Milwaukee Bucks: The pros and cons of signing free agent Isaiah Thomas

Milwaukee Bucks: The cons of pursuing free agent Isaiah Thomas

While Thomas’s aforementioned stats from the past three seasons are reputable, he has only played in 84 games during that span. That small sample size means there is no concrete answer to which version of Isaiah Thomas any potential suitor will get.

As their hypothetical backup point guard, the Bucks would need Thomas to play an established role, and the question remains whether his health can hold up, despite his claims. For now, if we take his word about being back up to par, there are still other concerns that could make the front office weigh their other options.

The first would be his lackluster presence on the defensive side of the ball and how much that could impact the team. Standing at 5’9, Thomas is an undersized guard and has always been a target for opposing offenses. One of the reasons D.J. Augustin could not find his footing with the Bucks was because he was also an undersized guard, and Thomas would pose a similar predicament.

Defense has been one of Milwaukee’s most apparent flaws this season and bringing Thomas into the fold certainly does not make things any better. Of course, implementing P.J. Tucker into the mix will undoubtedly help improve their efforts on that end, but adding a defensive liability could be a risky move for Milwaukee after seeing how the Augustin experiment unfolded.