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As expected, the Milwaukee Bucks opted to make several under-the-radar moves over the opening week of the NBA free agency period.
The Bucks came into the offseason with a notable dilemma on whether they would keep both Bobby Portis and P.J. Tucker — two players who starred over the team's 2021 NBA championship run. Bucks general manager Jon Horst failed to re-sign Tucker as the veteran opted for a move to the Miami Heat, but in one of the bargain signings of the free agency period, he managed to bring back Portis on a team-friendly two-year, $9 million deal.
The depth acquisitions of Grayson Allen, George Hill, Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye can not go overlooked. Horst's moves for both Allen and Ojeleye should help to bolster the defensive output from the team's bench unit, while veterans Hill and Hood both have what it takes to produce key double-digit scoring outings over the season.
Barring any major surprises, the Bucks will not be making any more notable moves ahead of the upcoming season, especially as the team is already well in luxury tax territory as the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday will all be making over $30 million this season. The Bucks could still make some minor moves as they have a $1.8 million taxpayer mid-level exception. They had a $4.8 million trade exception from the notable DJ Augustin trade, but much of it was reportedly used to take in Allen's salary.
If the Bucks still plan to make a few more signings this offseason, one can not go wrong with one or two more key bench pieces.
The Bucks' depth at the point guard position is much settled at the moment. Holiday will head into his second season as the team's starting point guard, while new addition Hill is slated to be his backup. But if Horst is still eyeing for another veteran point guard, there is still plenty of time to add such a player.
While Avery Bradley has alternated between the point and shooting guard positions over the past couple of seasons, he could be a viable free agency option for Horst's Bucks team. Sure, Bradley may not be the lethal on-ball defensive guard that he once was earlier in his career, especially after he posted a lowly 50.5 defended field goal percentage last season.
Nonetheless, Bradley is one player who does not shy away from taking arduous defensive assignments on the court, so such a profile would fit in just well with the Bucks.
Horst would need to work some cap space magic to even haul in Bradley on a veteran minimum deal.
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If the Bucks prefer to add a score-first guard, the likes of Dennis Smith Jr. or Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk may be low-risk, high-reward options for the team on a one-year deal. Smith would be more of a formidable fit with the Bucks than Mykhailiuk. While he may not help fill the Bucks' 3-point shooting void left by Bryn Forbes, his speed in the perimeter can help crash the paint when he is on the ball, which would then open up 3-point shooting opportunities for some of the team's more reliable shooters from the beyond the arc.
The Bucks signed former Boston Celtics versatile forward Ojeleye, and the team may also be expected to re-sign Thanasis Antetokounmpo. While the Bucks have no real glaring need for another forward, there are still multiple such players who the team can haul in on a veteran minimum deal to bolster their overall depth.
Among the Bucks' options for a third-string forward could be Rondae Hollis-Jefferson or Stanley Johnson. Both talents have had their offensive deficiencies over the past couple of seasons, especially as neither of the two can be relied on as streaky 3-point shooters. Still, the two are well known for being durable on-ball defenders and they each can provide a team with a notable key spark off the bench.
As with Bradley, Horst may need to free up a bit of cap space if he aspires to sign either of these two forwards to a possible veteran minimum deal.
As mentioned, the Bucks have no real need to sign another free agent ahead of the upcoming season. Horst could call it a day and leave the roster as is, and the team would still be among the top championship contenders next year.
With free agency still less than a week old, it will certainly be noteworthy to see on whether Horst has any plans to add another veteran or two to the team's already potent bench unit. This may be critical as the likes of Holiday and Middleton may be rested for a multitude of games over the first half of the season following their runs with Team USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, so Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer may call upon his bench unit to pick up the slack in the meantime.
