The Milwaukee Bucks were rumored to be interested in pursuing a reunion with Malcolm Brogdon to beef up their backcourt recently. However, unsurprisingly, with the addition of Cole Anthony, it looks like that reunion may be off the table. Here is what NBA insider Jake Fischer had to say during a new insider notebook:
"For Malcolm Brogdon, I don’t think Milwaukee is still a landing spot for him, especially after they brought in Cole Anthony on a buyout from Memphis."
The Bucks backing off Brogdon would make sense
Like Fischer alluded to, signing Malcolm Brogdon after just adding Cole Anthony wouldn't make too much sense. Sure, Brogdon could be depth behind Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins, and Anthony, but it wouldn't make sense for him to do so when he has an opportunity to join more guard-hungry teams. Fischer notes that Sacramento, Minnesota, Golden State, and New Orleans all have interest in him.
All of those teams make much more sense than Milwaukee right now unless Brogdon truly misses playing where he started his NBA career.
Did Milwaukee make the right decision going with Anthony over Brogdon? On paper, it does fit much more in line with the recent youth movement they are trending toward. Brogdon is 32, while Anthony is 25. The front office has made it clear that they want to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with as much youth and athleticism as they can, and signing Anthony over Brogdon does fit into that.
Health is also something the Milwaukee Bucks likely considered. Brogdon has appeared in over 60 games just once since the 2018-19 NBA season, his final in Milwaukee. Anthony has played under 60 games just once in his five-year career. For a team that has been bothered by injuries consistently in recent memory, it makes sense to go after the healthier option.
Brogdon would have been a fine pickup and a decent veteran mentor to the young duo of Porter and Rollins, but there will be no complaints about Anthony. If he can lock in defensively while bringing his typical brand of offense, he has the potential to be a legitimate difference-maker in the second unit.
With offseason moves such as swapping out Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton for Myles Turner and Gary Harris, along with picking Anthony over Brogdon, the youth movement remains fully intact. It might not be done just yet, as fans wait to see what else the Milwaukee Bucks may have up their sleeve as they figure out what to do with their remaining roster flexibility.
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