When the Milwaukee Bucks stunned the NBA by trading for Damian Lillard this past summer, plenty of people thought they had just put together arguably the most talented team in basketball.
They still have much of the core that won them the world championship in 2021, and it was thought they would be neck-and-neck with the Boston Celtics for Eastern Conference supremacy.
But despite a 32-16 record, which is the second-best record in the East, things haven’t been that rosy for the Bucks, which presumably led to them firing rookie head coach Adrian Griffin and replacing him with Doc Rivers.
In an attempt to fortify their roster and championship hopes, they’re reportedly interested in trading for Atlanta Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter, per Sam Amico via NBACentral.
The Milwaukee Bucks are keeping a ‘close eye’ on De’Andre Hunter, per @AmicoHoops
(Via https://t.co/0O9CnqnaKb) pic.twitter.com/x1ZIVJh0qk
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 2, 2024
Hunter, who is 6-foot-8 and about 220 pounds, was the No. 4 pick in the 2019 draft, and since coming into the NBA, he has shown improvement with his 3-point shot.
So far this season, he has hit 40.3 percent of his 3-point attempts, and he’s averaging 14.6 points a game.
Hunter has also been considered someone who has lots of defensive potential, and defense has been Milwaukee’s big weakness this year.
While they’re third in offensive rating and second in points per game, they’re an anemic 19th in defensive rating.
Many feel they won’t be able to defeat the Celtics come playoff time, and now, they have an added problem, as the red-hot New York Knicks are right on their heels.
Thanks to a nine-game winning streak, New York is now just half a game behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and company; in addition, the 30-16 Cleveland Cavaliers are just one full game behind the Bucks.
NEXT:
Damian Lillard Reveals His Thoughts On Doc Rivers Ahead Of Bucks Debut
