During that time the Bucks were approached by multiple teams with trade proposals, but the Front Office decided to stay calm and evaluate the team's situation closer to the trade deadline. However, the Atlanta Hawks reached the Bucks with an interesting offer, swapping Joel Embiid for Kevin Huerter. Huerter, signed during the offseason as a free agent to provide more perimeter shooting, had not worked as expected. Maybe it was a matter of given the young player more time, but Embiid will provide more post scoring, defensive rebounding and some additional shot blocking. The Bucks decided to accept the proposal but needed to acquire another perimeter scorer, so sophomore Stanton Kidd was included in the deal to free a roster spot and clear some salaries. Three second round picks from Milwaukee were sent to Atlanta as compensation. The Bucks then signed free agent forward Kevin Hervey.
Embiid, 32, has only made the playoffs once during his 13-year CSL career, back in the 2025-26 with the Utah Jazz. A former first overall pick, he was having a good season in Atlanta, contributing to a Hawks team performing better than most anticipated. In Milwaukee Embiid will have a chance to fight for a title, although competition is tough and even making the Top 6 in the East is a difficult task.
Embiid joins the Bucks chasing a ring.
As for Hervey, 28, has appeared in a total of 88 CSL games, 29 with Philadelphia in the 2022-23 season and 59 with Portland in the 2024-25 season. He was currently playing with the Salem Explorers, where he was averaging 22.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. While that is D-League competition, coach Diaw had been following for some time and thinks he can be a good addition to the team's rotation.
Hervey will have another chance in the CSL.
The Bucks are not known to be a team active in the trade market, and the most likely scenario is that we see no more deals from Milwaukee this season. However, depending on the team situation near the trade deadline, another deal could happen. For the moment, the focus is on keeping the pace with the rest of the Eastern contenders, and to peak at the right time.
