At this point, it is well-known that the Milwaukee Bucks are actively attempting to make adjustments to the current iteration of their roster.

The team is 2-7 and plays the defending champion Boston Celtics in their next game on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, the Bucks have not found a willing trade partner, and it is not due to their lack of effort.

Due to NBA rules and the relatively new collective bargaining agreement, the Bucks have struggled to make any sort of progress on the trade market. The NBA’s recently-signed restriction states that free agents who signed to their current team this past offseason, can’t be traded until December 15th. Once, that date passes, the Bucks’ front office should have more optionality in trade negotiations. However, because of their second apron status, the Bucks have salary cap restrictions that significantly hinder their flexibility in trade discussions.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently reported on ESPN’s NBA Today, “The Bucks are doing something we don’t see very often, which is scouring the trade market in the first week of November… I don’t think help is on the way through the trade market… They called pretty much the whole league.”

With no timetable on Khris Middleton’s return, and the Bucks’ poor record, the pressure falls onto the front office to figure out how to stack marginal wins in order to fill out this roster optimally. While time is quickly ticking on a solution, the Bucks still have an opportunity to salvage this season.

However, Gary Trent Jr. just missed Friday’s game versus the Knicks due to lower back spasms. The Bucks can’t afford for Trent to miss an extended amount of time, despite his early-season shooting struggles.

Fortunately, Middleton was seen on the court in recent days, participating in 3-on-3 scrimmages. But, the three-time All-Star has yet to be cleared for 5-on-5 practice participation.

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