Milwaukee Bucks: 3 Jeff Teague replacements in 2021 NBA Free Agency
By Dalton Sell
Among the many concerns that the Milwaukee Bucks must address this offseason, adding a backup point guard will be on the list.
The team went through changes at the position during their eventful 2020-21 campaign, starting the year with D.J. Augustin after signing him in free agency. However, he would not stick around as the team traded him to the Houston Rockets in the deal for P.J. Tucker. That would soon lead them to sign Jeff Teague off the buyout market, who was hit or miss when it came to playing time.
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While Teague is not guaranteed to play elsewhere next season as he prepares to enter unrestricted free agency, the Bucks could stand to pursue an upgrade at the position regardless. They elected not to select a point guard in Thursday’s 2021 NBA Draft, meaning that it will be up to them to land a free agent to fill the void.
While they will be limited financially in free agency, here are three second-unit guards the Bucks could replace Teague with.
The Milwaukee Bucks could replace Jeff Teague with Patty Mills in 2021 NBA Free Agency
As they scouted the trade market for a backup floor general last offseason, one target that came up in the rumor mill for the Bucks was Patty Mills.
Initially reported by The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor last November, the Bucks were interested in targeting the San Antonio Spurs guard to bolster their backcourt. Of course, a deal never came to be as the Bucks would make a much bigger splash by trading for Jrue Holiday and then attempting to trade for sharpshooter Bogdanovic shortly after. With $13.2 million left on his deal at the time, the Bucks were left with little wiggle room financially and depleted asset-wise to make a genuine push to pull off a trade. With Mills now set to hit unrestricted free agency, the Bucks could look to sign him rather than pursue his services through a trade.
The move would make sense for the Bucks as Mills has been a respectable sixth man for the Spurs over the last decade, and he continues playing at a high level. The 32-year-old guard is coming off one of the best seasons of his career by averaging 10.8 points while shooting 41.2 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from behind the arc. Instant offense like that off the bench would be a massive boost for the Bucks, particularly as they could realistically be losing two of their key second unit scorers in Bryn Forbes and Bobby Portis in free agency.
Mills would be a great fit for the Bucks without question, but the biggest question would be how much money the guard could command on the market. He did just have a great season and could be looking to be rewarded for his efforts. Whatever the case might be, the Bucks should insert their name into the mix of interested suitors to add a household backup point guard.