The Milwaukee Bucks will likely turn towards the free agent market for a backup point guard following their surprising trades Wednesday night.
Their recent trade for P.J. Tucker included shipping veteran floor general D.J. Augustin to the Houston Rockets. Happening just minutes before tip-off, the Bucks were left without a point guard in the second unit for their game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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Although they came back and won in a thrilling overtime matchup, that vacancy should not be left available for much longer. It goes without saying that adding a backup point guard will be a pivotal next step.
The Bucks have opened up some financial flexibility following the trade, permitting them to potentially make a run at some household names on the free agent market.
Whether it be rumored interest or a potentially compelling fit, there are a handful of candidates that could be worth taking a flyer on for the Bucks. With that being said, here are three current free agents that the front office could target to bolster the point guard rotation.
First free agent point guard the Milwaukee Bucks could target — Shabazz Napier
Shabazz Napier has never been able to find a steady home throughout his NBA tenure, playing for six teams in six seasons. It was almost upped to seven this offseason as the Bucks reportedly expressed interest in him during free agency.
According to HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina, Milwaukee was in discussions with the guard about a potential deal, and he had nearly signed with the club. However, the team’s deal for swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic was still believed to be happening at the time. Once that trade eventually collapsed, so did Milwaukee’s plans of signing Napier.
With the Bucks looking for help at the point guard position, perhaps they could reach out to the 29-year-old once again. Their interest would make sense, given that Napier is coming off the most productive season of his career in 2019-20.
Splitting the year between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards, the guard averaged 10.3 points on .412/.317/.824 shooting splits, 2.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. While the UConn product would not give the team much floor spacing, he could provide a scoring punch off the bench while acting as an extra playmaker when necessary.
Milwaukee’s previous interest in the guard makes him a likely target. The two sides are already quite familiar with one another, and perhaps they could get a deal done this time around under much different circumstances.