The Milwaukee Bucks' backcourt is set to undergo a lot of change this offseason. Damian Lillard's injury, Gary Trent Jr. hitting free agency, and now Kevin Porter Jr. will reportedly turn down his player option.
Answers are staring them in the face, with Tre Jones and Tyus Jones both being free agents as low-cost options to fill that void.
There is no timeline yet regarding Lillard, but he is expected to miss most of the 25-26 season. Trent will have plenty of suitors who can pay more than the Bucks, and Porter is hoping to sign a contract of higher value. The Jones brothers are reliable point guards and are in the prime of their careers, which is exactly what the Bucks need to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with.
The Jones brothers are exactly what the Bucks need
25-year-old Tre ended the season with Central divisional rivals in the Chicago Bulls, having been traded there from the San Antonio Spurs. Across the season as a whole, he averaged 7.2 points, 4.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds on shooting splits of .538/.396/.821.
Older brother Tyus signed a one-year deal to be the point guard of the Phoenix Suns team, which was top-heavy financially. The 29-year-old still had a solid season, averaging 10.2 points, 5.3 assists and 2.4 rebounds on splits of .448/.414/.895.
Both brothers are now seasoned in the league, but with their best years ahead of them. They both have solid and reliable playmaking, as well as a consistent shot from 3-point range, which is integral when playing alongside Giannis. At 6-foot-1, they may feel undersized, but they more than hold their own defensively. Tre's deal was seeing him earn $9.5 million this past season, likely seeing him near his older brother's value now of a minimum deal, at most maybe $5 million per year.
The feeling around Milwaukee is that Trent is a much more valuable player than Porter, and having that slight bit more financial flexibility, keeping Trent is where they will go. There has also been no news on Ryan Rollins after he impressed as the team's backup point guard. Whichever Jones comes in would create great competition in the backcourt alongside Rollins. An issue may arise when Lillard returns, but the Bucks need to focus on remaining a solid team to then having the veteran guard slot right back in.
It is a huge void to be filled, but you can go some way to at least having reliable point guard play and that is right there with the Jones'. Tre might be the favored due to him being slightly younger and there may be the option for a one-year plus an option so the Bucks can keep him around for the 26-27 season when Lillard is fully healed.
Jon Horst and the front office can't do much wrong if they go pick up one of the Jones brothers. Financially and schematically, it would be a good move, and it is staring them in the face.