Who said the NBA wasn't educational? If you've been following the league news cycle over the last year and some change, you've learned the meaning of the term "circumvention," which is the act of going around, bypassing, or avoiding a rule, law, or physical obstacle, often by using cleverness, technical loopholes, or deceit.
This term was used ad nauseam during the Los Angeles Clippers scandal involving the team using cap circumvention to get Kawhi Leonard paid. Recently, the league threw the hammer at them for their wrongdoing, taking away an unprecedented five future first round picks.
And now, the NBA is taking steps to make sure that no one else tries to work around the rules they've put into place. This includes a recent investigation they've launched around the Milwaukee Bucks and the four-year, $64 million dollar deal they signed Gary Trent Jr. to this offseason.
The word on the street is that the NBA is not going to be any kinder to the Bucks than they were to the Clippers. According to The Athletic's Joe Vardon, if the NBA ends up finding foul play here, the Bucks' punishment could be just as severe as the one dealt to the Clippers, if not worse.
After trading away Giannis Antetokounmpo a few months ago, the Bucks are getting ready to embark on what projects to be a long rebuild, and the idea of losing extensive draft capital means that this process could be a lot more painful than it already will be. However, there is a way the Bucks can mitigate some of the damage done before it's too late.
Operation Use Your Picks Before It's Too Late
Oftentimes, Reddit can be a stomping ground for senseless debates and toxic discourse. But sometimes, it acts as a medium that allows users to give birth to some intriguing ideas. One user, after seeing the Vardon report, suggested that the Bucks should use some of their future draft capital now, before the league can take it away.
With no basketball being played right now, it seems like all that we talk about right now is the stalemate between Jalen Duren and the Detroit Pistons. Duren wants a contract that the Pistons don't feel comfortable giving him, and since he is a restricted free agent, he doesn't have the ability to just sign with a different team (because the Pistons can match any offer sheet opposing teams throw his way).
The only way Duren can play for a team other than the Pistons next season is if they can workout a sign-and-trade with another team. So, as "DynastyIn Process" suggests, why don't the Bucks just trade some draft picks to take Duren off the Pistons' hand?
In theory, it's a win for everyone. Duren gets to leave the Pistons. The Pistons don't get stuck with his contract and don't lose him for nothing. And the Bucks get off some of their assets before the league can take them away.
Ironically enough, last week, I highlighted an idea that would send Duren and Tolu Smith to the Bucks in exchange for Myles Turner, Kevin Porter Jr., and two first round picks.
If this were a normal situation, I wouldn't recommend the Bucks use the draft picks they got in the Antetokounmpo trade on Duren. I think he's a flawed player, whose weaknesses aren't of the variety that usually gets better with age.
But these aren't normal circumstances. The Bucks could be in danger of losing these picks for nothing. The Clippers had swaps they traded in 2027 and 2029 that were unaffected when Adam Silver came down with his punishment. Maybe the league isn't willing to penalize other teams for dealing with a corrupted party?
Trading for and overpaying Duren isn't ideal, but it may be the Bucks' best bet of losing draft picks for nothing.
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