Like the Milwaukee Bucks, the conference rival Knicks have created a roster crunch via veteran signings late in free agency.
The Bucks brought in Amir Coffey and Thanasis Antetokounmpo. New York signed Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet, and Garrison Matthews. While all three deals are non-guaranteed, the Knicks reportedly want to keep Brogdon and Shamet but only have room for one. The Bucks are in a less flexible spot due to Thanasis' guaranteed salary and free-square spot on the roster as Giannis' brother.
For both teams, the overcrowding will all but force young players out the door. It's a matter of who.
Buying in on vets, bailing on draft-night investments
In theory, the Knicks could decide against either Brogdon or Shamet after a training-camp trial. In reality, the Knicks and Bucks have made their preferences clear, if not set in stone, in Thanasis' case, and that's an established player, not an unproven youngster, is the team's first choice for the final slot.
Rostering both players would give the Knicks an amply stocked backcourt. They have Jalen Brunson. They signed Jordan Clarkson earlier this offseason. If anything, adding Shamet and Brogdon would generate a surplus. For 2024 draft picks Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet, it could mean the end of their time as Knicks. Drafted 25th overall, Dadiet in particular has intriguing promise as a wing player.
The Bucks face a similar problem. To whittle down to a 15-man roster, they must part with two names. One is almost surely Andre Jackson Jr. The former No. 36 pick started 43 games as a sophomore and has established himself as a tough defender. At one point, reports suggest the Bucks could have gotten something in return for him. With zero leverage, they now seem set to lose him for nothing.
The other player could end up being Coffey, whose non-guaranteed deal works against him, although he is a better roster fit than several Bucks under contract. If Milwaukee keeps him, Tyler Smith is another name to watch. An early second-rounder, he has solid potential but failed to factor into the Bucks' rotation last year. If Smith is not packaged as part of a larger deal, the Bucks may have no choice but to flip him for pennies on the dollar.
Arguably, their situation is a lot less favorable than the Knicks'. Including next year, New York still has first-rounders in the cupboard between now and 2031, while the Bucks are limited. This makes holding onto the young talent they do have all the more important. And while Thanasis is an obvious signing for the sake of Giannis' happiness, he is not an on-court contributor of even Shamet's level.
Hopefully, general manager Jon Horst has a maneuver up his sleeve to save the Bucks from simply dumping recent draft picks with zilch to show for it.