The Milwaukee Bucks ended the Giannis Antetokounmpo era this summer. They kickstarted a new era where the focus will be more on their future rather than the present. Despite the significant changes to the roster, the Bucks are still not done.
In addition to their reported interest in restricted free agent Peyton Watson, the Bucks are also pursuing Bennedict Mathurin. NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Sunday that the Bucks, along with the Pelicans and the Bulls, "remain engaged" with the restricted free agent's camp.
Given the state of the Bucks roster and what they actually need, their pursuit of Mathurin makes little sense.
Bucks must prioritize Peyton Watson over Bennedict Mathurin
Milwaukee's backcourt is already crowded. They have Tyler Herro, Ryan Rollins, Kasparas Jakucionis, Kevin Porter Jr., Brayden Burries, Caris LeVert, Gary Trent Jr., and AJ Green, who will all vie for minutes in the rotation. Sure, a couple of these names could slide up and play as an undersized small forward at times. But that is still a very deep and talented guard rotation for a lottery team like the Bucks.
Mathurin could play some small forward in certain lineups, but he is pretty much a pure shooting guard. He doesn't have the size and physicality to defend forwards. So, he will spend most of his time on the court at the two. Finding enough minutes and touches for him will almost certainly be a challenge.
Plus, the former Pacer is not the easiest player to fit on a team. He is a talented scorer, but everything else in his game leaves plenty to be desired. He is an inconsistent shooter who only hit 31.5% of his threes last season. This creates serious spacing issues. Due to this inability, he is more effective with the ball in his hands. But he is too bad a passer and playmaker to justify taking the ball out of Rollins' and Herro's hands and giving it to him.
Milwaukee already has enough offense-first perimeter players with questionable defenses. Mathurin would only exacerbate the issue for the Bucks.
That is why Watson makes a lot more sense than Mathurin. He can defend forwards, play off the ball, and has size and athleticism. If the Bucks want to make another addition, they should prioritize Watson over Mathurin.
The Bucks also have 17 players under contract. They have to part ways with two players to even get down to the required 15 roster spots. To make room for Mathurin, they would have to move on from three players. How feasible that is at this stage of the offseason remains to be seen.
It's a good sign that the Bucks are still looking for upgrades. Continuing to try to add talented, young players in the first year of the rebuild is a smart strategy. Going after Mathurin specifically, however, may not be the best use of Milwaukee's resources.
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