The small forward position these days has been the most problematic spot for the Milwaukee Bucks front office. They once captured lightning in a bottle with the trade deadline acquisition of P.J. Tucker in 2021. But they’ve been trying to replace his defensive prowess and versatility since then.
Last year, general manager Jon Horst went with fringe players who’ve shown the potential to grow into something more like Semi Ojeleye. And this year, he went with aging but proven veterans like Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder to fill out the small forward rotation. Both times, they were failures (Although Giannis Antetokounmpo wouldn’t agree with this word choice.)
The Milwaukee Bucks need help on the wing
This coming offseason, pieces like Jae Crowder, Joe Ingles, and Wesley Matthews are set to be unrestricted free agents. Those three, in particular, brought their own contributions to the Bucks roster to varying degrees. Horst will definitely have his hands full trying to replace them for the new-look Bucks.
But the Bucks are over the salary cap, and they don’t control their own first-round pick until 2028. This means that they don’t have much wiggle room to sign high-profile free agents and will instead have to rely on low-cost contributors on prove-it deals. (There’s a reason for Horst’s seeming preference for washed veterans, after all.)
That being said, here are a few affordable under-the-radar signings the Bucks could consider to shore up their roster at the small forward position.
The Milwaukee Bucks could target Stanley Johnson
Stanley Johnson could be on the Bucks’ radar this off-season. Johnson was selected by the Pistons with the eighth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft but has found himself playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G-League as of late.
He’s spent most of his career with the Pistons but went on to suit up for the New Orleans Pelicans, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers, and eventually, the San Antonio Spurs. It’s been an eventful sort of career, to say the least, over which he averaged 6.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game in his career.
This is just to say that he’s a journeyman still chipping away for a place in this league. This means he is a free agent and would likely be willing to sign a minimum contract. The 6-foot-7 forward is also still just 26 years old as of this writing.
Johnson is a versatile wing with excellent size who can play both forward positions. He’s also a good defender and rebounder, and he still has some offensive upside. If the Bucks can snag him with what little resources they have in the tank, he could prove to be an effective piece for them.
According to Cleaning the Glass, opponents shot 4.4 effective field goal percentage points less in the 425 minutes Johnson played for San Antonio versus when he was sitting on the bench. That’s good for the 96th percentile of players at Stanley’s position.
Interestingly, Johnson played just 11 percent of his minutes for the Spurs at small forward — the bulk of his playing time was at the center position.
It would be disingenuous not to mention that Johnson has, by and large, struggled to find consistent playing time in his career. Wherever he’s gone, he’s been asked to do completely different things, play varying roles on a roster, and played under a variety of circumstances. Still, he has still flashed the potential to be a solid role player in the NBA.
One reason for this is Johnson has built up a reputation for not being the best shooter or ball-handler. Most recently, though, Stanley shot at a respectable 45 percent clip during his tenure with the San Antonio Spurs, albeit on just 1.3 attempts per game. He was eventually waived after playing just 30 games for the Spurs before he had the chance to demonstrate how consistent he could be.
Johnson is still a young player with a lot of potential. He has the ability to be a good defender and rebounder, and he has some offensive upside. If he can finally find a role that he can settle into in this league, he still has the potential to be a solid role player.
Hopefully, that role can be shutting down elite wings next to Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Milwaukee Bucks could target Troy Brown Jr.
Troy Brown Jr. had himself quite a solid season with the Los Angeles Lakers this season. He averaged 7.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting a very respectable 38.1 percent from 3-point range.
After bouncing around the league for a few years, the 15th overall pick in 2018 looks like he’s finally found his footing after his most recent one-year contract with Los Angeles.
He helped the Lakers spread the floor on offense, even though he shot 43 percent from the field overall. While not the most efficient, Brown was a key contributor off the bench for the Lakers, and he provided some much-needed athleticism and defense. He particularly shined when he was slotted into the rotation in place of the injured LeBron James.
Brown has good size, too, standing at 6-foot-7, and can also guard multiple positions. According to matchup data on NBA.com/stats, Brown held opposing guards to 35.7 field goal shooting, while he held forwards to 28.6 percent. He spent 73.8 percent of his time at the shooting guard spot and 26.2 percent as a forward.
He’s also capable of scoring in bunches when given the opportunity. Brown had his best game of the season when he scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds in a win over Chicago.
Los Angeles will likely look to re-sign Brown once his contract expires this offseason. But if the Milwaukee Bucks are able to lure him from re-signing with the Lakers after a relatively deep playoff run, Brown could help patch the holes in the Bucks’ rotation at the shooting guard and small forward positions.
The Milwaukee Bucks could target Justise Winslow
Justise Winslow is set to be an unrestricted free agent after his 2022-23 season was cut short due to an ankle injury. He played in 29 games for the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 6.8 points, five rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He shot 40.9 percent from the field and 31.1 percent from 3-point range.
Winslow has always been a versatile player who could contribute in a variety of ways. He was a good defender, rebounder, and passer. He also had some ability to create his own shot and create opportunities for others.
The Bucks are in need of a player like Winslow, who stands at 6-foot-6 and is also a bit of a hybrid defender. Winslow could provide depth at the wing position and even take on tertiary playmaking duties to help carry some of the offensive burden on Milwaukee’s Big 3.
However, Winslow’s injury problems have been a major issue throughout his career. He has missed significant time in each of the past three seasons, and teams may not be keen on giving him another contract to take on a bigger role.
It’s worth pointing out though that the Bucks already took a chance on an injured competitor once in Joe Ingles, and that signing paid off quite well, all things considered. Given their skill sets, Winslow could also be someone who fills that playmaking and floor-spacing role quite well while providing better defense.
It remains to be seen if Winslow can stay healthy and reach the potential he was drafted for with the 10th pick back in 2015. Playing with a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo could finally be the one final push he needs to find a place in this league. But if the Bucks do sign him, it’s going to be a prove-it deal from the get-go, and he’ll have to earn his spot in the rotation — and, eventually, the NBA.
The Milwaukee Bucks could look into these pipedream targets
While the Bucks don’t have much flexibility to sign bigger names, it’s still worth pointing out who the best available talent is in this year’s draft class. Here are some of the non-star names every other team will also be gunning for at the small forward position.
Kelly Oubre Jr., whom the Bucks were already interested in signing at one point, is also set to test the markets after arguably his best season as a professional ball player.
There’s no questioning Oubre Jr. could be a good fit for the Milwaukee Bucks. He is a 6-foot-7, 235-pound wing who can play both forward spots. He is a good athlete, a good defender, and a good scorer who can shoot the 3-pointer. Couple that with his good rebounding and passing, and you have the kind of do-everything wing that the Bucks would benefit from.
He’s no elite two-way threat, but his defense is what makes him so enticing. Oubre is a solid on-ball defender who can stay in front of his man and force turnovers. He is also a smart help defender who can rotate to the ball and contest shots. In 2021-22, he averaged 1.8 steals and 3.8 deflections per game. He also ranked in the 91st percentile for steal percentage and the 100th percentile for turnover percentage among wings that year.
T.J. Warren, too, is a talented scorer who might not get as much attention from teams due to his recent injury history. He is a capable shooter from beyond the arc who’s demonstrated an ability to manufacture his own shot off the dribble. Warren is also a pretty stout defender who can guard multiple positions, including small forwards.
Warren had a disappointing 2023 season. He played just four games for Phoenix, averaging just 4.2 points per game on 42.9 percent shooting from the field and 31.6 percent efficiency from 3-point range. He was also limited by injuries, missing the rest of a season because of a foot injury.
Warren’s season was a far cry from his 2020-21 season when he averaged 19.8 points per game. He’s shown he’s capable of great heights as a scorer when healthy. It is unclear what the future holds for Warren, as many teams will be apprehensive about his injury history. He will need to stay healthy if he wants to return to his fringe-star form from the 2020 bubble.
And perhaps a cheap prove-it deal with Milwaukee would be the place to start.
Dillon Brooks is a proven role player with the size, grit, and bravado the Milwaukee Bucks will need to fill the role of wing defender. Say what you want about him — the man can play defense. Since he’s likely not going to be retained by his current clubs, he could seek out the winning culture that the Bucks could provide with ease.
Standing at 6-foot-6, Brooks can more than hold his own when tasked with defending a variety of positions, including small forwards. He is a good defender on the ball, on top of being a competent help defender. This would be a valuable asset for the Bucks, who struggled to defend against the size and athleticism of Jimmy Butler in the first round of the playoffs.
If you can force yourself to look past his on-court theatrics, you would know that Brooks is a veteran player who has playoff experience — a valuable commodity in today’s league, and one that the Bucks sorely need. Offensively, he’s a career 34.2 percent 3-point shooter who can also drain shots from the mid-range. He is also a generally good, if not average, ball-handler, and he is also a good finisher at the rim.
It’s unlikely the Bucks can scrap together the capital to afford any of these signings, but they could consider playing for a contender like Milwaukee for cheap.
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.
Stay tuned for more updates as the Bucks’ offseason hunt continues.