Fans were surprised by the news that Cole Anthony would join the Bucks once he clears waivers. Anthony's signing provides fans with answers to their questions about point guard depth and also creates additional question marks when considering the balance of the roster as a whole, as this team needs at least one more move at the small forward spot.
The Bucks lack depth at small forward
The backcourt suddenly seems crowded with Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins, Gary Trent Jr., Gary Harris, AJ Green, Andre Jackson Jr., and now Anthony. Doc Rivers and his staff will have their work cut out for them to figure out how to divide up the guard minutes between seven players. And then there is the small forward spot, which in dire contrast consists of just one player at the moment.
Taurean Prince is the lone player on the roster who is slotted to play the majority of their minutes at small forward. Kyle Kuzma played time at the three last season, but the overwhelming feeling is that if he remains on the roster, it would be best to play him as a power forward off the bench. With so many guards and few options at small forward, many fans believe there could be a trade in the works.
With Green still waiting on an extension and rumors swirling about Milwaukee's interest in players like Jonathon Kuminga, there is speculation that Green could potentially be on the move for a starting-level player at the three. Kuzma would likely also be involved in a trade for the right return (his fit on the roster and salary make him a likely piece the Bucks would move). Again, just speculation.
Losing Green would be a tough pill to swallow for Bucks fans. He has been one of the few young bright spots on the roster the last couple of seasons. The one upside to giving up Green would be that you would likely be able to retain a valuable future asset, their 2031 first-round pick, in the process for additional moves down the line.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, Myles Turner, Prince, Jericho Sims, and Kuzma likely taking up all of the minutes in the frontcourt, and the logjam of Trent, Porter, Rollins, Harris, Green, and now Anthony in the backcourt, a trade is likely needed. A move where you swap a shooting guard and a power forward for a starting-level small forward makes a lot of sense to balance out the roster.
The Bucks are always lurking; that much is clear. With the roster construction being so unbalanced, I doubt this will be the last surprise Milwaukee Bucks fans experience this offseason.