The trade details
The 2015-07-09 trade between Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards is easiest to judge by first identifying what each team received and then comparing how those assets turned out. Milwaukee Bucks received 2020 second round pick (protected top 55; modified in subsequent trade to protected top 45 in 2020, else unprotected in 2022) (#39-Elijah Hughes). Washington Wizards received Jared Dudley. The list of assets contains 2 distinct pieces: 2020 second round pick (protected top 55; modified in subsequent trade to protected top 45 in 2020, else unprotected in 2022) (#39-Elijah Hughes) and Jared Dudley. Milwaukee Bucks received 2020 second round pick (protected top 55; modified in subsequent trade to protected top 45 in 2020, else unprotected in 2022) (#39-Elijah Hughes); Washington Wizards received Jared Dudley. Players, draft choices, rights, cash, and contract mechanisms are not interchangeable simply because they share a transaction line, so the historical grade follows what each credited asset actually became. The four public sources establish the movement of the pieces from both franchise histories. The evaluation then measures useful production, draft conversion, retained optionality, and downstream value that can be traced directly to this exchange, rather than importing later franchise successes or failures.
How the Returns Diverged
The verdict is Wizards Win, with Milwaukee Bucks graded D+ and Washington Wizards graded B. The realized value favors the counterparty by a meaningful margin. Milwaukee Bucks received 2020 second round pick (protected top 55; modified in subsequent trade to protected top 45 in 2020, else unprotected in 2022) (#39-Elijah Hughes). Washington Wizards received Jared Dudley. On a hindsight basis, incoming draft outcomes included Elijah Hughes (No. 39). The grade also accounts for transaction scale and whether the outgoing package contained premium first-round or established-player value. That evidence controls the direction of the verdict. Trade-day roster need, salary structure, competitive window, and front-office intent can explain why either club accepted the deal, but they do not erase the realized outcomes of 2020 second round pick (protected top 55; modified in subsequent trade to protected top 45 in 2020, else unprotected in 2022) (#39-Elijah Hughes) and Jared Dudley. The grade pair also keeps the judgment proportional. A losing side may still receive a useful player or asset, and a winning side need not land a superstar to finish ahead. The D+/B relationship records the size of the completed value gap behind Wizards Win.
The Stronger Package
The stronger return is best understood through the value created by those assets, not through reputation or package size. The realized value favors the counterparty by a meaningful margin. Milwaukee Bucks received 2020 second round pick (protected top 55; modified in subsequent trade to protected top 45 in 2020, else unprotected in 2022) (#39-Elijah Hughes). Washington Wizards received Jared Dudley. On a hindsight basis, incoming draft outcomes included Elijah Hughes (No. 39). That perspective fits the trade details comparison between 2020 second round pick (protected top 55; modified in subsequent trade to protected top 45 in 2020, else unprotected in 2022) (#39-Elijah Hughes) for Milwaukee Bucks and Jared Dudley for Washington Wizards. One productive player, one useful draft outcome, or one reusable right can outweigh several smaller pieces; conversely, a long package can disappoint when none of its components create durable value. The D+ grade for Milwaukee Bucks and B for Washington Wizards therefore reflect what the packages produced in aggregate. This keeps the case for Wizards Win tied to the trade itself instead of to hindsight that belongs to unrelated transactions.
The Cost on the Other Side
The other side still deserves a separate reading rather than being reduced to the lower grade. Milwaukee Bucks received 2020 second round pick (protected top 55; modified in subsequent trade to protected top 45 in 2020, else unprotected in 2022) (#39-Elijah Hughes). Washington Wizards received Jared Dudley. Jared Dudley delivered a modestly stronger NBA return than the second-round pick used on Elijah Hughes. Later results preserved the edge without widening it substantially. That context helps explain what Washington Wizards and Milwaukee Bucks were trying to gain from their respective returns. A lower grade can include rotation help, a draft chance, cash relief, or a defensible roster solution; the issue is whether those benefits matched the value surrendered. Here the trade does not place 2020 second round pick (protected top 55; modified in subsequent trade to protected top 45 in 2020, else unprotected in 2022) (#39-Elijah Hughes) and Jared Dudley on equal footing. The explicit D+/B grades capture the completed difference while leaving room for legitimate trade-day logic. Keeping the comparison focused prevents later events from distorting this trade.
Final Verdict
Wizards Win. The grades are Milwaukee Bucks D+ and Washington Wizards B. The trade moved 2020 second round pick (protected top 55; modified in subsequent trade to protected top 45 in 2020, else unprotected in 2022) (#39-Elijah Hughes) and Jared Dudley. The realized value favors the counterparty by a meaningful margin. Milwaukee Bucks received 2020 second round pick (protected top 55; modified in subsequent trade to protected top 45 in 2020, else unprotected in 2022) (#39-Elijah Hughes). Washington Wizards received Jared Dudley. On a hindsight basis, incoming draft outcomes included Elijah Hughes (No. 39). The grade also accounts for transaction scale and whether the outgoing package contained premium first-round or established-player value. The verdict follows what those assets became, not whether every decision looked unreasonable at the time. By crediting only production, draft results, rights, cash value, and downstream use attributable to this deal, the D+/B grade pair remains a proportional summary of the completed transaction.