The Milwaukee Bucks’ bench was already paper-thin entering Thursday’s matchup with the Phoenix Suns, but they lost yet another key contributor during the contest. Pat Connaughton suffered a fractured right fourth metacarpal in the third quarter against the Suns and did not return to the action. The guard will likely miss some time moving forward.
Losing Connaughton is certainly a bigger deal than losing the game, given how important the guard has been for Milwaukee this season. Connaughton was playing the best basketball of his career this season by averaging 10.1 points per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from long range on a career-high 5.7 attempts per game. He has been a staple in the Bucks’ rotation this season, and Milwaukee will miss his presence dearly as he recovers.
With their leading bench scorer and a pivotal defender now sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Bucks must turn to the buyout market to add some depth. After their trade deadline deal for Serge Ibaka, the defending champions have opened up several roster spots that need to be filled more than ever following this news. With that said, let us look at five possible targets to try and fill the void in Connaughton’s absence.
The Milwaukee Bucks should monitor DeAndre’ Bembry in the buyout market following Pat Connaughton’s injury
In the aftermath of Thursday’s blockbuster trade that saw the Philadelphia 76ers acquire former MVP James Harden, the Brooklyn Nets waived DeAndre’ Bembry. The swingman had been having a solid season for the Nets, and he should not be on the buyout market for long. The Bucks would be wise to make a run at him, as he could be useful in replenishing their depleted wing rotation.
The 6-foot-5 swingman could give the Bucks another versatile defender to utilize, something they will need with Connaughton out. Bembry has been an impressive individual defender this year, and he has notable performances such as holding Russell Westbrook to 1-of-7 shooting, Trae Young to 2-of-9 shooting, and DeMar DeRozan to 2-of-7 shooting, according to NBA.com/stats. He is a versatile piece that the Bucks could use to throw at top-tier opposing guards or wings.
Offensively, Bembry is having a quality season by averaging 5.8 points per game while shooting career highs in field goal percentage (56.8 percent) and 3-point percentage (41.7 percent). While the Bucks would not rely on his scoring ability, Bembry could certainly carve out a nice niche for himself if he could knock down the occasional 3-pointer in the corner to stretch the floor.
Another reason why the Bucks could possibly show interest in Bembry is his connection to coach Mike Budenholzer. Bembry played under Budenholzer with the Atlanta Hawks, and the coach has been known to attract his former Atlanta players to Milwaukee, with Kyle Korver, Ersan Ilyasova, and Jeff Teague serving as a few examples. Perhaps Bembry could join that list as the Bucks could use a piece like him right now.