As the JournalSentinel has already reported, the Milwaukee Bucks have traded forward Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs for forwards Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto. Jefferson, acquired prior to last season for young forward Yi Jianlian, had a solid season for the Bucks, but he didn’t appear to fit into their long-term rebuilding plan. This deal will save the Bucks at least $3 million in salary for the coming season (and possibly more, if the team releases Bowen, whose $4 million contract isn’t guaranteed), and it will save the team $15 million for the 2010-’11 season.
While I don’t think the Bucks got nearly enough talent back in the trade, I think they did well to improve the team’s financial situation. This trade will hopefully allow the team to be more serious about re-signing Ramon Sessions and/or Charlie Villanueva, both of whom are restricted free agents. To be 100% honest, I’d rather see the Bucks re-sign Sessions while allowing Villanueva to go elsewhere, because I think Charlie Villanueva has always been horribly overrated and too inconsistent.
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