Milwaukee Bucks Among Potential Trade Destinations for Top Brooklyn Nets Asset

Unlike in previous seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks struggled to play championship-worthy defense on the court. To address that issue, the front office may go for Brooklyn Nets’ Dorian Finney-Smith in the offseason.

Finney-Smith first entered the league as an undrafted forward signed by the Dallas Mavericks in 2016. This move comes after an impressive run playing for Virginia Tech and Florida in college. From there, 6’7″ wing worked his way up the Mavs’ roster by averaging a total of 8.3 points on 36 percent shooting, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in the six and a half seasons he played for the team.

In 2023, Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, and a couple of draft picks were traded by Dallas to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for All-Star guard Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris. Since that time, DFS posted averages of 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest. However, his outside shooting dropped to 33 percent while playing for the Nets.

As of now, Finney-Smith is signed on for two more years with a player option in the final season of his contract. His current status may entice Brooklyn to get some value out of him by entertaining trade offers from other teams in the offseason.

Dorian Finney-Smith Projected To Be Among Milwaukee Bucks’ Trade Targets In Offseason

After an early playoff exit this year, the Bucks may benefit from a two-way player joining the team. In this regard, DFS may be the ideal candidate, as explained by Evan Sidery’s tweet on X.

“Dorian Finney-Smith is a strong candidate to be traded from the Nets this offseason. Brooklyn shopped Finney-Smith at the deadline receiving robust interest from contenders.

All of the following teams who reportedly checked in on Finney-Smith could circle back leading up to the draft: Bucks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Kings, Lakers, Suns, Thunder,” Sidery tweeted.

Last season, the Bucks fielded a 19th-place defense while their offense was ranked sixth in the NBA. Getting Finney-Smith will help raise their defensive rating and give them a better chance to defeat other contenders.

It remains to be seen what moves Milwaukee’s front office will make in the coming months. If Finney-Smith is among those moves, expect the Bucks to greatly benefit from him next season as the two-way wing can elevate the team, especially on defense.