Milwaukee Bucks: 3 Offseason Scenarios
By Matt LeVene
Scenario 2: Change it Up, but Keep the Core
While a lot of media attention has been given to the idea of the Milwaukee Bucks being aggressive in the trade market and moving on from some key pieces like Eric Bledsoe, I urge you not to push him out of Milwaukee so quickly.
The Bucks have a very solid and often times dominant core. Bledsoe is one of the best defensive guards in the league and does an excellent job controlling the pace for Milwaukee on offense. The issue is he is not as good of a shooter as we would all like, and probably never will be. However, his lack of shooting ability can be better masked within the offense through effective free-agent spending. Here are a couple of potential options.
Milwaukee Bucks Free Agent Options
Option 1: Danillo Gallinari
The offensive-minded power forward would be a perfect fit for the Bucks offensively. As noted in Brian Sampson’s Bucks Film Room Friday from a couple of weeks ago, the biggest hurdle of luring the Italian sharpshooter to Milwaukee would be the price tag. He noted at this latter stage in his career that a higher priority will be placed on championships rather than money, which helps the Bucks chances exponentially. The only chance Gallinari comes to Milwaukee is if he takes a significant pay cut and takes the Bucks $9.7 million mid-level exception.
Option 2: Joe Harris
The Sharpshooter from Virginia is scheduled to be a restricted free agent this offseason and would be a perfect complement to the Milwaukee Bucks. In this scenario, Harris would slide right into the starting 2 guard spot, with Donte DiVincenzo coming off the bench. The prospect of the Bucks rolling out a starting lineup of Bledsoe, Harris, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez screams offensive firepower. By adding one of the league’s premier shooters into the rotation, opposing teams would be forced to choose between clogging the paint to stop the Greek Freak or closing out on the shooters.
Again the biggest issue here is money. Acquiring Harris would eat up the mid-level exception. The Nets are also reportedly likely to pursue re-signing Joe Harris. In the event that they don’t, the Bucks will be one of the first teams in line, trying to court him to their team.
Option 3: Bogdan Bogdanovic
The Milwaukee Bucks and Bogdan reportedly have a mutual interest in coming to an agreement. Like the previous options, Bogdan is a sharpshooter as well. The Serbian guard and the Kings have had their troubles, leaving reason to believe they will let him test free agency. Averaging just over 15 points per game last season, he would provide the Bucks with not only a reliable catch and shoot target but a third guy in the startling lineup that can go get a bucket on his own. Giannis is known to have a good relationship with Bogdanovic, which could be part of the reason that there is mutual interest.
These are three options the Bucks have to bolster their shooting ability and wing depth in an effort to win a title. It certainly will be interesting to see how aggressively they attack free agency.