Photo via Twitter / Bucks
Pat Connaughton
The NBA has been full of constant storylines and near-constant drama this season, and that continued in a major way on Thursday, when the league’s trade deadline saw blockbuster moves at the last minute. The biggest of them all, though, was a trade with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers that saw superstar guard James Harden and Paul Millsap head to the 76ers, while Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond are Brooklyn bound. The move frees the Nets of Harden, who was already reportedly not interested in re-signing with the team this offseason, and rids Philadelphia of Simmons, who held out of practices and had a tense relationship with the organization after they were bounced from last season’s Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Bucks also made an important move at the trade deadline, acquiring center Serge Ibaka in a four-team trade involving the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, and Detroit Pistons. In return, the Bucks lose Donte DiVincenzo to Sacramento, who saw limited playing time after returning from an ankle injury. Milwaukee also traded away forward Semi Ojeleye and guard Rodney Hood, who are now on the Clippers. Ibaka, though, provides a physical presence at the center position, filling in a gap for Brook Lopez, who is out indefinitely after undergoing back surgery. Ibaka should be able to free up some rest minutes for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has spent much of this season battling the league’s big men in the paint.
The Brooklyn-Philadelphia trade changes the landscape of the Eastern Conference for the remainder of the season. With the Bucks sitting in fourth place right now, and the 76ers just a half game behind them, an already tight conference race now has even more excitement as the teams will jockey for playoff positions, looking to get the best possible matchup available. All of the teams that the Bucks will face this week have been affected by the NBA trade deadline, and we’ll see the immediate impact of the trades in the games ahead.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
Monday, February 14 vs. Portland (7 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
The Bucks have three games at home this week, and they’ll begin with back-to-back games at Fiserv Forum. First up are the Portland Trailblazers, who broke up their superstar duo of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum in the trade deadline. McCollum, who averaged just over 20 points per game for Portland this year, is now a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. In his place, Portland picked up guards Josh Hart, Tomas Satoransky, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada. Hart is the most significant name of the bunch, coming on strong in recent weeks for New Orleans. Lillard is currently out with an abdominal injury that required surgery, and the Trail Blazers have a very injury-depleted roster as it is. Milwaukee beat Portland just nine days ago, where McCollum was Portland’s second-leading scorer. Expect a repeat performance from the Bucks on Valentine’s Day.
Tuesday, February 15 vs. Indiana (7 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
The second half of the back-to-back games should be much more exciting, with former Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon and the Indiana Pacers coming to town. The Pacers traded away a big piece of their offense in dealing Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Lamb and Justin Holiday to the Sacramento Kings as one of the first big moves of the trade deadline scramble. In exchange, however, they picked up a rising star in Tyrese Haliburton, along with Buddy Hield and Tristan Thompson. Haliburton and Brogdon could become a force to be reckoned with in the backcourt for Indiana, but there will be an adjustment period, with things still feeling green by Tuesday night. It will be interesting to see the new dynamics of the Pacers, who are currently on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference playoffs, take on Milwaukee on Tuesday.
Thursday, February 17 vs. Philadelphia, (7:30 p.m., TNT)
The final game of the week was a big contest before the massive trade last Thursday, but the addition of James Harden makes Thursday night’s game at home against the Philadelphia 76ers a must-see event. Milwaukee and Philadelphia are currently neck and neck in the playoff push coming into the week, but that may change by just a week after the massive trade, with Harden assisting center Joel Embiid, who is having an incredible season as of late. The 76ers also have a strong roster of role-players in forward Tobias Harris and young guard Tyrese Maxey, who can bolster an attack from two of the league’s best offensive players at any given point. Once again, all eyes will be on Milwaukee, with a game that could very well be a preview of this year’s Eastern Conference finals. Don’t miss this one.
