NBA Notes: Bucks, Peyton Watson, Pelicans, Jordan Poole, Bulls

Bucks

Would Peyton Watson make the Bucks considerably better next season? Maybe not. But that might not really be the point.

The Bucks have been linked to Watson for more than a month, and Tre Allen of NBA On SI examines what the 23-year-old forward could mean for a Milwaukee team that has entered a rebuild.

Watson is coming off a strong season in Denver and would give Milwaukee another young, athletic two-way forward to put alongside Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware and Nate Ament.

There is some risk, of course. Playing alongside Nikola Jokic has been known to make life considerably easier for teammates, and Watson presumably will be seeking a sizable contract.

Still, Watson showed some intriguing signs when Jokic wasn’t on the floor. He averaged 22.1 points in those games, compared to 11.7 when playing alongside him, according to StatMuse.

So perhaps there is something more there.

Milwaukee isn’t necessarily trying to win the East next season. Finding young players who could matter when it’s ready to win again is another story. Watson would qualify.

Pelicans

The Pelicans have basically spent the summer bringing back a team that won 26 games. Cem Yolbulan of Pelicans On SI has an idea for changing that.

His hypothetical trade would send Jordan Poole and two second-round picks to Dallas for Daniel Gafford and Caleb Martin.

Gafford would address an obvious need at center after Kevon Looney‘s departure, while Martin could provide another veteran rotation option.

For Dallas, the attraction would largely be financial. Poole’s $34 million salary expires after the season, while Gafford has three years and $54 million remaining on his deal. Martin also has a $9.3 million player option for 2027-28.

Again, nobody is reporting that such a trade is being discussed.

But if New Orleans really has no interest in another rebuild, turning Poole’s expiring contract into frontcourt help isn’t the craziest idea we’ve heard this August. Not even close.

Bulls

The Bulls have gotten younger, more athletic and considerably different. One thing they haven’t necessarily gotten is better at shooting.

Elias Schuster of Bulls On SI identifies three-point shooting as perhaps the biggest weakness on Chicago’s current roster.

Norman Powell certainly helps. He’s a career 39.6 percent shooter from beyond the arc and gives new coach Tiago Splitter at least one proven high-volume threat.

After that? Things get a little dicey.

Josh Giddey has improved, but defenses aren’t likely to build their game plans around preventing his threes. Jalen Smith can shoot it, though he’s never played major minutes. Chicago will also be relying heavily on young players, including rookie Caleb Wilson.

The Bulls could compensate in other ways. Splitter was part of a Portland operation that emphasized offensive rebounding despite poor outside shooting, and Chicago certainly has the athletes to play aggressively.

Still, in today’s NBA, spacing matters. The Bulls may eventually need to find some more of it.