Bucks News: Milwaukee Considering Trade to Open Roster Space for 2021 Champ

Could a beloved locker room presence make his return to the Bucks this year?

Oct 11, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; A view of the Milwaukee Bucks logo during the game between the Mavericks and the Bucks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are apparently interested in trading away third-year small forward MarJon Beauchamp, with an eye on potentially re-signing former 2021 deep-bench role player Thanasis Antetokounmpo, reports Keith Smith of Sportac.

The strangest element of this news is that the Bucks are looking to offload an intriguing young possible 3-and-D wing in the service of signing a player who is slated to miss the season.

Antetokounmpo, older brother of All-NBA superstar Milwaukee power forward Giannis, was apparently a beloved locker room presence for the club. But he's set to sit out the entire 2024-25 season while he recuperates from a torn Achilles tendon, and ultimately he'd be filling a non-rotation spot on the Bucks' bench.

The elder Antetokounmpo's appeal as a locker room presence sounds valid, but filling a roster spot with someone who's unlikely to play at all seems dangerous, especially for a club with an aging core and little margin for error in a crowded Eastern Conference. The 32-year-old underwent surgery for the Achilles tear in May. He had been on a one-year, minimum deal with the Bucks, and remains a free agent.

Following a one-year stint with G League club the Delaware 87ers (now the Delaware Blue Coats), the Philadelphia 76ers' affiliate, Antetokounmpo was selected with the No. 51 overall pick in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft. He spent most of his first two seasons with New York's NBAGL affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, aside from a 10-day contract with New York proper in February 2016.

He headed abroad for the next few seasons, suiting up for teams in Spain and his native Greece before signing on with the Bucks ahead of the 2019-20 season. Across 196 regular season contests with the Bucks (11 starts), plus two games with the Knicks, the combo forward posted averages of 2.4 points on 50.9 percent shooting from the floor and 52.9 percent shooting from the charity stripe, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per bout. He was never quite a rotation piece for the Bucks during their championship playoff run, averaging 3.5 minutes across 13 games during the spring of 2021.

Beauchamp, however, has some upside, so the fact that he might be on the chopping block is a relative red flag for the team's front office. The 6-foot-6 small forward is averaging 4.7 points on .433/.355/.708 shooting splits, 2.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists through his 101 regular season bouts with the Bucks (12 starts).

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