NBA Trade Deadline 2018: 5 teams that should be buying at the deadline

2. Milwaukee Bucks

Reinforcements are on the way for the Milwaukee Bucks, as Jabari Parker has been medically cleared to make his season debut Friday against the New York Knicks, the team announced Monday.

Parker tore the ACL in his left knee last February, marking the second such injury in the same leg. Prior to going down with the season-ending setback, the Duke product was averaging a career-high 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 triples in nearly 34 minutes per night, seemingly cementing himself as a viable long-term sidekick to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

Even once Parker is back up to speed, rim protection will remain a glaring issue for the Bucks. Second-year big man Thon Maker remains a raw, low-usage contributor off the bench, while starting center John Henson isn’t the type of deterrent Milwaukee will need once the playoffs roll around.

According to Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler, the Bucks “seem to be offering some combination” of Henson, Maker, D.J. Wilson and Rashad Vaughn to the Los Angeles Clippers for DeAndre Jordan, but they may also have interest in Utah’s Derrick Favors and Miami’s Hassan Whiteside. If those options prove too costly, the likes of Atlanta’s Dewayne Dedmon or Chicago’s Robin Lopez could be potentially cheaper targets.

Next: 1. Cleveland Cavaliers