After not signing a single external free agent throughout the first three days of NBA Free Agency, the Milwaukee Bucks have gotten busy.
They kicked things off by inking Robin Lopez to a new deal to bolster their frontcourt depth, which was a wise move. Now, they’ve continued to stock up on wings, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania has reported that they’ve signed sharpshooter Malik Beasley to a deal.
Milwaukee Bucks sign free agent Malik Beasley: Reaction and Analysis
According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Beasley’s deal with Milwaukee is a one-year contract worth $2.8 million. That’s an absolute steal for a player of Beasley’s caliber.
The guard has made a living in this league due to his perimeter shooting, which was on display last season after he led the NBA in triples made off of the bench.`Over the last five years, Beasley’s put up 12.7 points per game while shooting 38 percent from three on an average of 6.9 attempts. The 26-year-old is not afraid to let it fly, and that will help the Bucks mightily on offense, where they have oftentimes gone cold from downtown late in the year.
Over the years, the Bucks have always tried to add a highly-skilled outside shooter to pair with the Greek Freak on the court. Whether it was Kyle Korver, Bryn Forbes, or first-year Grayson Allen, the player oftentimes spent most of their minutes alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo to serve as his kick-out threat from deep. Due to Antetokounmpo’s gravity, those shooters would often get their share of excellent looks. It should be no different for Malik Beasley.
For a Bucks team that has struggled to have players consistently put points on the board over the last few seasons, the addition of Beasley is an easy one to justify, Yes, the guard has his faults, as he can be inconsistent and is not a stout defender, but his 3-point shooting makes him desirable. On top of that, it’s a minimum deal, so it’s incredibly low risk. Furthermore, he’s only 26, so he will help add some youth to this older roster, which desperately needed a retooling after last season.
This is an excellent signing by General Manager Jon Horst, and it will be interesting to see what else he has up his sleeve.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.