Milwaukee Bucks: 10 potential veteran minimum NBA free agency targets
By Adam McGee
Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley was an incredibly popular and productive figure as he spent the 2016-17 season in Milwaukee, and as free agency rolls around this year, he’s again on the open market when the Bucks certainly could use a player with his skills and positional fit.
Beasley made it clear he wanted to leave Milwaukee last summer, as in spite of impressive play and being well-regarded by teammates, he was far from satisfied with the minutes available to him under Jason Kidd.
"“Milwaukee got a nice young core – unfortunately, the bulk of their corps play my position. Minutes for me, there just wasn’t what I wanted to see. Not that I’m not interested in helping the young guys, but I didn’t feel comfortable watching 30-plus minutes of basketball a night. I think I’ve deserved more minutes than I’ve gotten. Going forward, I feel I’m good enough and proven myself enough to not watch more than half the game every night.”"
Giannis Antetokounmpo means there obviously aren’t starting minutes available to Beasley, but without Mirza Teletovic and with the possibility of Jabari Parker leaving in free agency, there could be a much more featured bench role available to him with the Bucks next season.
Beasley’s ability as skilled scorer, strong rebounder and an underrated defender all have value in the NBA, and may be even more valuable to the Bucks considering their current roster. A Beasley reunion may be somewhat unlikely, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth exploring under a new coach who could offer the 29-year-old a fresh start in Milwaukee.