According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Zaza Pachulia has been traded to the Dallas Mavericks for a 2018 second round pick (top-55 protected). He broke the news within the hour before confirming the trade:

The trade does not come as a surprise, as the Bucks were actively shopping Pachulia’s $5.25 million expiring contract for a team looking for center help. After the Mavericks lost DeAndre Jordan yesterday, they reached out to John Hammond on his availability.

This was Pachulia’s second stint as a Buck. He was on the team in the 2003-04 season, and then the last two seasons. In his second stint, he averaged 7.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and brought leadership to the young Bucks’ locker room.

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Pachulia’s departure leaves the Bucks with an entire roster 28 and younger with an average age of 23 among the 14 players on their roster. Recently acquired Greivis Vasquez is the oldest player at 28, and the team will need to find some leadership from the two players they signed today: Khris Middleton and Greg Monroe. This also shows the Bucks’ commitment to John Henson and Miles Plumlee in the front court, as they will back up Jabari Parker and Greg Monroe.

Unfortunately, had the trade occurred before the team signed Middleton, they would have $11 million in salary cap space. But, since the trade happened after the signing, the team will be left with basically no cap space left for this season. You can’t blame them for locking down Middleton with what happened with Jordan yesterday. Regardless, it’s a clear indication the Bucks are done in free agency (pending a trade) and this will likely be their roster for the upcoming season with age in parenthesis:

Click here for the Bucks’ salary cap situation.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF (20)
Jerryd Bayless, PG (26)
Michael Carter Williams, PG (23)
Tyler Ennis, PG (20)
John Henson, C (24)
Damien Inglis, SF (20)
O.J. Mayo, SG (27)
Khris Middleton, SG (23)
Greg Monroe, PF/C (25)
Johnny O’Bryant, PF (22)
Jabari Parker, SF (20)
Miles Plumlee, C (26)
Greivis Vasquez, PG (28)
Rashad Vaughn, SG (18)

Thanks for everything, Zaza!

Image via Grantland