Amir Coffey should be on the Milwaukee Bucks’ roster, and based on Jon Horst’s latest statement, he’ll have every opportunity to be. Horst stated that the guys on guaranteed contracts aren’t locked in as the season-opener’s 15 men, which leaves plenty of opportunity for Coffey to earn his place.
“We were presented the opportunity as the offseason progressed to add some players that we thought were just too good to be true, really just great opportunities,” Horst said via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “We’re going to let the guys play it out. I think competition gives us a great opportunity to have a great start to our camp and a great start to our season. These guys are all fully aware of what they’re playing for and what the stakes are, and they’re all capable. Truly a kind of best-player, best-man-win mentality for the best 15 and three two-ways on our roster.”
A few guys should be on notice.
Why should Bucks sign Amir Coffey?
Though the most obvious need in Milwaukee stands at the point guard position, talent is talent, and the Bucks should be looking to add as much of it as possible around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Coffey has been a very effective player up to this point in his NBA career, earning plenty of minutes under Ty Lue during his seasons with the LA Clippers.
Last year, Coffey appeared in 72 games for the Clippers, playing a career-high 24.3 minutes per contest. He averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 47.1% from the floor and 40.9% from deep on 3.4 three-point attempts per game.
At 6-foot-7, he’s the perfect build for a 3-and-D wing, which is the type of player that every team fighting to win a championship should love to have on its roster.
That said, if the Bucks were to sign Coffey, which they should seriously consider, it would mean someone would have to go. That’s where things could get tricky.
A quick scan of the roster puts guys like Chris Livingston, Jericho Sims, and even Andre Jackson Jr. in the category of guys who Coffey could replace.
At the end of the day, it will all depend on how everybody looks in training camp. If Coffey ends up outperforming some of the guys that play his position, then the Bucks may have no choice but to bring him on board (and cut someone else in the process).