Having signed Amir Coffey to a training camp deal, the Milwaukee Bucks don't have to make a roster decision immediately. Make no mistake, though, several players should be feeling the pressure this preseason. If Coffey looks like the guy who just had a career year for the Clippers, now or later, the Bucks will have the option to part with a number of backend rotation pieces at the wing position. That flexibility should not be underappreciated.
Coffey's arrival makes final roster shape more fluid than anticipated
Even before the Coffey signing, Andre Jackson Jr. and Chris Livingston clung to the fringes of the rotation. Because Jackson's contract is not fully guaranteed, he led all candidates in the case of a roster cut. That status doesn't change with Coffey on board, whose six years of NBA experience and more proven track record give him a clear edge over the two youngsters above.
And now, if the Bucks do in fact sign Thanasis Antetokounmpo, they will have to figure out who else gets the axe. Tyler Smith is another name to watch as a potential casualty, in all likelihood.
Coffey isn't only another name in camp, but he's an established wing defender, a position of need. He can also contribute on offense; in 2024-25, he averaged a career-high 9.7 points per game on 40.9 percent 3-point shooting. Positional considerations make Jackson and Livingston, who both fit the wing label, even more vulnerable.
It's not only them, though. While Gary Harris should keep his roster spot for now, he won't be safe down the road. Standing 6-foot-7 to Harris's 6-foot-4, Coffey is more equipped for a traditional wing role; the Milwaukee Bucks already have a bevy of smaller options like Harris, all of whom sit above him on the depth chart.
Now, he'll likely sit even closer to the bottom, cutting into his already scant share of minutes. If the team needs to clear space in a trade or a young player impresses too much to ignore, letting Harris go won't be much of a loss.
Perhaps surprisingly, the same could be true for Taurean Prince. While he and Coffey have similar frames and player profiles - sturdy defense and knockdown shooting - Bucks fans have seen the Prince movie in the playoffs, and they don't want a sequel.
It isn't hard to imagine Coffey leapfrogging him in the rotation at some point this season. At 28 years old, he is also a bit younger, something the Milwaukee Bucks have prioritized all down the roster. Because Coffey and Prince have such related skill sets, the latter could become easily dispensable.
In that case, of the four wing players named, Prince might have the best chance of being packaged in a larger deadline move. A veteran contributor on a small salary, he could actually help his new club, contender or not. His $3 million paycheck isn't much, but it could still help make the money work; the fact that it's a low number makes it a flexible playing chip.
Alternatively, if the Milwaukee Bucks are content with their rotation, perhaps they could flip him for a second-round pick.
All of the above, of course, assumes that Coffey shows up ready to roll. That scenario could take the Milwaukee Bucks from understocked to having a variety of present and future options.