The speculation for weeks now were that the Bucks were offering up Jamaal Magloire and Mo Williams in the hopes of landing an athletic power forward. With that in mind, Milwaukee started dealing with Toronto, but the Raptors wanted T.J. Ford instead, and they got their man.
Ford averaged 12.2 points and a team-high 6.6 assists in 72 games last season following a spinal-cord injury that sidelined him for a season and a half.
The 6-foot-11 Villanueva, selected seventh overall in the 2005 draft, averaged 13.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in 81 games for the Raptors. The former Connecticut star set Toronto rookie records for points with 48 on March 26 at Milwaukee and rebounds with 18 on April 2 against New Orleans.
“Acquiring Charlie takes care of a primary need we had going into the summer,” Harris said. “He’s a gifted power forward who knows how to score both inside and outside. … The outstanding rookie season he had last year is only the beginning of what he’s capable of achieving.”
Ford is a dynamic player and a fan-favorite in Milwaukee. There will be many Bucks fans that will be upset about the move. In Ford, the Raptors got a Steve Nash-like point guard to fill the same role in GM Bryan Colangelo’s up-tempo system.
Pending another move, the Bucks could start Williams, Michael Redd, Bobby Simmons, Villanueva and Bogut, giving the team one of the best young lineups in the league. It is important for Milwaukee to lock up Williams before his stock gets any higher.
