2021 NBA Champion Shooting Guard Traded to the Charlotte Hornets
This past NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks had legitimate hopes of making it back to the NBA Finals for the first time since winning it all in 2021. The Bucks finished as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 48-34 record. They would face the Indiana Pacers in the first round, and in a shocking fashion, Milwaukee would fall in five games to the eventual Eastern Conference Champions. There have been numerous questions for the Bucks as we’ve approached free agency. Whether this team is willing to trade their star in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and if they are, are the fans ready to accept this? Can Milwaukee fans go through another rebuild? 32-year-old shooting guard Pat Connaughton is now set to hit free agency after being a member of the Bucks for the past several seasons. Today, Shams Charania reported that the 2021 NBA champion shooting guard and two second-round picks are being traded to the Charlotte Hornets for Vasilije Micic.
Connaughton was selected as the 41st overall pick by the Brooklyn Nets during the 2015 NBA Draft. His draft rights, along with Mason Plumlee, were traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. The 2021 NBA champion shooting guard spent three seasons in Portland before being traded to Milwaukee. During the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest, where Connaughton finished third, the 32-year-old shooting guard dunked over Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich. The following season, when the Bucks won the NBA Finals, Connaughton averaged about nine points and six rebounds while shooting 44 percent from downtown. In the 2022 off-season, he signed a three-year extension with Milwaukee.
The 2021 NBA champion shooting guard played in 41 games this season. He had one start and averaged about 15 minutes a game. Connaughton averaged about five points, three rebounds, and two assists. During the final game of the 2024-2025 NBA season, the veteran shooting guard recorded a career-high of 43 points, along with putting up 11 rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Connaughton hopes that with the Hornets, he can help elevate this team deep into the NBA Playoffs. He has the veteran experience, as well as much playoff experience, to push any team to further heights.
