The Milwaukee Bucks are off to their worst start in the Giannis Antetokounmpo Era. Milwaukee has lost five straight games and is 1-5, marking their worst start since the Bucks selected Antetokounmpo with the 15th pick in 2013. It is the Bucks’ first five-game losing streak since mid-January 2017, the last time they were four games below .500, and their fewest wins after six games since starting 2-4 in Antetokounmpo’s rookie campaign.
Milwaukee has struggled on both ends of the floor. Shockingly, the Bucks have been highly inefficient on the offensive end. They rank 26th in the league in offensive rating, which is two places and 10 points below where they finished last season. Granted, the Bucks don’t have injured Khris Middleton and lost starting shooting guard Malik Beasley to free agency.
Milwaukee Bucks Shopping Disgruntled Guard; Plus, 4 Players Ruled Out Against Cleveland And 2 Others Dealing With Ailments
Milwaukee is shooting 47.3% from the field, the 10th-best in the NBA. Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are doing their things offensively. However, the Bucks are 18th in 3-pointers and 26th in 3-point percentage (33.3%), as Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, Brook Lopez, Pat Connaughton, and Bobby Portis have struggled from deep.
Milwaukee took a considerable step back defensively last season and has continued that trend this season. The drop in defensive efficiency isn’t a surprise after the team fired coach Mike Budenholzer before last season and with the acquisition of Lillard, who has been seen as a defensive liability throughout his career. But the Bucks are being outscored by five points a game with Antetokounmpo and Lillard on the floor.
As one would figure, the Bucks’ players and coaches are not happy about their poor start.
“We don’t sustain the game,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said following Milwaukee’s 114-113 loss to Cleveland on Saturday night. “We haven’t been able to sustain 48 minutes.”
Marjon Beachamp Wants To Be Traded
One particularly unhappy player is MarJon Beauchamp. According to NBA Insider Marc Stein, Beauchamp and his representatives are working with the Bucks together to find a trade partner.
Beachamp, who had his fourth-year option a few days ago, has found it challenging to get on the floor. The 2022 No. 24 overall pick has only seen 13 minutes of action in five appearances, which is the third-fewest of the 15 players who have seen time on the court for the Bucks.
Beauchamp has not seen more than five minutes on the floor this season and received a DNP on Saturday. 2024 1st round pick AJ Johnson and two-way players Liam Robbins and Ryan Rollins are the players who have seen less action than Beauchamp. However, Robbins saw five minutes in his lone appearance.
Beauchamp was seen as a rotational player by the Bucks after appearing in 55 games, including 11 starts, in his rookie season in 2022. The 24-year-old saw just 12 minutes of action in 48 appearances last season, although he did improve his shooting. However, the 6-4 guard struggled to shoot the ball during the Summer League and the preseason in 2024.
Beauchamp is an athletic wing who came into the NBA known for defensive versatility and high motor. While Beauchamp has shown the ability to be a lockdown perimeter defender, he has not developed as a shooter and has not gotten many steals.
Beauchamp has finished well at the rim. While he is a career 35% 3-point shooter, he has attempted fewer than three a game. He knocked down 40% of his 1.6 3-point attempts a year ago. He also hasn’t shown the ability to get to the free-throw line often.
Will Anyone Take A Flyer On Beauchamp?
Not sure there is a huge market for a developmental player ,who is in the final year of his contract, the Bucks may be able to scroungeup a well-protected second round pick in return, certainly not a first-rounder.
On the plus side, Beauchamp is cheap, as he is set to make $2.7 million this year—prorated for any club that trades for him, though. Beauchamp has also shown some rebounding and facilitating ability in the few G-League appearances he has made.
Detroit, San Antonio, Charlotte, New Orleans, and Portland immediately come to mind as teams who may be willing to trade for him. Dumping Beauchamp may cost the Bucks a future draft asset. While the Bucks may not deem that worthwhile, they may have to open up a roster spot.
Would Washington consider a straight-up trade of Johnny Davis or Patrick Baldwin for Beauchamp? Neither Davis nor Baldwin have lived up to their enormous hype, though Baldwin, like Beauchamp, was seen more as a project. The Wizards did not exercise Davis or Baldwin’s options, so they will be free agents.
Baldwin makes the most sense for Milwaukee, as he is making $2.3 million this year. Milwaukee is over the second tax apron, so the Bucks are prevented from taking on more salary than they are sending out. They also can’t send out cash or combine him with another player in a deal.
Bucks Will Be Shorthanded Against Cavaliers
Milwaukee will attempt to snap its five-game losing streak tonight against the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the Bucks will be severely shorthanded, as four players have been ruled out.
Middleton remains out, meaning Prince will continue to fill the starting small forward spot. Johnson and Chris Livingston have been sent to the G-League Wisconsin Herd on assignment. Meanwhile, Beauchamp has been ruled out due to illness (Non-covid).
Additionally, Antetekounmpo picked up an abductor strain while playing through right patella tendinitis and is questionable for the game versus the Cavs. If Antetokounmpo sits out tonight, Portis is likely to get the start. Portis totals 14.1 points, 9.1 boards, and 1.4 assists in his 146 career starts.
Pat Connaughton is expected to play through his left abductor strain.