Milwaukee Paid Two Real Assets for One Short-Lived Season
On draft night in 2015, Milwaukee acquired Greivis Vasquez from Toronto for the draft rights to Norman Powell and a protected future first-round pick. The Bucks were coming off a 41-win playoff season and wanted another ball-handler for a young roster, so the idea was understandable. The cost was the problem. Vasquez played only 23 games for Milwaukee before an ankle injury ended his season, averaged 5.7 points and 4.0 assists, and left in free agency the following summer.
Powell Became a Long-Term Rotation Player for Toronto
Powell was the 46th pick, but Toronto quickly found more value than his draft slot suggested. By April of his rookie season he had earned Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, and he became a recurring part of the Raptors' postseason rotation. Powell stayed through the 2020-21 season and was part of the 2019 championship team. He was not a star from day one, but Toronto received years of useful wing production from a player Milwaukee had just selected and immediately traded.
The Future First Became O.G. Anunoby
The second half of Toronto's return became even more valuable. The protected Clippers-origin first-round pick conveyed in 2017 at No. 23, where the Raptors selected O.G. Anunoby. Anunoby developed into a high-level two-way starter and later became a major trade asset in his own right. Milwaukee did not merely sacrifice an uncertain future pick; the selection actually conveyed and became one of Toronto's core defenders. Pairing that outcome with Powell turns the deal from a routine draft-night swap into a major hindsight loss for the Bucks.
Toronto Converted One Veteran Into Years of Wing Value
Vasquez had helped Toronto before the trade, but the Raptors sold at the right time. They replaced a veteran reserve guard with two younger assets that both became legitimate NBA contributors. Powell gave Toronto depth across multiple playoff runs, while Anunoby grew into a starting forward with elite defensive value. The Raptors also avoided paying for Vasquez's next contract and moved forward with Kyle Lowry, Cory Joseph and younger guards. The trade aligned roster timing, development and asset value unusually well.
The Grade Gap Is One of the Clearest in This Queue
Injuries alone do not make a trade bad, but Milwaukee's downside was already visible in the acquisition price. A one-year reserve guard cost the rights to a second-round wing plus a protected first. The later outcomes amplified that risk dramatically: Vasquez lasted 23 games, Powell became a long-term rotation player and the first became Anunoby. Toronto's canonical A+ and Milwaukee's F therefore do not depend on inventing downstream value. Both major incoming assets can be traced directly to the transaction and both produced substantial value for the Raptors.
Final Verdict
Raptors Win — Milwaukee F, Toronto A+. Milwaukee received only 23 games from Greivis Vasquez after sending Toronto the rights to Norman Powell and a protected future first-round pick. Powell became a multi-year rotation wing and a member of Toronto's 2019 championship team. The first-rounder conveyed at No. 23 in 2017 and became O.G. Anunoby, who developed into a premier two-way starter. The Bucks' original need for another ball-handler was reasonable, but the price produced almost no durable return while Toronto converted both incoming assets into major value.