Milwaukee Bucks: Pros and cons of signing free agent Lance Stephenson
By Dalton Sell
The cons of the Milwaukee Bucks signing free agent Lance Stephenson
When it comes to evaluating whether or not the Bucks should sign Stephenson, the biggest thing that draws attention is that he has now been out of the league for two years. Although he is still in his prime at 30-years-old — he will be 31 by the time next season begins — who knows just how much the guard has to give after two long years away from the game.
Even when he was a surefire role player in this league, one of Stephenson’s weakest attributes is his 3-point shooting. Shooting just 31.5 percent from the outside during his nine NBA seasons, he has always been a far below-average shooting, which will make him a hard sell for a team like the Bucks. Since Mike Budenholzer took over as head coach, the Bucks have embraced an offense that surrounds Giannis with outside shooting, and Stephenson does not exactly fit the archetype. It is safe to say that Budenholzer is not going anywhere either after the team’s title drought came to an end recently.
Due to that inability to shoot the long ball, Stephenson would also likely be sent to the bottom of the rotation in favor of players like Grayson Allen, Donte DiVincenzo, and Rodney Hood. Those three have a far better outside shot than Stephenson possesses, which would see him scraping the bottom of the barrel for minutes on most nights. If the Bucks had some open spots and roster flexibility, then this might make more sense, but they simply do not. Including those names just mentioned, the front office has spent the offseason revamping this second unit with players that are guaranteed to make an impact next season.