A few months ago, the Milwaukee Bucks had a straightforward need and a simple answer: Nick Richards. Instead, they took a different route, and that decision is looking better by the day.
What the Bucks ended up with was Ousmane Dieng, a young forward with real upside, while Richards is still sitting in free agency as August begins. That alone tilts the trade in Milwaukee’s favor. Richards would have filled a hole as a big man, sure, but Dieng gave the Bucks something far more intriguing than a short-term stopgap.
The move made people raise an eyebrow at the time. Dieng was still just 2 years into his career and had already been the 11th overall pick not long before.
Compared with a 28-year-old reserve center, it was a swing for something bigger. And for Milwaukee, it paid off quickly.
Dieng delivered the best numbers of his career in his brief Bucks stint and took advantage of the opportunity in front of him. Richards, meanwhile, was a solid piece for the undersized Bulls rotation, but that doesn’t change the basic math here: Dieng was the better return, and Milwaukee now has him locked in.
The Bucks backed that up this summer by re-signing Dieng to a three-year deal worth $17.5 million. He should have a real role in the rotation next season, whether that’s as a starter or off the bench. If he keeps building on how he finished last year, that contract could end up looking like a bargain, especially with a player development-heavy coach like Taylor Jenkins in place.
Richards, on the other hand, is still waiting for his next landing spot. A team could absolutely bring him in for training camp to add depth, but the fact that he remains unsigned more than a month after free agency opened says plenty.
This won’t go down as some franchise-altering blockbuster, but it does look like a smart win for a Bucks team that has had its share of misses. And the best part for Milwaukee is how little it cost: Cole Anthony and Amir Coffey, both out of the rotation at the time, were the only pieces moved.
Nice work, Bucks.
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