The Milwaukee Bucks have been relatively quiet lately, but fans across the league continue to speculate that the front office looking to make a big trade in the coming days.
As it currently stands, the Bucks have one last roster spot still freed up and only a veteran minimum deal to use to fill it up. Given the roster needs as constructed at the moment, the team could still very much use a backup point guard and a veteran two-guard, but it’s entirely possible they see a different need at the other spots.
Fortunately for the team, the remaining free agents up and down the board include a number of former Milwaukee Bucks, whether in recent memory or many years ago. The Bucks have always had one of the stronger and more close-knit locker rooms across the association, and a possible return for any former Buck can only mean good things for the team’s fit and chemistry. And on the part of free agents, past experience with a prospective team should mean better chances of jumping back into another run with the team.
Here are a few former Milwaukee Bucks who could potentially come back for another run with the franchise.
Former Milwaukee Bucks still unsigned in free agency – Guards
Matthew Dellavedova: Dellavedova is a 30-year-old guard who is best known for his defensive intensity and hustle — just look at all the memes still calling him the league’s Stephen Curry stopper all these years later. Delly is a career 36.8 percent 3-point shooter and averaged just 1.5 points and 1.3 assists per game last season. His on-court production has become incredibly pedestrian through the years, but he’s been a well-loved member of every locker room he’s been part of, including the Milwaukee Bucks.
Through his two years with the Bucks from 2016 to 2018, he posted norms of 6.5 points and 4.4 assists per game, even starting at point guard at one point. That signing didn’t make sense at the time, but perhaps a veteran minimum to play backup to Jrue Holiday this time around could look much better if both sides can agree to a return for the Aussie. He’s not anywhere close to being the same player these days, but you also know exactly what to expect from him.
Michael Carter-Williams: Once upon a time, Michael Carter-Williams looked like a part of the Bucks’ future alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker. The 31-year-old guard and former All-Rookie selection never again reached the highs of his Rookie of the Year season because of his inconsistent shooting and eventual injury issues, but he’s a solid point guard with decent size and defense.
For a point guard, he is a good playmaker and rebounder in limited minutes thanks to his 6-foot-5 frame and is probably best used as an energy guy and defensive specialist at this point in his career. He averaged 4.3 points and 1.8 assists per game last season for the Orlando Magic, and for a backup to Jrue Holiday, you certainly could do a lot worse in this league.
D.J. Augustin: Augustin is a 35-year-old guard who is a career 39.3 percent 3-point shooter. When news of his first signing in Milwaukee was first announced, he was thought of as a bench scorer who could anchor a second unit all on his own and who could light up in a hurry. He’s not quite that guy anymore, but at this point in his career, he is a solid backup point guard who can provide scoring and playmaking with the occasional scoring outburst here and there.
His defense has always been average at best, but he also did just average 9.5 points and 3.9 assists per game last season on 38.1 percent from 3-point range, and he’s certainly the best shooter on this list. Perhaps a return to Milwaukee to right his previously average showing with the team is in order if the two sides are able to come to an agreement.
Goran Dragic: Dragic is a veteran point guard who is a good playmaker and shooter. He averaged 6.3 points and 2.6 assists per game on two teams last season, including the Bucks, though his minutes with the team came sparingly as he was behind Jevon Carter in the rotation. Dragic’s stint with the Bucks was brief, but he was a valuable contributor to the team. He is a seasoned veteran with a wealth of playoff experience, and he was able to provide the Bucks with a steady presence off the bench despite his lack of playing time all throughout.
The thing with Dragic is that we don’t know who he is at this point in his career; he’ll be pushing 38 next season with his best years firmly behind him. He’s still undoubtedly got the touch and the finesse that would be a luxury for a backup point guard, but there’s no denying he’s also starting to rack up injuries. He’s also publicly said he would prefer to end his career with the Miami Heat. The chances that he ends up on the Bucks’ roster by the start of the season are slim to none, but if it happens, it wouldn’t be the worst move in the world.
Former Milwaukee Bucks still unsigned in free agency – Forwards
Wes Matthews: Matthews is a veteran guard who is a good defender and shooter. He averaged 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game last season, but those pedestrian numbers belie the effect he’s had on this team every time he’s been here in the last few seasons. Whether you know him as the team’s Malcolm Brogdon replacement in 2020 or its primary wing defender a year ago, you know in your heart of hearts that Matthews is a fan favorite because of his strong locker room presence and even stronger point-of-attack defense out on the perimeter.
Bucks fans know he still has a lot in the tank — he locked down DeMar DeRozan in the playoffs just last year — and for a final roster spot, you could probably do much worse. According to Cleaning the Glass, Matthews was still in the 77th percentile in opponent effective field goal percentage just a year ago. He’s shown he still has a lot to offer contending teams, and he would likely be a solid mentor for some of the team’s younger defensive-minded guys. If the Bucks can bring Matthews back for yet another team-friendly deal (it would be his third with the team in the span of five years), it could certainly pay off.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo: Antetokounmpo is a (sometimes) versatile forward who is (sometimes) a good defender and hustler — at best. He averaged 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game last season, but to end this bit on his raw statistics would do a complete injustice to the net impact that “Thanasty” has had on the past few Bucks teams and, indeed, the franchise as a whole. It’s probably a lie at this point that his on-court contributions transcend the stat sheet, as he has shown signs of decline lately. However, his value off the court is what deserves talking about.
One could even talk this writer into the idea that there is no 2021 championship trophy without the locker room effect of Thanasis. Sometimes it really is that simple: Giannis is the team’s superstar, and Thanasis is his older brother. Thanasis helps to keep Giannis motivated and focused, and Giannis loves having his brother on the same team as him. At this point, he’s more than a cheerleader, a little less than a G-League player — the immaterial contributions of Thanasis are priceless, and the Bucks would be foolish to let him go. It’s for this reason that Thanasty is this writer’s pick for the final slot of the team’s new-look roster. It will be interesting to see if Thanasis is still on the team come next season — and where he’ll end up if not.
Former Milwaukee Bucks still unsigned in free agency – Big men
Christian Wood: Wood is a 27-year-old big man who is a good scorer and rebounder. He is a career 35.2 percent 3-point shooter and averaged 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season. His history with the Milwaukee Bucks was brief, but it was memorable. He was signed by the Bucks in the middle of August 2018, and he stuck with the team until he made his NBA debut. Wood played in 13 games for the Bucks during the 2018-19 season, averaging a paltry 2.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.2 assists per game.
He was mostly used as a reserve for the Milwaukee Bucks, and he spent a significant amount of time playing for their G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. In 28 games with the Herd, Wood averaged 29.3 points, 14 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game. An argument could be made that Milwaukee was where Wood truly showed out for the first time in his young career after he went undrafted.
Wood’s time with the Milwaukee Bucks was short, but he showed flashes of potential. He is a talented scorer and rebounder, and he has since become a valuable player in the NBA. It’s not likely the Bucks can snag him (or even have any need for his services), but added talent on a championship roster is always a good thing if he can agree to the kind of deal they can offer.
Mamadi Diakite: Diakite is a 25-year-old big man who is a good defender and rebounder who won a championship with Milwaukee just a few years ago. Most notably, he was one of the few players Giannis Antetokounmpo wholeheartedly took under his wing. He never developed quite the way we wanted him to, but Mamadi was a well-loved member of the locker room and a consistent source of publishable social media antics for the Bucks Twitter admin. He is a career 31.7 percent 3-point shooter and averaged 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season and is a serviceable big man at best.
Meyers Leonard: Leonard is a big man who can shoot the three-ball. He averaged 2.8 points and two rebounds per game in just five appearances last season. He was signed by the Bucks in February 2023 after spending nearly two years away from basketball due to his use of an antisemitic slur during an online gaming session.
Say what you want about his reputation, but it’s hard to argue that Leonard didn’t make a positive impression on his teammates and coaches. He was a hard worker and a good teammate, and he was always willing to learn. It’s for that reason that Leonard’s tenure with the Bucks was a success, both on and off the court. He was able to redeem himself after his use of the slur, and he showed that he is still a serviceable (if not sluggish) player in the NBA.
These are just a few of the former Milwaukee Bucks who could potentially come back for another run with the franchise. The Bucks will have to decide which players they think would be the best fit for their team and their current roster, but a return for any of these players would certainly make for a good storyline.
Stay tuned for more analysis as the Milwaukee Bucks look to finalize their roster ahead of the upcoming season.