The Bucks are making a change to their starting lineup, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, who reports (via Twitter) that second-year wing Andre Jackson is expected to replace Gary Trent Jr. at shooting guard.
It’s unclear if the move will be permanent or temporary. Haynes says the lineup change will take place on Thursday vs. Utah, but didn’t elaborate beyond that. Of course, how Jackson performs will likely play a significant factor in the decision-making process.
At 1-6, the Bucks are currently tied with Philadelphia and Utah for the worst record in the NBA.
Trent, 25, signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Bucks over the summer in the hopes of boosting his stock and entering free agency again in 2025. However, he’s had a rough start to the 2024/25 season, averaging just 8.0 PPG, 1.6 RPG and 1.0 APG and struggling mightily with his shot (.288/.231/.929 slash line) through seven games (29.6 MPG).
Trent has converted 38.3% of his career attempts from long distance; eventually he’ll start making shots. But in the meantime, Milwaukee decided to alter its starting five.
The No. 36 overall pick of the 2023 draft, Jackson isn’t known for his shooting ability, but he’s very active in other aspects of the game. The 22-year-old is an excellent athlete, strong rebounder, and solid multi-positional defender. He’s also a better play-maker than Trent.
The sample sizes are tiny, but the Bucks have been dreadful when Trent has been on the court and have outscored their opponents in Jackson’s minutes.
Jackson’s $1.9MM salary for ’24/25 is partially guaranteed for $945K. He’s under contract through ’26/27, with Milwaukee holding a team option for that final season.
If they can figure a way to do it, they’ll trade Jackson and Beauchamp, to make room for the ghosts of P. J. Tucker and George Hill. Then they’ll be raising the championship banner again for sure!
Dont worry, Doc has a plan
Suck at coaching?
It may not change much, but swapping out Trent for Jackson makes sense. Whether its a permanent change or not should depend on how Jackson responds. He’s been an impact player since college, it’s just that sometimes the impact has been negative. Just because Doc Rivers is initiating it, doesn’t, by itself, mean it’s not a good move.