This trade could be the shrewdest move for the Milwaukee Bucks, offering a complete reset. By trading Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Ben Simmons and Bojan Bogdanović’s expiring contracts, they immediately position themselves to bottom out in the next couple of NBA drafts. Since they don’t own their 2025 first-round pick (owed to the New York Knicks), tanking would possibly give them a better chance at a higher pick in the 2026 NBA draft, which is projected to be quite strong. Milwaukee could also explore trading Damian Lillard to a team loaded with young talent, such as the Houston Rockets or the Orlando Magic, or alternatively, to another franchise with additional expiring contracts, which would provide the Bucks with a lot more flexibility moving forward. This deal would instantly put the surprisingly spunky Nets into contention for a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn’s dynamic backcourt of Dennis Schröder and Cam Thomas would complement Antetokounmpo and Middleton in the frontcourt, forming a lineup with the versatility and firepower to challenge any squad in the league.

Bucks Lineup Starters: PG Damian Lillard SG Gary Trent Jr. SF Taurean Prince PF Dorian Finney-Smith C Brook Lopez Bench: 6 Ben Simmons 7 Bobby Portis Jr. 8 Pat Connaughton 9 Delon Wright 10 Bojan Bogdanović 11 MarJon Beauchamp 12 AJ Johnson 13 AJ Green RES Ryan Rollins (TW) RES Stanley Umude (TW) RES Liam Robbins (TW) RES Chris Livingston RES Tyler Smith RES Andre Jackson Jr.

Nets Lineup: Starters: PG Dennis Schröder SG Cam Thomas SF Cam Johnson PF Khris Middleton C Giannis Antetokounmpo Bench: 6 Nic Claxton 7 Shake Milton 8 Noah Clowney 9 Zaire Williams 10 Trendon Watford 11 Day’Ron Sharpe 12 Keon Johnson 13 Jalen Wilson RES Dariq Whitehead RES Jaylen Martin (TW) RES Tyrese Martin (TW) RES Yongxi Cui (TW)