Milwaukee Secured a First-Round Pick Alongside Mike Gminski
On February 24, 1994, Milwaukee sent veteran center Frank Brickowski to Charlotte for Mike Gminski and the Hornets’ 1997 first-round draft selection. Both clubs’ transaction ledgers establish the same deal and later associate the choice with No. 20 Paul Grant in 1997. The Bucks were preparing for a roster reset while Brickowski had started 40 of his 43 Milwaukee games earlier that season. Charlotte wanted to add a center who could score and pass, while Milwaukee took in an older frontcourt player with a first-round asset positioned several years into the future. The outgoing pick was a real first, not a contingent second or an unspecified future choice.
Brickowski Produced Twenty-Eight Hornets Games Before Injury
Brickowski played 28 games for Charlotte after the swap, making six starts, scoring 282 total points with 125 rebounds and 57 assists. He had averaged 15.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in Milwaukee earlier that year, making the change worthwhile to Charlotte as a short-term offensive option. But a shoulder injury kept him out of the 1994-95 campaign, and he next appeared for Seattle in 1995-96. Thus the Hornets received one partial season rather than a reliable multi-year starting center. Charlotte’s D+ grade reflects how quickly its direct return ended, not a claim that Brickowski had no useful NBA skill. The club surrendered a first-round draft opportunity for that short stint.
The Bucks Kept a Valuable Draft Asset Even With a Veteran Return
Gminski gave Milwaukee veteran center availability in the final weeks of 1993-94, but the lasting attraction was the draft capital received from Charlotte. The 1997 first-round selection ultimately became No. 20, associated with Paul Grant. The later draft history must be treated as a pick chain rather than an assumption that Grant’s NBA playing career all belonged to Milwaukee. The Bucks’ A- grade is grounded in obtaining a true first for a 34-year-old player who would soon miss an entire season. Charlotte got recognizable scoring for 28 games but carried the larger opportunity cost, which explains the substantial difference in the inherited outcome grades.
Final Verdict
Bucks Win. Milwaukee earns A- for Mike Gminski plus Charlotte’s 1997 first-round pick, which became No. 20. Charlotte receives D+ after Frank Brickowski played 28 games and missed the following season with a shoulder injury. The first-round draft asset gave Milwaukee the stronger long-term return.