but needs an additional push to get them over the hump.

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

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