The Bucks traded Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs on
Tuesday in a move very similar to the one made almost a year ago to the
day.
Jefferson was acquired by the Bucks on June 26, 2008, for Bobby
Simmons and Yi Jianlian in a move that was, in part, a salary dump to
get rid of Simmons' big contract.
The Bucks now move Jefferson to the Spurs to get his salary off
their books, and in return they get Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and
Fabricio Oberto. Of the three, only Kurt Thomas is thought to be
sticking around Milwaukee for any length of time. Bowen and Oberto will
likely be released and save the Bucks an additional $6.35 million on
their salary cap.
This trade was made, in large part, for the Bucks to get under the
salary cap and try to resign Charlie Villanueva, Ramon Sessions, or
both.
The Bucks are slated to draft number 10 in the draft on Thursday
night and most mock draft and experts have them taking point guard
Jonny Flynn.
If Flynn isn't on the board, there are still several other point guards that will be available that the Bucks could take.
For that reason, I see this trade primarily being made to free up money to bring Charlie Villanueva back to the Bucks.
Villanueva is coming off a great season that saw him attain career-highs in points (16.2), rebounds (6.7), and assists (1.8).
Villanueva gives the Bucks versatility and depth in the frontcourt.
Although he will never be confused for a great defensive player, he
causes match-up problems for other teams, and gives the Bucks a great
inside-outside tandem with Andrew Bogut.
Retaining Kurt Thomas will also add depth to the frontcourt and give coach Scott Skiles another option off his bench.
Bowen and Oberto would have been great depth for the Bucks, but
saving on their salaries is more important for the development of the
roster.
The trading of Jefferson may seem like Bucks' management is already
giving up on the 2010 season. However, Bucks' General Manager John
Hammond and his staff are continuing to rebuild a once proud franchise
to bring it back to prominence in the NBA.