Amir Coffey should be brimming with excitement about joining the Milwaukee Bucks, even if he's just on a training camp deal for the time being. Not only did he simply earn a contract, but he signed with a team that is incredibly thin at the small forward spot. The Bucks could end up needing him sooner rather than later, so it's likely this doesn't remain just a camp deal.
Coffey has a legitimate opportunity to stick with the Bucks
Milwaukee's small forward position, sticking with true threes, currently consists of Taurean Prince, Chris Livingston, and Coffey. Prince is the oldest player on the roster and just had a horrible playoff showing, and Livingston is so raw that he still might be a year or two or even three away from being ready. There is no clear-cut answer to deploy at small forward, so Coffey has a shot.
One could argue that Coffey is the most intriguing of the trio. For his career, he has shot 38.4 percent from deep, including 40.9 percent last season. At 6-foot-7, he has the slight height advantage over both of the other 6-foot-6 forwards, which could be useful in certain defensive situations. At 28, he is also still fairly young and averaged a career best 9.7 points per game last season.
How the Milwaukee Bucks got a role player like that on a training camp deal is still quite the surprise, but they won't complain about it.
The pathway for Coffey to earn a legitimate contract is staring him in the face as well. If he impresses in training camp with the Milwaukee Bucks, the team could very well decide to sign him and ship out Andre Jackson Jr., whose contract becomes guaranteed on opening night. Milwaukee doesn't seem overly high on Jackson, hence not guaranteeing his contract, so it might not take much convincing.
If anything, the Coffey singing should also add a little more pep into the step of Prince and Livingston, as it's clear the Milwaukee Bucks are keeping an open mind at small forward.
Even if signing Amir Coffey to a standard deal isn't a needle-tipping move, he's an exciting name to throw into the hat regarding Milwaukee's small forward rotation. For a player looking to prove that he belongs in the NBA, this is just about as much as Coffey can ask for.
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