Well, last time I wrote something to this effect, it was in support of a trade of Tim Thomas, which wasn't even being discussed as a possibiility.  While the results of that deal may be somewhat mixed, I will take Keith Van Horn over Tim Thomas any day.  Before that, my call to action was to deal Ray Allen.  And, despite what some morons in Milwaukee papers will write, it was a good trade.  Desmond Mason is a hell of a player, much more complete than Ray overall.  Ray is whining about his coach, again, and has demanded a trade in Seattle, while eating up a significant portion of the Sonics cap.  Not to mention that the Bucks have cap room to use (and they will) with Ray out of the picture.  So, now I offer up my opinions free of charge once again to Larry Harris, GM of your Milwaukee Bucks.

And, I can sum up my suggestion in two words.  Bob Sura.  Yeah, I know, really shocking that the biggest Bob Sura fan in the world suggests the Bucks sign him.  But, there are real tangible reasons for signing the FSU Hall of Famer.  The first is plain and simple, he gives you options.  Sura has demonstrated in his career the ability to play the point, the 2 guard, and the small forward.  He can create, he can score, he can rebound, and best of all, he can defend.  For a team that could use help in each of these areas, it would be a great pickup.

Nobody knows for sure how well TJ Ford will recover from his injury.  Damon Jones is capable, but is a free agent.  Brevin Knight is the worst jump shooter in the league.  Both need to be let go to sign elsewhere.  Jones is a nice guy, and part of that involves not stopping anyone from scoring 20 points on him.  And, he's one dimensional.  Sura can be effective as a starter in a pinch (see his Atlanta production as a starter last year for proof), and has been very servicable off the bench.  He gives you a reliable backup at the two guard.  His style of driving to the basket and getting open off the ball would be a plus.  He can rebound, which is something the Bucks need badly.  And, he will give you maximum defensive effort, which would go well with Desmond Mason off the bench.  And, best of all, he won't kill the salary cap space the Bucks have. 

Which leads to point number two.  The Bucks then need to sign a power forward/center type who is a max effort guy.  And, I know I have personally bashed the man for years, but Brian Cardinal would be a good fit in this role, assuming that the signing of a Sura would not leave cap room to bring back Brian Skinner.  More than anything the Bucks need another warrior type, to compliment Joe Smith who did a great job, both in staying healthy and production in the 2003-04 season.  The bottom line is that the Bucks, even with the mid-level exception, have nowhere near enough cap space to sign a power forward with the talent to be a force on the block, so get someone that will give you the best 20,30, or 40 minutes his body has in him on a given night. 

The Bucks success a year ago was driven by giving an all-out effort 82 times, and the best way to ensure Terry Porter's style doesn't wear thin, or wear players out, is to bring in guys that have made a career out of playing that way.  The Bucks are lucky to have enough talented players to fill the roster out with max-effort guys and succeed.