After trading Greg Monroe to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Eric Bledsoe and losing Mirza Teletovic to blood clots, the Milwaukee Bucks are extremely thin in the frontcourt. That is both literally and figuratively true, as John Henson and Thon Maker are the team's only true big men in the rotation.
Thus, even with Giannis Antetokounmpo capable of handling minutes at the five spot, the Bucks are on the search for some frontcourt depth. They were mentioned in DeAndre Jordan trade rumors earlier in the season, and now they have reportedly reached out to the Golden State Warriors.
According to a report from Marcus Thompson, the Bucks have called the Warriors about acquiring one of their many big men. Via The Athletic:
Multiple sources confirmed the Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks have discussed a trade. Nothing is imminent, but the Bucks are on the market for a center and the Warriors are overstocked. The on-and-off conversations between the teams have included the Bucks inquiring about Pachulia and McGee. No doubt, they've asked about Bell but that conversation ended quickly.
Pachulia, who formerly played with Milwaukee, is going to be hard to pry from the Warriors. Kerr feels comfortable with him and Pachulia is the Warriors' best defensive center against big men. He has value that is hard to replace -- as evidenced by him negating Tristan Thompson in the Finals.
As Thompson noted, Zaza Pachulia played for the Bucks from 2013-15. He's familiar with the organization, coach Jason Kidd and a number of key players on the roster, and would be a great veteran addition for this young Bucks team. However, it seems highly unlikely the Warriors move him.
As for McGee, he's seemingly lost his spot to the energetic rookie, Jordan Bell, and seems the most likely of the Warriors' big men to be moved -- if they make a trade at all. As to whether the Bucks truly want McGee, that is another question.
There's still nearly two months until the trade deadline, so don't expect any moves right now, but the Bucks' pursuit of a big man is certainly something to keep an eye on.
