Milwaukee Bucks: Why adding Harrison Barnes makes sense in package deal

Milwaukee Bucks: Why adding Harrison Barnes makes sense in package deal – Barnes’ positional fit

One of the underlying holes the Bucks have to fill in this compacted offseason is replenishing their forward depth.

The retirement of Marvin Williams as well the questions surrounding what the Bucks will do with Ersan Ilyasova and his $7 million non-guaranteed salary has left plenty of room for minutes behind superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. And it’s safe to say D.J. Wilson is not the answer in this regard.

In Barnes, the Bucks would have a suitable and positionally malleable option across all frontcourt spots from the 3-spot to even playing as a small ball center, depending on the lineup configuration. For a Bucks team that needs to regain their versatility going into next season, that’s not an insignificant thing to consider.

Milwaukee has previously experimented playing jumbo-sized lineups at times under head coach Mike Budenholzer, especially after they had acquired Nikola Mirotic in a trade deadline deal midway through the 2018-19 season.  Even with Williams on board, that wasn’t an option the Bucks went to all that much last year.

Given the skills, shooting and floor spacing that Barnes provides, even as the Bucks’ frontcourt is well established at this point, Barnes could take on versatile roles within the framework of their foundation.