In the leadup to the NBA trade deadline, rumors swirled about whether the Milwaukee Bucks would opt to move on from two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo via trade.
The Phoenix Suns made a deal with Milwaukee, but it wasn’t for their superstar, who ESPN’s Shams Charania now reports the Bucks intend to keep.
It wasn’t a blockbuster move, but the Suns did what was expected of them by trading the expiring contract of backup center Nick Richards (who was subsequently moved to the Chicago Bulls), along with Nigel Hayes-Davis (another expiring deal). The Suns land point guard Cole Anthony and wing Amir Coffey.
Both guys heading to the desert from Milwaukee are also on expiring deals, but this allows the Suns to duck under the luxury tax threshold, which was the major incentive to moving Richards’ contract.
Phoenix accomplishes a financial task in the trade, but who are they getting in return?
Let’s grade the deal for both sides.
Suns add Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey in trade from Bucks
It’s far from a Giannis blockbuster (OK, more like a light-year’s distance), but the Suns accomplished what they needed to in moving Richards — and Hayes-Davis — to slip under luxury tax territory. That, to be sure, is the key motivation behind this deal.
But the Suns are adding two new players to the fold in Anthony and Coffey.
Anthony, a point guard, is the son of known Suns nemesis Greg Anthony, which adds a funny wrinkle to the deal.
The younger Anthony, a former No. 15 overall pick by the Orlando Magic, has played 35 games for Milwaukee this season (all off the bench). Over those appearances Anthony averaged 6.7 points, 3.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game. He’s shooting 42.4% from the field and an ugly 30.6% from 3-point range. He’s also converted a career-worst 61.5% of his free throws this season after sinking more than 82% of them in all five seasons prior, which is a rather odd statistical anomaly.
Anthony peaked as an NBA sophomore with the Magic by averaging 16.3 points, 5.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game while making 33.8% of his 3-point tries. He started all 65 games he played in for Orlando that year.
But after averaging double-digit points in each of his first four NBA seasons, Anthony lost minutes in Orlando last year and that trend continued in Milwaukee. He’s also battled a number of injuries throughout his career.
The 25-year-old Anthony can provide guard depth, but it’s hard to even justify him displacing two-way standout Jamaree Bouyea on the depth chart unless he reverts back to the Orlando-era production from years past.
The other addition is Coffey, who spent the first six seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers before signing with the Bucks.
Like Anthony, Coffey’s numbers were better when he wasn’t playing for Milwaukee. Last season with the Clips, Coffey played 72 games (13 starts) averaging a career-high 9.7 points per game on a sterling 40.9% shooting from 3-point range.
Unfortunately, his shooting from deep has fallen off a cliff with the Bucks. He hasn’t received consistent minutes and his outside shot has suffered by making just 28% of his looks from long range.
The Suns will no doubt be hoping Coffey can return to the sharpshooting he displayed with LA, but, like Anthony, he becomes another depth piece who probably doesn’t move the needle much.
Again, the key goal of this trade was rooted in the financial implications. Provided neither Richards nor Hayes-Davis were contributing in Jordan Ott’s regular rotations, it’s a deal that likely won’t be super consequential outside of that factor.
The Suns also don’t take on any long-term money, which makes a lot of sense.
Suns grade: B
Nick Richards and Nigel Hayes-Davis head to Milwaukee in deadline-day trade
The Bucks, meanwhile, add a pair of players to bolster their frontcourt depth. Richards wasn’t getting minutes in Phoenix behind starting center Mark Williams and backup Oso Ighodaro. He’ll likely get much more playing time now that he's headed to Chicago with Nikola Vucevic having recently gone to the Boston Celtics.
Meanwhile, Hayes-Davis is also included in the deal. Fans had high hopes for the 6-foot-8 forward who earned All-Euroleague First Team honors in each of the past two seasons, averaging 16.7 points on 45.6% shooting from the field and 41% from 3-point range a season ago for Fenerbahce Istanbul.
Unfortunately, Hayes-Davis’ Euroleague production didn’t translate to the NBA with the Suns.
He struggled to crack Ott’s rotations, averaging just 7.2 minutes per game across 27 games played. He made just two of his 16 3-point attempts (12.5%).
Perhaps the change of scenery will aid the former Euroleague standout’s production, but Richards will be the key add for the Bucks providing depth at the center position.
Bucks grade: B