Milwaukee Collected Two Second-Round Chances for Immediate Guard Help
Houston acquired Mike James and Zendon Hamilton from the Bucks at the February 24, 2005 deadline. Milwaukee took back guard Reece Gaines and the Rockets' second-round selections in 2006 and 2007. James had played for multiple teams but offered the Rockets an experienced scorer behind Tracy McGrady. The Bucks, not positioned for a deep postseason run, chose more future player options. At the time there was little reason to know that the later of those draft selections would produce a useful NBA point guard.
James Was a Short-Term Houston Playoff Contributor
James played for Houston through the end of the 2004-05 regular season and the club's postseason series against Dallas. His scoring ability was useful for a team that needed more backcourt offense, even when his minutes fluctuated. Hamilton provided another reserve body but did not become a lasting rotation player. Houston then traded James in October 2005 for Rafer Alston in a separate transaction, which ended the direct playing period from this February exchange. His later Toronto, Minnesota and Houston years should not be attached to the initial acquisition.
The Bucks Used Their Picks on Noel and Sessions
Milwaukee used the 2006 second-round selection on David Noel at No. 39, then selected Ramon Sessions at No. 56 in 2007 with the later pick. Noel was a short-term Bucks reserve, but Sessions developed into a useful ball handler who earned substantial regular-season minutes in 2007-08 and 2008-09. That delayed return gave Milwaukee more than a speculative foreign draft-rights asset. Sessions' later work for Minnesota and other franchises is not part of Milwaukee's direct return, but the seasons he actually played for the Bucks are meaningful.
The Later Draft Choice Changes the Historical Verdict
Houston's side was not a failure. James provided real guard scoring during a playoff push, and the Rockets obtained the opportunity to trade his contract again later that year. Milwaukee nonetheless turned the two outgoing veterans into multiple NBA players, most importantly Sessions. The inherited Bucks win was sensible and becomes clearer when the draft selections are traced to the players who occupied them. An A- for Milwaukee rewards the useful point-guard development without counting every later stop in Sessions' career or assuming his original selection was a first-round pick.
Final Verdict
Bucks Win. Milwaukee earns A- for turning the trade into the 2006 No. 39 David Noel selection and the 2007 No. 56 Ramon Sessions pick, later a useful Bucks guard. Houston gets B- for Mike James's immediate 2005 regular-season and playoff depth, plus Zendon Hamilton. The delayed draft return outweighs the shorter Rockets acquisition stint.