The Milwaukee Bucks have been having a lot of trade discussions, as the deadline is getting extremely close. The first player the Bucks made available this season was backup center Miles Plumlee, and he has actually garnered some interest. The Bucks, though, may not be willing to trade Plumlee anymore due to the condition of John Henson's back, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.
Plumlee has not been part of the Bucks rotation for the most part this season, as he is behind both Greg Monroe and John Henson on the center depth chart. Plumlee has appeared in just 33 games and is averaging 9.5 minutes per game. In the past Plumlee has shown that he can be a helpful piece to a team, especially on the defensive end, so it was no surprise that the Bucks looked to see what they could get for him.
The Bucks have received interest for Plumlee from teams like the Wizards and the Timberwolves, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN, but they will likely choose to hold on to him now. Henson missed the Bucks last seven games before the All-Star break due to a sore back, and they are still unsure of when he will be back. Because of this, the Bucks need to hold on to Plumlee as insurance should Henson miss even more time.
Even after the All-Star break Henson did not practice with the team on Wednesday, according to Charles Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and his status for the Bucks game on Friday and beyond is in doubt. Henson's numbers have taken a pretty big dip this season with Monroe now on the team, but he is still someone they feel has a very bright future as shown by the four-year $44 million extension they signed him to this offseason.
The Bucks also like Plumlee, but they realize that there isn't much playing time available for him when both Henson and Monroe are healthy. Both players are signed for beyond this season, so consistent minutes for Plumlee aren't coming in the foreseeable future either. Plumlee is making $2.1 million this year and will become a restricted free agent after this season, so he is desired by many teams, it just so happens that Henson's injury will likely prevent him from moving to a better situation.
