With Tyronn Lue in, is Mo Williams out?
A busy summer for the Bucks and new General Manager John Hammond is continuing on with the signing on point guard, Tyronn Lue. Lue is a 10-year veteran and should serve as a useful bench player for new coach Scott Skiles. It is believed to be a one-year deal worth between $2 and $2.5 million.
The Bucks were able to outbid the Phoenix Suns who wanted Lue to backup Steve Nash.
The Lue signing signals to me that a Mo Williams trade might be in the works. I’ll take a look at possible destinations for Mo later today, but let’s focus on the Bucks right now. Ramon Sessions should team with Michael Redd in the backcourt with Lue and Charlie Bell coming off the bench.
Lue also brings another veteran presence with playoff and Finals experience. He played with the Lakers in 2001. He played last season with Atlanta and Dallas. He was on Sacramento’s roster but never saw any action for the Kings.
This is another good move by GM Hammond. The roster is starting to take shape. One more move (trading Mo Williams) should make the Bucks a threat in the Eastern Conference this season.
Wisconsin’s red-headed step child
The state of Wisconsin has been the center of the sports world the past week. The Brewers made the biggest acquisition available before the trade deadline by acquiring CC Sabathia and the Packers are in constant discussion over whether or not they should welcome back Brett Favre.
While all this has been going down, GM John Hammond has been transforming the Milwaukee Bucks from perennial laughing stock to a real threat in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. Hammond served as Joe Dumars assistant in Detroit so he knows how to build a winner.
Hammond was hired after Larry Harris was fired and immediately began to clean house. Head coach Larry Krystkowiak was fired and replaced by Scott Skiles. Hammond made his biggest splash when he traded Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons to the Nets for Richard Jefferson. Jefferson addressed Hammond’s biggest concern going into the off-season: small forward. The move also got rid of Bobby Simmons’ horrible contract. The same day that the Bucks acquired Jefferson, they drafted Joe Alexander in the draft. Alexander is a versatile and athletic player who can play either the small or power forward positions. Finally, news is out today that the Bucks have signed Andrew Bogut to a long-term extension.
Hammond is surrounding Michael Redd with the most talent of his career. Redd needs to build off of last season when he became a much better all-around player. Redd and Jefferson give the Bucks a great 1-2 punch and with Bogut improving on the defensive end, the Bucks should be a much improved defensive team.
The Bucks are definitely moving in the right direction as an organization after several years of drifting along without direction. Although they aren’t there yet, they have made several moves to ensure a successful future for the team. Unfortunately, the Bucks will never be more than third to the Packers and Brewers in the hearts of Wisconsin sports fans.
Andrew Bogut locked-up for the long haul
Andrew Bogut is on the verge of signing a long-term deal to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks. The deal is reportedly a five-year, $72.5 million contract.
Bogut is the key piece for the Bucks competing both now and in the future. He is a versatile big man that will allow the Bucks to remain competitive for the foreseeable future. Bogut has the size and speed to bang with almost any center in the Eastern Conference.
Bogut averaged 14.3 points and 9.8 rebounds a game last season. The key stat for Bogut was his 1.7 blocks a game. He had never averaged more than .8 blocks a game prior to last season and his improvement on the defensive end of the court proved a stabilizing force for the team.
Bogut has improved his number in each of his first three seasons and by the end of this contract Bogut could be a steal for the Bucks. He has the tools to be one of the best centers in the conference.
This is another in a recent slew of great move for the Bucks. General Manager John Hammond is proving he was a great choice by Senator Kohl to run the team. Don’t expect the Bucks to be done for the summer, though. A Mo Williams trade is still a distinct possibility and it should happen for the Bucks to be a legitimate contender next season.
Bucks happy Elton Brand opts out
Milwaukee Bucks players, management and fans should all be ecstatic over the news of Elton Brand opting out of his contract with the L.A. Clippers. Of course, it’s not for the reason you may think.
Elton Brand is a very good player and puts up great numbers as a power forward but he would be a bad fit with the Bucks. Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson and Andrew Bogut will be taking the majority of shots on the offensive end of the floor and that wouldn’t sit well with Brand.
No, the reason that everyone involved with the Bucks should be happy is a bit more complicated. Brand and the Miami Heat have a mutual interest. If Brand were to sign with the Heat, that would make Udonis Haslem expendable. Haslem is the sort of defensive-minded, rebounder that the Bucks have been lacking. Haslem is happy getting his points off of offensive rebounds and there will be plenty of opportunities for Haslem on the Bucks.
The Bucks have the perfect piece to send to Miami for Haslem as well, Mo Williams. Miami had interest in Williams when he was a free agent last off season. Williams has literally shot his way out of Milwaukee. He and Michael Redd are not able to exist together in the same backcourt. Both want to be the ‘man’ and with Redd being signed to a max-out contract, it’s just not in the cards here for Mo. The trade would then allow Ramon Sessions to be the starting point guard and Charlie Bell would serve as his back-up.
A starting five of Session, Redd, Jefferson, Haslem and Bogut would be talented and versatile enough to compete with the upper-tier teams in the Eastern Conference. It would also give Bucks’ fans a reason to keep coming to the Bradley Center.
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