Sharpshooting rookie A.J. Green was among the Milwaukee Bucks set to hit NBA free agency in the coming days, and the team has made a major decision on him.
According to Spotrac’s Keith Smith, the Bucks have tendered a two-way qualifying offer to Green, making him a restricted free agent on July 1. As a restricted free agent, any deal offered to Green can now be matched by the Bucks in free agency.
The Milwaukee Bucks have made a big decision on free agent A.J. Green
This move signals that the Bucks do want to keep Green, as they should. While he did not play the most prominent role during his rookie season, the undrafted guard proved to be one of the better 3-point shooters on the entire roster. For a Milwaukee team that has been so reliant on outside shooting over the past few years, it would make sense to keep one who has incredible range.
At 23 years old, Green has plenty of room to grow moving forward. Under Coach Adrian Griffin, the Bucks seem to be more open to embracing youth and player development. Green should fit into the team’s plans in that regard, as he has the tools to be a legitimate rotational player in the NBA due to that sweet shooting. If developed properly, Green could become the next Kyle Korver or Grayson Allen type of player for the Bucks, meaning he could serve as a perimeter kick-out threat for Giannis Antetokounmpo on offense and just an all-around strong 3-point shooter.
This should be a pretty open-and-shut case for the Bucks once free agency begins. Teams won’t be banging down the door for Green, so Milwaukee will not have to match some massive offer, in all likelihood. The guard is deserving of a standard roster spot, and the Bucks should look to lock him up fairly quickly once they are allowed to do so; it shouldn’t be overly costly for them.
In the grand scheme of things, especially with two starters in Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez hitting free agency as well, this might not seem like a huge deal. Yet, Green could very well end up being a hidden gem for the Milwaukee Bucks if they do indeed keep him around.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis and NBA free agency rumors this off-season.