Amid their early season struggles, the Milwaukee Bucks are rumored to be active as they aim to make a roster move.
Fans should not get their hopes up for anything massive, as multiple outlets have reported that the Bucks are simply trying to find young wing MarJon Beauchamp a new home. With his smaller salary, no game-changing piece will be coming back to Milwaukee in trade. In all likelihood, any transaction will simply see the Bucks open a roster spot.
Yet, that could be exciting.
There are a handful of eye-catching free agents still left on the open market, and with the Bucks needing a spark off their bench, perhaps they could call upon one of them. That said, let us highlight one possible free agent target for the Milwaukee Bucks at each position.
Point guard - Markelle Fultz
There was plenty of initial hype when the Milwaukee Bucks signed Delon Wright to be their backup point guard. However, early in the season, Wright hasn't made much of an impact as a defender or facilitator, two areas he was expected to thrive in. If the team wants to have Wright play as more of a two-guard, perhaps they could add another backup point guard in Markelle Fultz.
Fultz has had an up-and-down career, but he managed to become a strong contributor as a member of the Orlando Magic when he was on the court. Not only was he an excellent passer, but at 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, he has the height and length to be a disruptive perimeter defender. At 26, the former No. 1 overall pick is also still relatively young.
With Fultz, the two big concerns are health and his perimeter shot. He's consistently been banged up in his career, and this team doesn't need any more health issues, especially after the latest update on Khris Middleton. He's also shot 27.4 percent from deep for his career, which could make him a weird fit on a team that is already struggling beyond belief to hit their triples.
It wouldn't be a perfect fit, but it would make some sense.
Shooting guard - Lonnie Walker IV
With the veteran reserves struggling to contribute consistently, Doc Rivers has learned very quickly this season that rolling with youth can give him the spark this team needs. If the Milwaukee Bucks want to keep stacking up their youth and beefing up their bench, taking a flyer on Lonnie Walker IV, who is simply waiting for his next phone call, would be wise.
What stands out about Walker the most is his athleticism. He has an incredible leaping ability, which has fueled some eye-catching dunks over the years. He's also speedy, racing up and down the court, making him a transition threat. In addition to being a threat close to the hoop, Walker has knocked in 35.6 percent of his career triples, so he can space the floor as well.
Walker, 25, would give Milwaukee more youth, athleticism and outside shooting, which are all things they can use more of off their bench. Due to those attributes, Milwaukee will not be the only team in the hunt for Walker, who is currently playing overseas while holding a buyout clause that would allow him to return to the NBA anytime. It will be interesting to see which team ultimately picks him up.
Small forward - Lamar Stevens
Lamar Stevens is the type of player who knows exactly what his role is; he'll never finish as the game's leading scorer or notch the most assists. Instead, Stevens is focused on playing defense and making hustle plays. A glue guy like that is something the Milwaukee Bucks could certainly use coming off of the bench right now.
Milwaukee's defense has not been as up to par as they hoped this season. If they need a lift, adding a 6-foot-6, versatile wing defender like Stevens would make sense. In addition to being a hound on the defensive end, the forward showed potential elsewhere to end the season with Memphis last year, averaging 11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game, all career bests for him.
Despite his scoring outburst with Memphis, Stevens has always been pretty raw offensively. He has never been an outside shooter, having hit 28.6 percent of his career triples on just 1.1 attempts per game. If he were to join the Milwaukee Bucks, it would help if he was at least a respectable threat from behind the long line.
Power forward - Jalen McDaniels
Outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee's two other bigs are Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, two players not really known for their athleticism. If the team wants to get more versatile and form more athletically gifted lineups without sacrificing too much size and length, one free agent they could call is Jalen McDaniels.
The 26-year-old has a nice physical profile. At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-2.5 wingspan, he's lengthy and athletic, which has helped him be a pest on the defensive end. With attributes like that, he could be a nice fit in smaller lineups with Giannis Antetokounmpo at the center spot. Simply, it would be a nice change of pace from the athletically lacking lineups that often feature both Lopez and Portis.
At 26, McDaniels is still young and has time to turn things around after a subpar season in Toronto in 2023-24. He already has a pair of built-in relationships in Milwaukee, as Gary Trent Jr. was with him in Toronto, and Doc Rivers was briefly his coach with the Philadelphia 76ers. That familiarity could be of use in helping him adjust to his possible new environment.
Center - Malik Williams
Speaking of wanting to add some youth and athleticism to the frontcourt, Malik Williams could be a strong pickup. In 33 games with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the G-League last season, the big man averaged 11.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. The 26-year-old has shown flashes of potential, and he could be a nice addition to the Milwaukee Bucks' current center rotation.
It's no secret that Brook Lopez is getting up there in age, and the Milwaukee Bucks should at least have the thought in their mind of finding their next great big man. With his shot-blocking and hulking size, standing at 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, Williams could thrive in similar situations that the Bucks have put Brook Lopez in over the years while being much younger and more athletic.
The big thing for Williams would be developing his perimeter shot, which the Bucks have tried to do with every big man over the years to better space the floor for Giannis Antetokounmpo. He's never been much of a shooter, having hit 32 percent of his triples on 2.9 tries per game in the G-League in 2023-24. If he can grow in that regard, there will be no denying his potential.
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