Trade targets: All 30 teams
Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 21-32
13th place in East
Status: Sellers
Milwaukee is proving that rebuilding is not always a linear process. After last season's breakout, ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI) currently gives Milwaukee a miniscule shot at the postseason.
This has turned into a developmental season for the Bucks and the focus now turns to the big picture.
Potential trade targets
Jeff Teague
The Bucks could use a better shooter than Michael Carter-Williams as a long-term point guard, and they signed Teague to an offer sheet back in 2013. Now that the Hawks might be shopping Teague, Milwaukee could see him as a better fit than ever.
The Bucks have several players who might aid an Atlanta postseason run, like O.J. Mayo, Jerryd Bayless and Miles Plumlee.
Jrue Holiday
The Pelicans are due for a shake-up, and in a vacuum Holiday is just the kind of player the Bucks could use for their backcourt. The problem is his persistent lower-body issues. That might scare away any potential trade partner.
Most trade value
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo has shown gradual but steady progress during his three seasons and still has superstar potential. With one more season left on his rookie contract, the Bucks aren't dealing him.
2. Khris Middleton
At 24, Middleton has built on last season's breakout performance, ranking fifth in real plus-minus (RPM) this season among shooting guards. The five-year deal he signed last summer looks like a bargain, especially given the paucity of top-flight 2s in the NBA.
3. Jabari Parker
Parker has enjoyed a low-key comeback from last season's knee injury. While he's roughly the same player he was before going down, that's encouraging given the severity of the injury. Still, his defensive shortcomings and inability to emerge as a go-to scorer slot him behind Antetokounmpo and Middleton.
4. Greg Monroe
You can question Monroe's fit in Milwaukee but not his production. He's put up career-best numbers across the board. His contract, which has one guaranteed season and a player option beyond 2015-16, would not be hard to move if the Bucks wanted to do it.
5. Michael Carter-Williams
Carter-Williams remains largely the same player he was when he entered the NBA. Faced with a decision on whether to offer MCW an extension this fall, the Bucks need to figure out if he fits the roster they are building. He ranks No. 22 in RPM among point guards.
6. Jerryd Bayless
The well-traveled Bayless is on an expiring deal. He's become a prolific 3-point shooter this year. Now in his eighth season, he knows how to play to his strengths. His shooting and ability to run an offense off the bench make him an attractive option for a contender looking for an impact bench player.
7. O.J. Mayo
Mayo is another veteran headed for free agency. His season has been hampered by hamstring and ankle problems, leading to easily the worst year of his career. Talk about bad timing.
A team desperate for an instant offense threat might want to take a flyer in hopes Mayo gets right for the stretch run. When Mayo returned from his latest injury, Kidd immediately inserted him into the starting lineup -- as a point guard. That could be construed as classic showcasing.
Most valuable draft pick
2016 first-rounder
The upshot of the Bucks' disappointing season is another lottery pick to add to their impressive collection of young talent. Milwaukee currently would pick eighth but is just a half-game away from going sixth. And BPI gives the Bucks an 10.3 percent chance to land in the top three.
Toughest contract to trade
John Henson
Henson's four-year, $44 million extension kicks in next season. It's a high price tag for a reserve, even in the current cap environment. Nevertheless, Henson is enough of an impact defender that another team might well want to make him a starter.
Player most likely to be traded
Miles Plumlee
Plumlee hasn't been able to carve out much of a role in Milwaukee after being acquired from Phoenix last February. Nevertheless, he's an energetic big who could help a team with such a need off the bench.
He's headed for restricted free agency so the Bucks need to get what they can for him. Like Mayo, Plumlee also suddenly found himself in the Milwaukee starting lineup the week before the trade deadline.