As was thought to be the case, Bucks’ GM John Hammond wasted no time trading guard Mo Williams, who was rumored to be on the move before the draft, as part of a six-player deal earlier today. Williams, the centerpiece of the three-team swap, will head to the Cavaliers and team up with LeBron James, itching for a secondary scorer, while Damon Jones will be headed back to the Milwaukee along with Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin. Joe Smith and Desmond Mason will head to Oklahoma City (formerly Seattle). Further details here. And ESPN’s John Hollinger’s analysis here.

At first glance, the return value does not appear to be anything spectacular if you’re a Bucks fan, considering Williams averaged over 17 points a game last year. But the fact is, Mo’s value was not as high as many (including myself) anticipated it would be, and this trade reiterates just how much the Bucks’ organization thought of him, that being, not much. Perhaps the best part about this deal was dumping his horrible contract (he resigned last season for 6 years, $52 million) and also acquiring two more expiring contacts in Griffin and Jones. No, they didn’t get adequate compensation, however, Skiles is determined to bring a more defensive-oriented mindset to this team, and Williams was not by any means a juggernaut when it came to opposing his man. And even though Ridnour, Griffin and Jones aren’t either, they have a history of being good locker-room guys (something Williams was not) and the potential to be role players.

I have no problems whatsoever with the ridding of Williams. The part of the deal that upsets me and unevens the trade is parting ways with Desmond Mason for the second time in three years. Remember he was shipped off to New Orleans in ‘05 for bust Jamaal Magloire? In his time in Wisconsin, Mason was nothing short of a consummate professional, and a genuine basketball fan can not help but feel for this guy. I wish him the best back home in Oklahoma.

Now here’s a look at the Bucks’ up-to-date projected depth chart:

PG: Ramon Sessions- Luke Ridnour- Tyron Lue
SG: Michael Redd- Charlie Bell- Damon Jones
SF: Richard Jefferson- Joe Alexander- Adrian Griffin
PF: Charlie Villanueva- Luc Mbah a Moute- Malik Allen
C: Andrew Bogut- Francisco Elson- Dan Gadzuric

* Elson has now officially signed according to JS Online.

I give Sessions a slight leg up on Ridnour for now because he has better familiarity with the team. He should be given every opportunity to run the show, however a time share between the two is possible barring another move. You may think I’m crazy for saying this, but I’m still not convinced Hammond is done. There are essentially five guys who can play point if you include Bell and Jones (remember Jones played point quite a bit in his last stint in Milwaukee). There is still reshaping that needs to take place as bench depth is putrid. The next man potentially on his way out via trade? Charlie Villanueva.

UPDATE: Courtesy of Wisconsin Journal Times’ friend Gery Woelfel, Hammond intends to start Ridnour. Hammond was on Milwaukee’s sports radio 1250 WSSP this morning discussing the trade. He seemed happy with the current mix of players but left the door open for more movement if the right deal presents itself.

After a draft-day trade sent Yi Jianlian to New Jersey for star forward Richard Jefferson, it seemed apparent GM John Hammond was going for it. Jefferson offers versatility, and is the perfect compliment to Michael Redd, and Yi finally got his wish to go to a bigger market. But even after the big deal netted the Bucks their coveted small forward, and Joe Alexander and Luc Richard Abah a Moute were welcomed into the fold on draft night, the pieces to the roster puzzle still don’t seem to fit. The problem lies at the point guard spot. Ramon Sessions played so well in his time at the point, putting Mo Williams’ long-term future in Milwaukee in jeopardy even after his extension. Despite all trade rumors that swirled around Williams, none came to fruition. Now the Bucks are in a tough spot. Trade Williams to allow Sessions to take over? Or, keep Williams and let the big three (Williams, Redd and Jefferson) fend for themselves?

Whether you like it or not, the answer is to trade Williams. Look at the guy play. Mo Williams is not a true point guard. He is a shoot first, pass second player. That won’t fit with Redd and Jefferson. There just isn’t enough ball to go around. Solution? Trade him to Miami, along with Charlie Villanueva and Dan Gadzuric for Shawn Marion. As crazy as this speculation may sound, this deal makes sense. Miami, who has shown interest in Mo, is desperately in search of a point so they can move Dwayne Wade to the 2. And Mo still has four years remaining on his deal, allowing to Heat to put off negotiations for several years. As far as Marion goes, he’s is a cash cow, making a hefty $17 million dollars a year. The catch is, he will become a free-agent after this upcoming season. So the Heat front office would be wise to move him now while he still has value.

The Bucks do this because everbody wants to return to the playoffs. With Redd, Jefferson and Marion, a trip to the postseason would be all but a lock. And because Marion has only one year left, the deal is low risk, high reward. Next year he would walk for more money elsewhere, allowing a more experienced Joe Alexander to assume the 4 spot in ‘09. They also would dump Dan Gadzuric’s awful contract, and let Sessions, a pass first player, take the reigns at point.

One thing is clear: after signing Tyronn Lue to a 1-year, $2.5 million deal as the third point guard, do not be surprised to see Hammond wheeling and dealing again before November.

Now for a concrete rumor: HoopsHype has reported the Bucks are very interested in signing center Francisco Elson as a backup center to Andrew Bogut. The 7-footer averaged three points and three boards a game last year for the Spurs, but what appeals to the Bucks’ front office is his ability to play aggressive defense and shoot very well from the free-throw line.

For the fans who have lost all hope in the Milwaukee Bucks’ chances to return to Eastern Conference prominence, hold on. The Bucks have finally managed to negotiate outside their own organizational ties (something Wisconsin teams struggle to do), bringing in GM John Hammond, left, largely credited for building up the Pistons to their current status amongst the NBA’s elite. At first take, Herb Kohl may have finally notched a solid hiring, generating the kind of buzz the team hasn’t seen since they signed George Karl back in 1998. But even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.

On to Hammond, who has been a hot commodity around league circles for the past few years. The first managerial move on his docket? Most likely replacing Larry K, and if so, good riddance. Hammond has connections to both Larry Brown and Rick Carlisle (both former head coaches in Detroit out of a job), and is confident he’ll be able to get this ship righted. How long that will take, however, is anyone’s guess. And for all those fans still sitting on their hands, be patient. It’s been a while since Milwaukee has reeled in a big name executive like this, so there has to be some reason for optimism. Let’s just take a wait and see approach. On to the players, and I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, this team needs a new direction. Michael Redd has not played like the $90 million leader we payed him to be. Charlie Villanueva is an interesting guy with loads of potential, but since Larry Harris took his starting job away after drafting Yi, his value resides as a bench player. Bobby Simmons is nice player who can’t stay healthy. Dido for Bogut. Mo Williams is a shoot-first point guard. Charlie Bell has an attitude. In other words, this team needs to be dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up. Hopefully that’s what Hammond has planned.

The good news is, the Bucks sit in a favorable position in the NBA Draft, holding another top 10 pick. Who will they target? After randomizing the order 20 times on ESPN.com’s Mock Draft Lottery, the following selections ensued: (by the way, the Bucks have a 4.3% chance of drawing the top pick)

Pick Number: 1st overall (1), 3rd overall (1), 7th overall (11), 8th overall (7).

Selections: Michael Beasley, PF, Kansas State (1), Jerryd Bayless, PG, Arizona (1), Russell Westbrook, PG, UCLA (13), Eric Gordon, SG, Indiana (4), DeAndre Jordan, C, Texas A&M (1).

Not surprising. The Bucks currently stand as the league’s 7th worst team winning-percentage wise, and with so few games left, those percentages won’t change that drastically. Regardless of where they’re picking, I think point-guard is the way this team needs to go, more specifically a lock-down defender. Westbrook, left, would fit that bill perfectly. He has great bloodlines coming from UCLA, and is freakishly athletic. Bayless would also be a nice fit, but Westbrook is the better passer. If the Bucks pick anywhere after #3 (Rose and Mayo alert), and Mr. Westbrook is there, he should be the pick.

With the Milwaukee Brewers and Green Bay Packers living up to and exceeding their yearly expectations, the last of the Wisconsin Sports trifecta has yet to get over the hump this year.  The Milwaukee Bucks, who began the season with a promising young nucleus, have failed miserably so much this year that I have refrained from writing about their struggles- until now.  With Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, Charlie Villanueva, a healthy Bobby Simmons, a resigned Mo Williams, along with rookie sensation Yi Jianlian in the fold for 2007-2008, things appeared to be going up for the Bucks.  But with the leash already short for management coming into the year, the controversy has begun to resurface within the state of Wisconsin, especially Milwaukee, questioning whether GM Larry Harris can find the right mix of guys to carry the team back into the playoffs, with enough balance to make a run.  I’ve always been a backer of Harris, who has made solid trades and draft picks for the duration of his tenure, but something needs to change after a 13-20 start to the season.  If it were up to me, you have to trade Michael Redd.  The problem I see is uneven distribution of the ball.  Trade Redd for a true point-guard, not one that shoots as much as he passes (Mo Williams).  Trading Redd would allow Mo to move to shooting-guard, a position he has handled well in the past, thus making him the primary scorer on this team.  Redd still has good trade value because he remains one of the lone pure shooters in the NBA, but I feel in order for the Bucks to get back on track, they need versatile guys.  I would hate to see Harris let go, because I feel he is a more than capable to get this franchise turned around.  The biggest mistake he made in retrospect was trading T.J. Ford to Toronto for Villanueva, because the current lack at the point-guard position has precisely made this team what it has become, average at best.

With the 2007-2008 Milwaukee Bucks regular season schedule being released just a short time ago, GM Larry Harris is still looking to fill out the last roster spots. The team, which will open the season on the road October 31st against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic, has 12 players that are all but locks to make the team as of today. They are guards Mo Williams, Michael Redd, Lynn Greer, and draft pick Ramon Sessions (who has yet to sign), forwards Bobby Simmons, Desmond Mason, David Noel, Damir Markota, and Charlie Villanueva, as well as centers Andrew Bogut, Jake Voskuhl and Dan Gadzuric. Management has likely let Reuben Patterson, Earl Boykins, Ersan Illyasova, Brian Skinner, and Jared Reiner walk, leaving 3 spots yet to be filled. While first-round selection Yi Jianlian’s status remains unclear, expect the team to strike a deal with the big man before the season begins. Leaving just 2 spots left. Well, all indications suggest the Bucks will pursue restricted free-agent guard Charlie Bell heavily, along with forward Awvee Storey. Storey impressed Milwaukee as part of their Las Vegas Summer League team, showing off his toughness and versatility. Don’t expect Storey, if he does sign, to see major minutes as he would likely find himself stuck behind Simmons and Mason in the rotation. Storey, 30, has played previously with Washington and New Jersey, managing a mere 4-minutes per game in his two seasons.

Welcome back Desmond Mason. After being traded to New Orleans in 2005 for big-flop Jamaal Magloire, the athletic swingman will be back with Milwaukee after an official press conference Monday. Mason, who originally came to the club in the Ray Allen deal, averaged a career best 17.2 points per game in his final season with the Bucks. Also part of that blockbuster was Gary Payton to Milwaukee and Flip Murray to the Sonics. Mason will join Mo Williams, Jake Voskuhl, and Ramon Sessions as the newest acquisitions, with first rounder Yi Jianlian hopefully soon to follow. Look for Desmond to battle with Bobby Simmons for the starting SF job, and the loser to become the 6th man.

While the Milwaukee Bucks were scheduling NBA workouts, most players who figured to be selected in the top 10 worked out for the Bucks, except two: Chinese phenom Yi Jianlian and Gator Joakim Noah. Yet, despite that, Bucks General Manger Larry Harris grabbed Yi. Larry, I know you’re trying to do what’s best for the organization but please, spare yourself the embarrassment. Yi Jianlian, while he might be a great player, doesn’t even want to play here. You need to be 100 percent positive that you can get a deal done with Yi before you draft him. If Yi holds out and doesn’t play, this will be a monumental mistake for the Bucks’ organization. This team has been underachieving for a number of years now, for the amount of money dished out, so when you get a lottery selection, you need to get a sure player. It was a vitally important pick for the Bucks and I feel Yi’s selection was risky. Yi’s agents said they wanted Yi to be drafted by a city with a heavy Asian population. Those potential cites included Chicago and anywhere in the Bay Area. Days before the draft, whispers around the league said that Golden State was offering Milwaukee guard Jason Richardson and their 18th pick for number 6. If that trade happened, Golden State would have taken Yi to fulfill his wishes. Instead, Harris spurned all offers including a deal with Philadelphia, for the 76ers’ 12th and 21st picks in the first round. “We had a lot of discussions with Philadelphia as well as other discussions, but at the end of the day we felt that instead of moving back and doing some other things, this was the best decision for us,” said Harris. Before the draft, Harris predicted the top five, and clued the fans at the Bradley Center that he and his staff had narrowed their focus to four players: Florida’s Al Horford, Ohio State’s Mike Conley Jr., Georgetown’s Jeff Green, and Yi. But perhaps what was even more insightful was Harris’ quote referring to who they’d get: “I can’t guarantee he’ll speak English or not, but I promise we’ll get the best player on the board.” And amazingly, the first five picks rattled off just as Harris had projected, leaving the Chinese born Yi, the last of the four, a sure Buck. “I can tell you from a skills standpoint, Yi has as much talent as anyone in the draft,” said Harris. “He’s a guy that can pass and shoot, dribble as a legitimate power forward that can not only score inside, but can really shoot the ball outside.” Yi has stated that his No. 1 priority is playing for his Chinese national team. So even after all the summer leagues, Bucks fans will still be awaiting Yi’s first appearance in Milwaukee. The upside of Yi includes the comparisons to Yao Ming, his fellow countryman, who inspired him to come to the NBA. At 7-0′ and 245 pounds, Yi certainly has the size that the Bucks need, and the shooting skills that could make him a unique big man. But if he doesn’t want to play here none of it matters, and Harris will have made a very expensive error.

With the NBA Draft rapidly approaching, GM Larry Harris is probably starting to feel the pressure of making his selection a little more.  After last year, when the Bucks of course didn’t have a first rounder, Harris’ job was fairly easy, saying that he would just sit back and make his pick based on who he thought was the best player available.  This year is definitely a little different year for Harris, who may have his job in jeopardy come next season, if the Bucks’ record does not improve. Yes, Harris can’t control when his players get hurt, but he does make critical decisions. Two years ago, when the Bucks signed Bobby Simmons away from LA, everyone in Milwaukee was very excited to land the “Most Improved Player” from the year before. But now after two injury riddled seasons and minimal playing time on the court, Harris needs to nail this offseason to give himself and the Bucks a chance to go deep into the playoffs. With the #6 pick, their has been discussion that the Bucks may want to maximize value, by trading the pick to Golden State, who wants Chinese phenom Yi Jianlian, for their pick (#18 overall and Jason Richardson). Richardson would then most likely slid into the 3 spot, landing Bobby Simmons on the bench. If the Bucks keep the pick, which is the more attracting option to some, the consesus picks have probably narrowed down to Ohio State point guard Mike Conley Jr. and North Carolina forward Brandan Wright. Wright, if available, would probably be picked over Conley, but it all depends on how Harris views his team. If he feels they can resign Mo Williams for a reasonable price or not. In the second round, I would look for the Bucks to take Purdue Carl Landry, brother of Wisconsin’s Marcus Landry, whom the Bucks fell in love with after his workout. I will be attending the Bucks draft at the Bradley Center as a member of the press, so I’ll give you the lowdown on both picks when they go down.

Bucks GM Larry Harris knows what it’s like to score the #1 pick. He accomplished that feat in 2005, after selecting Andrew Bogut from the University of Utah. Some say that he has been a bust, some say it’s too soon to tell. I say that Bogut is still maturing and therefore will need more time in order to fully develop and reach his star potential. This year is no different than 2005 for Harris, who has a chance to score yet another top pick. There are two elite players who undoubtedly will land in the top two spots: Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. In 2005, there was a controversy in Milwaukee as to who the Bucks should have taken, Bogut or Marvin Williams, and the consesus pick was Bogut. This year seems to be a bit different. Both Durant and Oden are extremely talented, on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. News leaked (via RealGM) that if the Bucks were somehow to get lucky once again, the pick would be Greg Oden. Others, including myself feel that it should be in the Bucks’ best interest to land the #2 pick, because of the low risk factor. Although both players have unlimited upside, some people will find a way to criticize the top pick no matter who it is. Where as at the #2 spot, Larry Harris won’t get bashed for picking the wrong guy. In addition, the Bucks wouldn’t have to pay #1 money, while still landing an elite player.

With the 2007 NBA Lottery upcoming, the Milwaukee Bucks will have an interesting decision to make. Assuming the lotto-balls fall the way they’re supposed to, the Bucks will get the #3 overall pick in the draft. The two-outright stars (Kevin Durant and Greg Oden) will most certainly go 1-2, then Bucks will find themselves in an interesting spot. The question is what are Larry Harris’ plans for free agency? Does he plan to lock up Mo Williams to a deal, or would he rather let Mo take his paycheck and head elsewhere for next season? That is proably the most burning question right now, because this decision may cost Harris his job. If he decides to not pay Mo, there are still options. They could trade down a few spots in the draft and pick up Mike Conley Jr, the point guard from Ohio State. However, if Harris deems Conley not NBA “ready” enough, Chauncey Billups would also be an intriguing option to fill the possible void at point. If Harris decided to stay at three, do they go with another big man? Tarheel freshman Brandan Wright is projected to Milwaukee at three, and Florida players Joakim Noah and Cory Brewer will most likely be available. But if the ball bounces the Bucks way again, (like in 2005), the decision at #1 should be a pretty easy one. Yes, Oden is a rare big man, but Kevin Durant’s talent and upside would be too great to pass up. He also would fill a need for the Bucks, at the 3. Bobby Simmons has thusfar been a major disappointment, and may be better off if he went back to his old role in which he won an award with the LA Clippers. What was that? 6th man. Simmons needs to play off the bench. This decision would be the best for Harris, so let’s hope the Bucks get lucky once again. The best situation would be to let Mo and Reuben Patterson walk, assuming they’re offered ludacris contracts, and resign guards Charlie Bell, Earl Boykins, and forward Ersan Llyasova. Then try like heck to land Billups, who has expressed verbal interest in Milwaukee. Just think: PG Billups, SG Redd, SF Durant, PF Villanueva, C Bogut. 6th man: Simmons, others off bench: Boykins, Bell, Gadzuric, Noel. If I was the East, I’d be nervous if the Bucks had that lineup. Bottom line: Trust in Harris, not Herb Kohl.