The Milwaukee Bucks now have Jason Kidd to coach Jabari Parker and this offseason, the team is targeting a Jeremy Lin trade with the Houston Rockets along with a free agent deal for restricted Suns star Eric Bledsoe as they try and pull out of the east cellar and some other names the team could be interested in includes Greivis Vasquez and Shawn Marion.
According to ESPN.com and Pro Basketball Talk, the Bucks are looking at putting together a deal for Bledsoe, who is a restricted agent from the Phoenix Suns. Bledsoe is one of the more talented young players on the market and while the Suns are planning on matching any deals he gets in free agency, the team could consider letting him go for the right price. The Bucks are clearly building for the future and Marc Stein reports they could be open to a Jeremy Lin trade, as they have the cap space to absorb that money and they could snag a future draft pick or player as compensation for taking that on.
Lin is making $15 million on his $8.4 million contract this season and if the Rockets want any chance to sign Carmelo Anthony or another big free agent, this is a move they have to make. Vasquez is another potential target for the team and Pro Basketball Talk writes that since both are restricted free agents, the Bucks may have to get creative to get their teams not to match. The Suns have said reportedly that they will not let Bledsoe walk easily this summer.
Last season the Raptors went 48-34 and won the Atlantic division and that is why Dwane Casey was brought back on a new deal, as the team set a record for franchise wins and got some great play from their young players. Greivis Vasquez is a player the Bucks are looking at and he had a solid run with the Raptors and he could end up back with the team.
Vasquez could possibly be one player that returns next season and according to Pro Basketball Talk, the Raptors also may look at trying to sign back former star player Vince Carter. ESPN.com writer Marc Stein reported that the Raptors are planning on making a push to sign Carter, who shot to stardom while playing with the team and that could help build even more fan relations after the way the city embraced the Raptors during the playoffs. Stein writes that Carter has enjoyed his time in Dallas and that he would like to stay there, but he also said that in a previous interview he could see himself playing in Toronto again.
Miami is still the top team in the east, as Brooklyn has a shelf life and the Bulls need a health rose or a splash like Carmelo Anthony, while teams like the Raptors and Wizards along with the Hawks are slowly building back talent along with veterans. The Wizards have played well in the playoffs and now the Raptors are looking to have a solid summer heading into next season and with Kyle Lowry back in the fold, they could be a threat, while Milwaukee is building with Jason Kidd and Jabari Parker.
