7 free agent targets with ties to new Milwaukee Bucks coach Adrian Griffin

Free Agent No. 2: Victor Oladipo, Wing

Last summer, the Milwaukee Bucks used their Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception on former Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles, who was recovering from a torn ACL. Ingles missed the start of the season before returning for the stretch run. Could the Bucks play the same game this off-season with another well-known player dealing with a brutal injury?

When Adrian Griffin was an assistant coach on the Orlando Magic, he would have gotten to know Victor Oladipo, and the two were again together on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Oladipo has since found his way from Indiana to Houston to Miami, where he was a key reserve this season before tearing his left patellar tendon in his knee in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Oladipo likely won’t be ready for the start of next season, but if the Bucks could be patient, they could add a difference-maker at a bargain amount. His market is likely to be depressed due to his injury, and the long-term investment could pay off for Milwaukee. His scoring and defense could make a major difference off of the bench down the stretch of next season if the Milwaukee Bucks are willing to take the gamble.