When you blow up a roster and pivot toward a hard reset, the process is usually pretty simple: clear out the expensive veterans, hand the keys to the teenagers, and let the growing pains begin. But there is a fine line between a clean developmental rebuild and steering a ship completely blind in a hurricane. And for the Milwaukee Bucks, there's a specific free agent who might be worth taking a look at to add leadership and an option at small forward: DeMar DeRozan.
DeMar DeRozan could fill a hole the Bucks have at the forward position
Right now, look at the veterans left standing in Milwaukee. Kyle Kuzma, Caris LeVert, and Myles Turner occupy the few elder statesman slots on this depth chart. They are decent pieces, but none of them scream locker room culture-setter for what is essentially a group of teenagers trying to figure out how to win in the association.
So the question hanging over the 414 as training camp approaches is evidently not just about roles and touches and playing time. It’s about leadership and mentorship.
Who is actually going to steady the ship when a young core hits the inevitable mid-season wall? Who is going to be the veteran presence that the likes of Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday were? And who is going to help these young Bucks become their best selves even long after the leaders themselves move on from the NBA?
Enter DeMar DeRozan. He has shown he still has more than enough left in the tank for this upcoming season. He averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game through 77 games for the Sacramento Kings.
The six-time All-Star is looking for his next stop on what is expected to be a discounted deal. And while the initial reaction from analytically minded fans might be to balk at adding an aging, ball-dominant wing to a youth movement, a closer look reveals a low-risk, high-reward puzzle piece that quietly solves multiple problems for Jon Horst.
First off, let’s talk about the glaring vacancy at the small forward spot that has Milwaukee going after the likes of Jonathan Kuminga. Aside from the logjam of combo guards crowding the roster, the Bucks are desperately thin on legitimate, high-IQ forwards who can handle the rigors of the wing and actually have the size to match up against other wings.
Obviously, DeRozan isn’t going to stretch the floor with a high-volume 3-point barrage, but what he does provide is elite half-court gravity, foul-drawing prowess, and a masterclass in professional scoring craft. It helps that DeRozan is still very much an absolute master of the mid-range. He shot a blistering 49.7 percent from the field. That could mean good mentorship for the likes of Brayden Burries and Nate Ament, who both make a living from that area as well.
DeRozan is a low-cost option to rear these young Bucks into the future
DeRozan won't cost the front office any draft capital, and given the current landscape of his market, he's a prime candidate to sign on a team-friendly or minimum-range structure. It doesn't block the long-term timeline; if anything, it provides a stabilizing bridge so the kids don't burn out trying to carry a franchise solo. He could be the Peyton Watson backup they need at small forward if that pursuit doesn't pan out.
The rebuild is moving forward, with or without guardrails. Bringing in a battle-tested veteran like DeRozan to fill the small forward void and mentor the next wave might just be the cheapest insurance policy Jon Horst can buy.
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