Owners of the NBA's worst record in 2013-14, the Milwaukee Bucks have taken major steps toward rebuilding in the last week. At the NBA Draft Thursday night in Brooklyn, they selected former Duke forward Jabari Parker with the second overall pick. But Parker won't be the only asset traveling from the Barclays Center to Milwaukee.
The new Bucks ownership made another splash Tuesday, this time on the sidelines, sending a pair of second-round draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets for the rights to head coach Jason Kidd. Hired by Nets general manager and Duke alum Billy King just nine days after announcing his retirement as a player, Kidd led the Nets to a 44-38 record and the second round of the playoffs in his only season at the helm. He reportedly asked Nets executives for control of basketball operations, but was unsuccessful. When the Bucks came calling, the Nets were willing to let Kidd talk.
At the suggestion of King, Kidd's Nets traveled to Duke last October to hold training camp. The five-day stint using the Blue Devils' practice facilities also provided an opportunity for former Duke center Mason Plumlee—the Nets' first-round draft pick in 2013—to return to campus just a few months removed from graduating.
The Bucks team Kidd inherits lacks the talent of his Brooklyn squad, as he will transition from managing the superstar personalities of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to younger players like Parker and Giannis Antetokoumpo. Expectations for Milwaukee will still be low in 2014-15 and the franchise's future rests on the shoulders of Parker, who will look to follow in Plumlee's footsteps by turning in a first-team rookie All-NBA season for Kidd.
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