The Milwaukee Bucks are heading into a season without a true star on the roster, which is a strange place for a franchise that has spent the last decade built around one overwhelming interior force. That’s why Greg Swartz’s latest Bleacher Report look at “sneaky” trade candidates landed on Zion Williamson - and why he specifically pointed to Milwaukee as a team that should be paying attention.
“An NBA front office with a three-point shooting center in need of some star power should be calling about Williamson. This list includes teams like the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings, as they can roll the dice on the 26-year-old's talent, especially if he continues to stay in good shape.”
From a basketball fit standpoint, the idea has some real logic to it. The Bucks have long leaned into a formula built around a physical presence who can punish teams inside while being surrounded by perimeter shooting. Williamson would slide into that same blueprint, giving Milwaukee another player who can collapse defenses and create from the paint.
In the aftermath of a hypothetical deal, the Bucks could be looking at Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins, Myles Turner, Kel'el Ware, and AJ Green around Williamson, a group that would give him the spacing to attack downhill or spray the ball out when help arrives. Nobody is trying to sell him as Giannis Antetokounmpo 2.0, but the basic approach would look familiar, and it has worked before.
Of course, the appeal comes with a hefty warning label. Williamson has been one of the NBA’s most overwhelming forces when he’s on the floor, but staying there has been the issue.
Across six NBA seasons, he has appeared in just 276 regular season games, including a full year lost to a foot injury. He did get into 62 matchups in 2025-26, the second-highest total of his career, which at least offers a hint of optimism.
The other hurdle is cost. The New Orleans Pelicans are not going to move the former top pick for a bargain, even with the injury history hanging over him. And given that the Bucks were reluctant to give up major draft capital for Peyton Watson, it stands to reason they would approach Williamson with the same caution.
So for now, this is mostly a thought exercise. Milwaukee seems comfortable with its current roster as the new season approaches.
Still, if the right chance ever came along, a swing at Williamson would fit the moment. With contending looking like a long shot right now, a big bet on a player with this kind of ceiling would at least make sense.
In Other News...
Bucks Hold The Leverage In A Trade Idea Lakers Fans Will Hate
The Lakers are still searching for a forward to plug into their roster after Jonathan Kuminga landed with the Timberwolves, and that has pushed them to keep looking at every possible trade path. One of the more interesting possibilities runs through Milwaukee, where Kyle Kuzma has surfaced as a name to watch if the Bucks decide to make him available.
From Milwaukees side, that kind of deal would not be about simply moving a player and calling it a day. The Bucks would be in position to ask for real value back, which is why the chatter has started to circle around Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and draft picks as part of the framework. For now, it remains only speculative, but the Bucks appear to be in the stronger negotiating spot if the Lakers decide they need to get aggressive. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Draft Night Flier Already Looks Out Of Immediate Plans
Malique Lewis is already taking the long road the Bucks seemed to map out for him on draft night. Milwaukee grabbed the 60th overall pick in a low-cost deal, and Lewis has since signed a two-year contract with the Cairns Taipans in Australia, keeping his development overseas rather than in the Bucks immediate mix. It fits the general profile of a late-second-round flyer for a team looking to stash a project without tying up roster space.
Lewis brief showing in Summer League did little to change that picture, as he put up modest numbers and struggled to make a strong efficiency case for himself. For now, Milwaukee is not counting on him as part of the current roster plans, though the organization has left the door open to revisit his situation down the line if his game takes a step forward abroad. [Read more 🡒]
Bucks Already Have A Myles Turner Problem They Can't Ignore
Myles Turners first season in Milwaukee left the Bucks with more questions than answers. The big man still hit enough threes to matter, but several of the areas the team counted on him for slipped, especially around shot-blocking and rebounding. For a roster trying to balance modern spacing with dependable interior presence, that created an awkward fit the Bucks cant simply paper over.
The bigger issue now is what comes next, because Turners value around the league has not held up the way Milwaukee probably hoped. Teams remain wary of his lack of aggression in the paint and whether his game matches a league that keeps leaning harder into physical play. The Bucks would like to see a stronger second season and possibly some trade flexibility down the road, but for now the market is telling them this is a problem they have to keep managing. [Read more 🡒]