MILWAUKEE — Once it became clear that the Milwaukee Bucks would re-sign two integral starters in Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez, General Manager Jon Horst turned to a lackluster free-agent pool with a handful of minimum contracts to offer. Despite his limited flexibility in cap space and trade assets, Horst made some key additions Monday to fill gaps left by other departures.
Early into free agency, the Milwaukee Bucks said goodbye to backups Joe Ingles and Jevon Carter, who left for more money in Orlando and Chicago respectively. This left a significant gap on the perimeter with Ingles being one of the team’s best playmakers and the only player on the roster between 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8. Carter, a shift ball-handler and one of the league’s premiere point of attack defenders from the guard spot, leaves Milwaukee without a backup point guard.
Although Horst has yet to address some of these specific needs, the former NBA Executive of the Year lived up to his past by signing free-agent wing Malik Beasley to a one-year, veteran minimum contract to join Milwaukee.
A seven-year NBA veteran, Beasley is a career 37.8% 3-point shooter who led the NBA in threes made off the bench last year between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers. While his role with the Lakers grew increasingly questionable, Beasley is not a player who can be left alone on defense. He’s excellent at nailing spot-up jumpers and using screens to generate space for pull-ups. This makes him a valuable substitute for Middleton in spot minutes.
Volume three-point shooting is key in a lineup starring Giannis Antetokoumpo, so Beasley’s outside shot and underrated slashing talent both on and off the ball make him a solid addition to the lineup. Although his role will be wholly different from Ingles’ in Milwaukee, the Bucks will benefit from a similar offensive impact.
This signing also offers lineup flexibility for first-year head coach Adrian Griffin, would could opt to bring guard Grayson Allen off the bench to handle the ball more frequently now that Carter and Ingles are gone.
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Horst also brought back veteran center Robin Lopez on a one-year, minimum contract. A 35-year-old NBA journeyman and Brook’s identical twin brother, Robin played 66 games for Milwaukee during the 2019-20 season. He’s a more traditional center who can focus on rebounding, defending the rim and passing the ball in team sets. It’s unlikely that Lopez pulls off a career revitalization in Milwaukee like his brother did, but the Bucks know what they’re getting in Robin, and there’s value in consistency at the end of your bench.
Coming off a first-round embarrassment at the hands of the No. 8 seed Miami Heat, there will be a sour taste in the mouths of individuals watching the Bucks effectively run it back with a few bench pieces swapped in and out of the lineup. Nonetheless, it’s crucial not to dismiss the context surrounding that loss. Giannis missed half that series — the final icing on the cake of a season in which they claimed the top seed despite a constantly rotating cast of players.
Bringing back two players who were fundamental to the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2021 title run was the only path to remain in contention for Horst’s roster. The alternatives were to lose them for nothing, or at best, receive a marginal return by signing and trading one, or both, of Lopez and Middleton.
Based on the way the early free-agency period has played out, this was the best-case scenario for initial returns — especially when considering the team re-signed Jae Crowder, who could’ve walked for nothing after several players and five second-round picks were moved to bring him to Milwaukee in February.
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National reporting suggests that the Milwaukee Bucks have been active in talks for veterans and under-the-radar targets to upgrade their roster. Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus reported the Bucks’ interest in signing Eric Gordon, who opted to join the Phoenix Suns. ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported that the Bucks were interested in John Collins, and Hoops Hype’s Mike Scotto linked them to Kings wing Terence Davis.
Of the remaining free agents, there are still a handful of names who could make a significant impact on this rotation. Another former Bucks player, Christian Wood, could prove to be a valuable backup big should his market fall through. Free agent forward Kelly Oubre Jr. is also coming off one of the best seasons of his career at just 27. Other names to consider include Willy Hernangómez, Mo Bamba, Dario Saric, Mo Harkless, or Romeo Langford.
The point guard position is going to be trickiest as the remaining free-agents don’t jump off the page, but there are players with huge upside at that position for Milwaukee to engage with. Former All-Star John Wall has taken a beating with injuries over the last five years, but his passing vision and veteran know-how could go a long way for the Bucks. If they’re more interested in a known commodity, Ish Smith or Austin Rivers could also fit into the rotation and effectively fill the Jevon Carter role with less defensive upside.
On the younger side, they may consider Bucks All-Star Jrue Holiday’s younger brother, Aaron Holiday, to keep with their trend of signing brothers. Former Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jaylen Nowell is more of a natural two-guard, but could entertain a score-first point guard role off the bench at only 23.
Considering the fact that most teams have committed their cap space elsewhere, more surprising names could end up on one-year, veteran minimum contracts this season thanks in part to the league’s newest Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which introduced more harsh penalties for teams over the cap while simultaneously incentivizing teams to lock their cap space in to keep players in the cities that drafted or traded for them.
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Last, but certainly not least, there are serious trade possibilities ahead. Unsubstantiated rumors regarding potential Bucks trades have spiraled in NBA spheres, but there has not been any confirmed reporting on the subject to date. Go ahead and peruse NBA Twitter if you’d like to hear more about those.
However, by looking at the roster and assessing the current value of NBA contracts, it’s evident that teams could look at Grayson Allen or Pat Connaughton as valuable trade chips given their low-cost contracts. Even less likely than that, Sixth Man of the Year finalist Bobby Portis is under contract for the next two seasons at approx. $12 million per year.
If the Bucks were to make a deal — barring a super trade involving Holiday, which is the least likely of all outcomes here — it would probably involve at least one of those three players.
Ultimately, the Milwaukee Bucks are in the same boat they were in last year. They’ll likely be one of the top Eastern Conference contenders in the regular season based on a core of savvy veteran talent surrounding its star in Giannis. However, they have yet to make any moves that would increase confidence in their ability to compete at the highest level in the Playoffs.
If they replace Carter and solidify a solid 10-man rotation that can be whittled down carefully for the postseason, the team could return to its former glory and bring another championship home to Milwaukee. However, the team has yet to make any moves that push the needle further in their favor.
The NBA’s landscape will look vastly different once superstar trade requests are out of the way and teams can make more fringe trades to supplement their rosters. For now, sit tight and enjoy the ride — the NBA offseason is only just beginning.
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