3 Former Bucks Who Failed Miserably With Their New Teams in 2023
With the New Year finally here, it's time to look back at three former Milwaukee Bucks players who failed with their new teams in 2023. The grass isn't always green on the other side, after all.
It's a new year and Milwaukee Bucks fans are thrilled with how their team has started the 2023-24 NBA season. Adding Damian Lillard to the mix has been paying off as the Bucks have been a top-three team in the Eastern Conference throughout the campaign, solidifying themselves as one of this year's championship favorites.
Needless to say, general manager Jon Horst's offseason decisions are working out in spades. But while Horst's additions are thriving in Milwaukee, some of the ex-Bucks who departed over the summer have learned that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
Here are three former Bucks players who failed with their new teams in 2023.
1. Wesley Matthews
Wesley Matthews is one of the NBA's most seasoned journeymen, having suited up for eight different teams across his 15-year career. Although he doesn't tend to spend much time in any given destination, the 168 games he played with the Bucks from 2021 to 2023 are the third-most in any jersey he's donned.
Unfortunately, Matthews wasn't as effective for the Bucks as he was early in his career. After averaging 3.4 points on .363/.315/.857 splits across 52 games during the 2022-23 campaign, Milwaukee decided not to re-sign the veteran when he became a free agent over the summer.
The decision not to bring Matthews back wound up being a good one as the ex-Marquette product has been nothing but dreadful this season. In 18 games (1 start) with the Atlanta Hawks, the 37-year-old is averaging career-lows in points (2.2), field-goal percentage (25.6%), and three-point percentage (20.0%). That's without mentioning his putrid 120 defensive rating per 100 possessions.
Unless he has a quick turnaround, this could be the end of the line for Matthews in the NBA. He becomes a free agent again in the offseason and I have a hard time imagining that any team would be desperate enough to sign an unproductive player who's pushing 40.