Giannis Antetokounmpo: 3 playmaking free agents to pair with the MVP
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks will look to add another playmaker next Giannis Antetokounmpo in free agency, and several names fit the bill.
Adding more playmaking alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo is among the Milwaukee Bucks’ top priorities this offseason.
The Greek Freak led the team in assists this season at 5.6 per game, starting point guard Eric Bledsoe just behind him at 5.4. While Bledsoe served as a viable secondary playmaker this year, his postseason troubles have hindered the Bucks for three consecutive seasons, and he has likely played his last game with the franchise.
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While the ideal fit for an upgrade will come through the trade market, Milwaukee could also find some intriguing options in this impending free agent class. It might not be as exciting of an approach compared to a blockbuster trade, but the Bucks will consider all avenues ahead of a crucial 2020-21 NBA season.
With that being said, here are three playmakers the Milwaukee Buck should target in free agency to pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 3 playmaking free agents to pair with the MVP – No. 3 Bogdan Bogdanovic
Bogdan Bogdanovic is a name that all Bucks fans should be familiar with by now, as he has been a topic of discussion all offseason. While his sharpshooting capabilities make him a desirable fit next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, he is also a viable playmaker.
Despite primarily coming off the bench and never being the central ballhandler over the first three seasons of his career, Bogdanovic’s career assists average is 3.5 per game. While that number does not jump off the page, the 27-year-old has previously shown promise serving as a facilitator to big men.
An intriguing aspect of Bogdanovic’s playmaking, to be sure, as examined by Sanjesh Singh, formerly of SB Nation’s Sactown Royalty:
"In his first season, there was a strong connection between the Serbian and Willie Cauley-Stein. The two read each other’s games like a book and connected 61 times as they do in the clip below. Kosta Koufos and Bogdanovic linked 31 times in addition to Zach Randolph giving 29 assists to Bogdanovic."
Playing alongside Milwaukee’s towering duo of Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez could take Bogdanovic’s playmaking to the next level, although he is not a prototypical floor general. Still, the Bucks reportedly “love” Bogdanovic and will look to pursue the restricted free agent through a sign-and-trade as soon as they can.