Following the signing of Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks need to release a player in order to make necessary room for him. Andre Jackson Jr. feels like the obvious candidate, given his non-guaranteed contract, but if the Bucks do so, they will let him go for nothing. With rumors that the team could have gotten something for him previously, that hurts. It hurts a lot.
Per Clutch Points' Brett Siegel, the Bucks were dangling Jackson in trade talks last season, and they were seeking two second-round picks. They never received an offer greater than one, so they kept their 2023 draft pick. With Milwaukee increasingly likely to waive Jackson rather than find a partner via trade to part with him, that decision stings.
Bucks allegedly could have gotten assets for young wing
Milwaukee's second-round draft capital asset cabinet is as dry as the Sahara Desert. Getting even a single pick could have given this team another valuable draft asset to use themselves or as a bonus in a trade. Now, they are without a second round pick, and they are more than likely going to be without the player who could have been shipped out for it.
With Milwaukee always looking to make a move around the edges to improve the roster, that one pick could have made plenty of difference in trade talks.
The Thanasis Antetokounmpo signing in general just causes a logjam on Milwaukee's roster, which is why the timing was so odd. Things were seemingly trending toward the Bucks waiving Jackson to set up a standard roster spot for Amir Coffey, who is on a camp deal and a legitimate rotational player in this league. Doing so for Thanasis while Coffey isn't on the roster yet is certainly a choice.
Even without the Coffey angle, cutting Jackson for Thanasis goes against everything the Bucks have embraced this summer. They've made it a point to reshape this roster with youth, athleticism, and an assortment of versatile role players. With Thanasis, they've added a 33-year-old who is unlikely to play a key rotational role. That may entail waiving a 23-year-old who has plenty of growing to do.
Making matters worse is that the Milwaukee Bucks' small forward position is anything but figured out.
There's a chance the Milwaukee Bucks have a plan in motion. It feels extremely unlikely they would sign Thanasis and intend to only keep Coffey for training camp. It's not impossible, but it's plausible to think this team has no intention of letting that foolish reality come to fruition. Milwaukee should be busy over the next few weeks.
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