The Milwaukee Bucks may be coming off one of the most embarrassing playoff defeats of all time, but the 2023-24 season marks a new beginning for a team that, as long as their best players remain healthy, should be right up there among the most serious title contenders in the league.

The Bucks front office is definitely serious about contending for a championship next season, as they splashed the cash on both Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez just to keep the band together and run it back for at least a few more years. Giannis Antetokounmpo is only 28 years old, so he should have at least five more years of stellar production, and for as long as Antetokounmpo is around, the Bucks will be an elite team.

Moreover, the Bucks also re-signed Jae Crowder, who should perform better in Milwaukee after getting more acclimated to the team, while adding Malik Beasley and Robin Lopez, boosting the team's shooting and chemistry, respectively.

At the moment, however, the Bucks have only 12 players under contract, and they lost a few key players as well, such as Joe Ingles and Jevon Carter. Carter, in particular, could be a huge loss, as not only is he a stout defender at the point, he has also become a flamethrower from deep. He was also valuable insurance for when Jrue Holiday missed time.

Thus, the Bucks, even with their limited funds, could certainly use another rotation piece at point guard via free agency, even if they trust AJ Green to fill some minutes in the backcourt.

Here is the bargain-bin player the Bucks must target in free agency to fill their need at the one.

Bargain-bin free agent target for Bucks: Raul Neto or Kendrick Nunn

At this point in free agency, the best players have already either found new homes or re-upped with their current teams. Will this come back to haunt the Bucks, especially when they still have a huge void to fill at backup point guard?

Over the past few grueling regular seasons, the Bucks excelled due to their impressive depth. But with Jevon Carter, and to a lesser extent, Goran Dragic gone, it'll be interesting to monitor how the team fills the roster's most pressing need.

But there could still be a slew of options who should be of interest to the Bucks. Enter Raul Neto and Kendrick Nunn.

It has been a down few years for Neto since he emerged as a quality backup guard for the Washington Wizards during the 2020-21 season. His shooting from deep has cratered below the 30 percent mark, which is never a good sign for any guard. But he makes up for it with guile, able to maneuver his way through a pick-and-roll with ease while never taking any bad shots. There's a reason why his field-goal percentage has remained solid despite his struggles from three.

Moreover, Neto should have chemistry with Robin Lopez, as the two were teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season and with the Wizards three seasons ago. For a team with plenty of shooters on the roster, Neto could just slot in and do what he does best — orchestrate the offense, dish the rock, and ensure the team takes good shots.

However, the higher upside play is certainly Kendrick Nunn. Nunn, unlike Neto, is a danger to pull up from deep, capable of getting buckets in bunches at any time. His skillset, at least on the offensive end, makes him more suited to replacing Jevon Carter's gunslinging ways.

After arriving with the Wizards after the Los Angeles Lakers' trade deadline dealings, Nunn's efficiency from the field bounced back to a level that resembled more of his form with the Miami Heat, while he was also more on-point from beyond the arc. Only 27 years old, Nunn could end up being one of the steals of the offseason, especially if he continues to round into form the further he is from the injury troubles that plagued him.

At the end of the day, the Bucks won't need a needle-mover at backup point guard. After all, they won the 2021 NBA championship with Jeff Teague as the only other nominal point guard on the roster apart from Jrue Holiday. When the playoffs begin, new head coach Adrian Griffin will certainly be shortening the rotation, staggering his stars' minutes to ensure that one of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Holiday, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis are on the floor at all times.

But to get to the playoffs with a clean bill of health, the Bucks will need reliable “innings-eaters”, and Raul Neto and Kendrick Nunn fit that bill.