Bucks Trades

The Milwaukee Bucks made a couple of trades today that can be seen as an attempt to free up payroll to make a run at resigning Michael Redd at season's end. First, they shipped combo guard Mike James and reserve center Zendon Hamilton off to Houston in exchange for Madison, WI native Reece Gaines and two additional second round draft picks. Gaines will see his playing time dramatically increase with the Bucks. The other key trade orchestrated was that of Keith Van Horn being sent to Dallas for center Calvin Booth, from Penn State, and the old, broken down body of what used to be Alan Henderson of Indiana University fame, and an undisclosed amount of cash. Neither of these two players are expected to contribute much of anything, simply, they are there to take up space.

These two trades will now put Milwaukee roughly $20 million underneath next year's salary cap, meaning they can now afford to go after Redd in the offseason. Personally, I could care less what they decide to do. He really isn't a max contract player, so if they do resign him, here's hoping it isn't for an astronomical amount.