With Damian Lillard likely to miss significant time over the next year, the Milwaukee Bucks will be on the hunt for help at point guard. Among many options to add reinforcements, they will have access to a trade exception worth $7.2 million, which could be used to acquire a low-cost player, such as guard Kris Dunn of the LA Clippers, who is known as a defensive ace.
Dunn, who was a regular for the Clippers in the regular season, saw his role diminish in the playoffs, falling out of favor almost entirely as the series went on. If Los Angeles were to entertain moving the guard following their early playoff exit, the Bucks would make plenty of sense as a suitor for him and his $5.4 million salary for next season.
Kris Dunn would be a nice fit with the Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have reportedly expressed an interest in Dunn previously, with NBA insider Jake Fischer making that clear prior to the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline. Any rumored interest made sense then, and it would make sense now. Dunn would bring steady point guard play as a facilitator while also being a pest on the defensive end, picking up opposing ball-handlers.
One potential problem with Dunn is his lack of offense, averaging 7.7 points while hitting 32.7 percent from downtown for his NBA career. He's not a player teams can rely on too heavily to generate his own offense nightly. As we saw with Andre Jackson Jr. earlier this season, that can be a problem, and it can even cost a player their role in the rotation.
Still, the need for point guard help and defense could overshadow that, especially with his low-cost contract being a factor.
While it never hurts to explore external options, the main priority for the Milwaukee Bucks should be to bring back both Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins. These two potential-filled guards showcased an impressive amount of potential in Milwaukee this past season, and a bigger role in Lillard's absence could potentially help them take yet another step forward. Dunn could be a nice backup option.
Of course, Milwaukee's offseason thinking process will primarily revolve around what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who may be open to playing elsewhere. Trading for Dunn wouldn't be the needle-tipping move to convince him to stay, but it could certainly help beef up the roster around him if the team needs some help at point guard.
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