Milwaukee Bucks: 3 free agents that could fill final roster spot
By Dalton Sell
Milwaukee Bucks should consider signing free agent guard Austin Rivers
Another former Houston Rocket, Milwaukee’s interest in Austin Rivers has been swirling for the past several weeks.
In fact, after the Oklahoma City Thunder waived him following the trade deadline, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Bucks were the frontrunners to sign him once he cleared waivers. The reported mutual interest between the two parties made sense. The Bucks needed a backup guard in the second unit, and Rivers would get another opportunity to utilize his services on a contending team.
However, it seemed that Milwaukee’s signing of Jeff Teague threw a wrench into the plan entirely. The Bucks signed Teague off the buyout market after he was surprisingly traded and waived before the deadline, and the former All-Star has been a great fit thus far. His strong first impression throughout three games played certainly dials down the need for a player like Rivers on the roster, which is seemingly why any recent chatter about him heading to Milwaukee has dialed down significantly.
Still, adding another combo guard to fill their final roster vacancy would not be the worst idea. Currently playing in his ninth NBA season, Rivers would give the Bucks another experienced player that could be a solid rotational piece off the bench. Rivers had a solid season with the New York Knicks despite his playing time being inconsistent by averaging 7.3 points on .430/.364/.714 shooting splits, 2.2 rebounds, and two assists in 21 games played.
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Jockeying for minutes alongside the team’s other guards might not be an ideal fit for Rivers personally, but it would be feasible for Milwaukee to remain interested. The guard is bound to sign somewhere before the postseason, and time will tell if that destination ultimately ends up being Milwaukee.