The Milwaukee Bucks have traded veterans Taurean Prince and Gary Harris to the Detroit Pistons for Caris LeVert and two second-round picks, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania.
“The Detroit Pistons are trading Caris LeVert and two second-round picks to the Milwaukee Bucks for Taurean Prince and Gary Harris, sources tell ESPN. Pistons will create a trade exception from the deal and savings while Bucks acquire LeVert and pick up assets,” Charania tweeted.
LeVert, a 6’7” wing who will turn 32 prior
to the upcoming season, played 60 games for the Pistons last year—all off the bench—averaging 7.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 2.7 APG, to go along with 1.6 stocks, in 19.2 MPG. He was a regular part of the Pistons’ postseason rotation too, averaging 16.6 MPG through 13 games, and is just two years removed from being a 14, 4, and 5 guy on a Cleveland Cavaliers team that won 48 games and finished fourth in the Eastern Conference. He is on an expiring contract that pays him $14.8m for the 2026-27 season.
But while LeVert is a proven player, capable of handling the ball and creating offense for himself and others, the move for the Bucks is likely more about the acquisition of draft assets and roster construction. Milwaukee now adds two more second-round picks to the 2030 first-round pick swap, two unprotected first-round picks (2031 and 2033), and 2033 second-round pick they acquired trading Giannis to the Miami Heat. The move also trims the Bucks’ roster. By exchanging two veterans for one, the Bucks are effectively down to a full 15-man roster—pending the official signing of 13th overall pick Nate Ament—for the 2026-27 season.
While the Bucks gain a valuable player and draft assets, they lose strong veteran leadership in Prince and Harris. Prince, who somewhat surprisingly picked up his player option on June 30, played 106 games across two seasons with the Bucks, averaging 8.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.9 APG. He primarily served as a floor-spacer in the frontcourt, hitting 44% of his 4.5 three-point attempts during his time in Milwaukee, and bravely battled through a herniated disc and subsequent neck surgery that kept him out of action for most of last season.
Harris, on the other hand, signed with the Bucks prior to last season as a depth piece. He played 48 games for Milwaukee, averaging 2.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG, and 1.1 APG in 13.8 MPG, hitting 41% of his shots from three. While he didn’t put up big numbers, he was a pro’s pro who more often than not did all the right things on the court.
All the best, Taurean and Gary.
What are your thoughts on the trade, Brew Hoopers? Add your two cents in the comments.
