Even though they have taken care of the most important item on their offseason agenda by trading Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks are not done. They still have to balance out and finalize their roster for next season. In the first year of the rebuild, winning games will not be the top priority. Instead, the focus will be on developing young players and setting themselves up for the future.
With that goal in mind, the Bucks are reportedly pursuing free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported on Wednesday that the Bucks, along with the Lakers, Clippers, and Cavs, are exploring sign-and-trade opportunities with the 23-year-old forward.
Bucks' Jonathan Kuminga pursuit makes a lot of sense
The Bucks are facing a roster crunch right now as they have 17 players under contract for next season. They can still bring Kuminga in, as teams are allowed to carry 18 players until the start of the season. The Bucks have the non-taxpayer mid-level exception available and a $25.4 million trade exception they can use to acquire Kuminga.
The former Warriors' lottery pick has been a polarizing player ever since he came into the league. He mesmerized NBA watchers for a long time with his physical tools and athleticism. He showed plenty of glimpses of overwhelming athletic ability and two-way upside. This resulted in fans demanding that he play more in Golden State.
After his contentious relationship with the Warriors, he was traded to the Hawks at the deadline. Atlanta was also not particularly happy with his production and ended up turning down his $24.3 million team option for next season.
The coaches never seem to be as high on Kuminga as the fans, which says something about his inconsistent effort level. His shot never showed improvement; he rarely passes the ball, and he doesn't always play with sufficient intensity.
Despite all this, Kuminga is an ideal target for the Bucks.
Milwaukee doesn't have serious postseason aspirations over the next couple of seasons. They can give Kuminga plenty of studio space to explore. It's not like the Bucks have a lot of elite offensive players that Kuminga would be taking the ball from. The Bucks have to bring in as much talent and upside through the door as possible, and Kuminga still has enough tools to be a worthy gamble.
Plus, the Bucks desperately need more forward depth and quality. They have a hole at power forward. As things stand now, Kyle Kuzma or Nate Ament is projected to start next to Jaime Jaquez on the wing. That is not an inspiring rotation.
Kuminga could come in and become an immediate starter. He would take on the toughest defensive assignment and provide the athleticism the Bucks lack elsewhere on the roster.
There is a chance this flier wouldn't work. That is why it's a gamble. But this is the type of high-upside swings the Bucks need to be making in the post-Giannis Antetokounmpo era.
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