As the Sacramento Kings continue to struggle to keep pace in a loaded Western Conference, Michael Scotto reported, “The Milwaukee Bucks have conducted background due diligence on [Zach] LaVine and others around the league, as usual, sources told HoopsHype.”
The Bucks need another scoring option behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and while LaVine is averaging 20.8 points per game, with 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists, his monstrous contract makes him a difficult add for most teams.
The 30-year-old guard is due $47,499,660 this year, according to Spotrac, and has a player option worth $48,967,380 next season that he almost certainly will not opt out of.
With the degree of difficulty in moving LaVine high, there is another Kings star that the Bucks must eye to give Antetokounmpo the support he needs to chase a second NBA title: forward DeMar DeRozan, who Brett Siegel of Clutch Points reported is more likely to move this season.
The 36-year-old veteran is averaging 18.2 points, three rebounds, and 3.6 assists. He also has a much more palatable contract, due just over half of what his teammate is over the next two seasons.
He averaged 24.04 points per season over the last five years and would give Antetokounmpo a more consistent scoring threat behind him than Kyle Kuzma, who is scoring just 13.5 this season.
With Kuzma’s scoring diminishing significantly over the last three seasons, trading for a player who has been a 20-point producer consistently for the majority of his career would be a significant upgrade for a Bucks team that is 9-12 and outside of the playoff picture.
Add to that DeRozan’s playoff experience in comparison to LaVine’s, though it has been a while, thanks to the ineptitude of the Chicago Bulls front office during the former’s time with the team, and you have more reason to make the trade for the former Raptor and Spur.
