These under the radar free agents could help the Bucks at small forward

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 10 (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 10 (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
Milwaukee Bucks: Nikola Mirotic, Toronto Raptors: Danny Green
TORONTO, ONTARIO – MAY 21 (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

The Milwaukee Bucks could target these honorable mentions

Though not as prolific as the aforecited, these players would also be good fits for the Bucks because they are young, athletic, and can contribute on both ends of the floor. They would be good additions to the Bucks’ bench and could help them improve their chances of winning a championship.

Danny Green: For better or for worse, it feels like Danny Green has been the same player all his career. He was probably one of the first players to satisfy the conditions to fit into that “3-and-D” mold most role players aspire for today. And the truth is that he was good at it — and, to an extent, still is.

Green was a key contributor to the Cavaliers’ success, helping them reach the playoffs for the first time since 2018. He also had a big impact in the playoffs, averaging 6.3 points per game in the Cavaliers’ first-round series against the New York Knicks.

You don’t really have to look far for evidence of Danny’s ever-consistent impact at small forward. Even at the age of 35, he was still one of the Cavaliers’ best defenders, averaging 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

He’s always been a quasi-efficient scorer, provided you put him in the one role he can truly excel in: floor-spacing with the occasional cuts sprinkled in. He shot 44.9 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from 3-point range, and 81.2 percent from the free throw line.

It doesn’t really make sense to sign what is essentially a replica of Wesley Matthews, but if the Bucks find that Green is willing to sign a team-friendly deal, he would be more than ready to make an instant impact as he already has for so many teams over his illustrious career.

To this day, Danny Green remains a reliable shooter and a good defender and not much else. Signing him will just be another addition to Horst’s longstanding saga of stockpiling washed veterans. But for the 11th to 15th spot, you could certainly do a lot worse. And when you can’t really afford bigger names, well, beggars can’t be choosers.

Jarrett Culver: Culver is a 23-year-old wing who has a lot of potential. He’s a decent-at-best athlete and scorer, but he can also defend multiple positions. He’s more of a shooting guard than a small forward, but his lack of shooting will keep him in a ball-hawking role.

He has struggled to find consistent playing time in his career, but he could be a good value on a minimum contract. He would be a good fit for the Bucks because he would provide them with some young talent and upside at the small forward position.

Culver is a 6-foot-6 guard with the tools to be a good two-way player in the NBA — and not really eclipse that ceiling in any way. At best, Jarrett is a good athlete with a strong frame and good lateral quickness. He is also a decent ball-handler and passer at times.

The best feature of Culver, really, is his availability. After just four below-average seasons in the league, most teams are already ready to call it quits on him. But the Bucks have shown they’re more than capable of revitalizing careers — and maybe Culver is up next on that long list of re-developed role players.

Culver’s biggest weakness is his shooting. He shot just 40.1 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from the free throw line this past season. He has struggled to shoot the ball from beyond the arc throughout his career. His 3-point shooting has…not been very good. (Hint: his shooting clip from distance is one-digit.) But in a league where defense-only players like Matisse Thybulle and Andre Roberson can shine, would it really be the most unheard-of thing in the world to sign a player for just one purpose?

At this point, all he really has is potential — but the Bucks could be the one team that unlocks that. Stranger things have happened in this league.

Next. 5 Massive Jrue Holiday trades to shake up the Milwaukee Bucks. dark

Stay tuned for more updates as the Bucks’ offseason hunt continues.