Bucks’ Thon Maker Expresses Desire to be Traded

The 2019 NBA trade deadline is looming for front office’s around the league, and now the Milwaukee Bucks are one of those teams faced with a decision about what to do with their former first-round pick, Thon Maker.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Saturday that Maker’s agent asked the Bucks to explore trades involving the young center. According to Wojnarowski, Maker is looking for a larger role.

Wojnarowski points out that the Bucks are under no obligation to trade Maker, who is eligible for a rookie contract extension offer in the offseason. Maker’s agent Mike George has discussed various trade scenarios with Bucks GM Jon Horst in the past few weeks.

As Maker’s playing time has diminished under new coach Mike Budenholzer in the Bucks’ surge to the NBA’s best record, agent Mike George and Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst have discussed trade scenarios in recent weeks that would potentially make sense for both the player and team, league sources said.

Maker has started 46 games in two seasons with the Bucks, but he has recently seen his minutes decrease. Since the start of January, Maker has played 10 minutes per game with three DNP’s.

Although Maker has shown brief flashes of what he could be, 21-year-old center has seen his playing time decrease significantly. DJ Wilson has taken minutes away from Maker with the second unit since Ersan Ilyasova’s injury.

Maker is a young player who the organization reportedly still has strong belief in what he can bring. Whether Milwaukee, who currently has the NBA’s best record at 35-12, chooses to hold on to that belief or trade Maker away before before the deadline remains to be seen.