8 guards Milwaukee Bucks should target in 2022 free agency
As we creep ever closer to the start of the legal tampering period to free agency, we are taking a position-by-position look at which players the Milwaukee Bucks should target with their limited resources.
The Bucks have the taxpayer mid-level exception available at $6.4 million as the most they can offer a single player. They could choose to split that money among a couple of players or offer the veteran minimum which wouldn’t cut into that pool.
George Hill is currently slated as the team’s backup point guard who can also play alongside Jrue Holiday at the 2. However, his status on the team is up in the air as Milwaukee could be looking to add an upgrade.
After taking a look at nine forwards who they should target, here’s a preview of eight guards who will be available in free agency. (This list doesn’t include Jevon Carter whom the Bucks should just re-sign anyways.)
With 2022 free agency right around the corner, here are eight guards the Milwaukee Bucks should look at signing to their team.
Austin Rivers
At this stage in his career, Austin Rivers is a veteran hungry for a championship experience (and that’s exactly what the Bucks can provide). He’s bounced around a bit, playing for six teams in 10 years, and hasn’t been able to find a steady home. His outside shooting isn’t quite where the Bucks would like, but he would add a competitive veteran to a backcourt that could use some more punch off the bench.
Raul Neto
Raul Neto is another veteran minimum candidate if the Bucks want to take an opportunity on a veteran who can provide more than Hill. He played for the Washington Wizards the last two years, but they could move on from him after drafting Johnny Davis at no. 10. After back-to-back seasons where he had tremendous success from the three-point line, he hit a career-low 29.2 percent last year. He’s not a volume shooter, but could be a good emergency guard for the Bucks.
Goran Dragic
Milwaukee was reportedly in the mix for Goran Dragic’s services this past season when he was released in the middle of the year. However, he ultimately decided to sign with the Brooklyn Nets and left Milwaukee hanging high and dry. Dragic likely has at least one more adequate season in him and it would be interesting to see if he could tap into his former self and provide a scoring boost for the Bucks off the bench. A Dragic-Hill backcourt off the bench would be interesting as well.
Dennis Schröder
Dennis Schröder’s value has fallen off a cliff. It was less than two years ago when he turned down an $80 million contract extension and now could be looking at scraping the barrel for $6.4 million. He’s another offensive-first guard who could have some nice upside by playing on a team like the Bucks. He wouldn’t be asked to carry the offensive load and would benefit from getting only tertiary attention from opposing defenses.
Patty Mills
Patty Mills has a player option with the Nets, but he could bail on that increasingly volatile situation. He would be a tremendous fit on the Bucks as someone who can run around the perimeter chucking a lot of threes. His off-ball movement would make it extremely difficult for opposing defenses to send extra attention to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. He also works hard on defense, even if he’s not the greatest at that end of the court.
Delon Wright
Coming off a down year, Delon Wright could see a dip in teams wanting his services. At 6-foot-5, he’d give Milwaukee some nice height coming out of their backcourt and can play alongside Holiday and any of the other Bucks’ wings and guards. He also can do a little bit of everything including defend, handle the rock, and shoot threes.
Victor Oladipo
It’s been a long road to recovery, but Victor Oladipo showed flashes of his old self throughout the Miami Heat’s playoff run. He could be looking for more than the $6.4 million the Bucks have to offer, but this might be a nice way for him to sign a one-year deal to continue rebuilding his value. Oladipo can grind on both ends of the court and give the Bucks another shot-creator outside of their big three.
Malik Monk
Malik Monk is probably looking for a longer and bigger payday than what the Bucks can offer him, considering he’s coming off a career year for the Lakers. He shot the ball surprisingly well from behind the arc and reminded everyone why he was a lottery pick to begin with. The fit wouldn’t be perfect for the Bucks, but adding talent at a position they lack it would be a huge win.