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NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Kevin Durant, Thon Maker and More
November 19, 2018
Stop me where you've heard this before: NBA teams are looking for wing shooting.
The Milwaukee Bucks are chief among the teams looking to bolster their rotation with outside help.
The Bucks employ Mike Budenholzer as their coach, which should tell you all you need to know. Bud loves shooters, for good reason, and would probably like to boot Donte DiVincenzo out of his rotation with Milwaukee near the top of the conference. DiVincenzo has flashed some, but he's not yet a rotation piece for a conference finals contender.
"You know how Bud likes shooters," an NBA executive told Gery Woelfel. "It's like the old adage: You can't have enough shooters. That's the way he feels."
Milwaukee has set its sights on Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kyle Korver, who will almost certainly be traded before February's deadline. The Cavs have little use for Korver with tank mode fully engaged, and Korver has little use for sticking around a terrible team in the waning days of his career.
Budenholzer and Korver have a prior relationship from their days with the Atlanta Hawks. Milwaukee is reportedly attempting to flip the contract of Matthew Dellavedova, attaching Thon Maker, D.J. Wilson or Christian Wood as potential sweeteners. Dellevedova has one year remaining on his contract at $9.6 million.
From a value standpoint, then, odds are it would probably take throwing in Maker for the Cavs to consider a deal. Neither Wilson nor Wood have flashed enough potential to justify taking on $9.6 million for next season; Korver's contract is only guaranteed at $3.44 million.
Maker, 21, has not been the developmental home run the Bucks had hoped. He's averaging just six points and 3.1 rebounds this season, flashing some ability beyond the arc but still looking mostly raw when on the floor. His lack of defensive improvement has been particularly disappointing, as he remains foul heavy and undisciplined.
That said, Maker's a 7-footer who is shooting 38 percent from three and has never gotten a real chance to play through his growing pains. A team like the Cavs could throw him out there for 20-25 minutes a night and allow him to actually figure out his NBA role.
In Other Trade News
We'll file this under the "no duh" subsection of the trade rumor mill.
It turns out Kevin Durant does not want the Golden State Warriors to trade him.
Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Durant has no interest in the Warriors trading him despite his dust-up with Draymond Green.
To no one's surprise, the Warriors have no interest in trading Durant.
Both sides remain fully committed to winning a third straight championship.
OK, let's just move on then.