The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different outcome. And for years now, the Milwaukee Bucks have done just that. Offseason after offseason, they find themselves enticed by the latest veterans on the free agency market. Whether it's Rodney Hood, Jae Crowder or Delon Wright, the Bucks go after the biggest, most established names, only for those moves not to pan out.
It's time to change that pattern.
That's the one obvious lesson from last offseason that should be screaming in the faces of the Milwaukee Bucks’ front office: don’t chase names — chase needs.
Last summer, Milwaukee tried to thread a needle between veteran experience and playoff equity by signing recognizable, “proven” players. Taurean Prince. Delon Wright. On paper, the moves made sense. Here were two solid pros with playoff mileage and a portfolio of solid defensive outings added to stabilize an aging core in win-now mode. (Admittedly, even this writer thought so.) In practice, it was a faceplant.
Wright and Prince didn't actually solve Milwaukee's problems
Delon Wright gave Milwaukee almost nothing. He was out of the rotation almost as soon as the season started and was eventually flipped for Jericho Sims, who, in just a few playoff games, ended up being exponentially more useful. That trade told the real story: the Bucks didn’t need another veteran with a resume. They needed legs. They needed upside. They needed energy.
Taurean Prince was a slightly better swing, but only ever so slightly. He hit open shots in the regular season and filled minutes without too much fuss or fanfare. All told, his 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game on 43.9 percent shooting from distance painted a picture of a steady, reliable veteran who had bought into the role he was given. But those numbers were also why he was given big minutes later on.
And when the playoffs came, he hit his ceiling hard. He was exposed defensively in space, got hunted in transition and never became the difference-making wing Milwaukee hoped he could be. Another net-neutral vet. Another year older.
The Bucks only started to find answers when they leaned young at the trade deadline.
Kyle Kuzma may be polarizing, but he gave the team needed size and scoring on the wing. Kevin Porter Jr., despite his baggage, was one of the few Bucks with the burst and creativity to break down defenses. And Jericho Sims, the last-minute acquisition from the Wright trade, ended up being the most impactful defensive big outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo — switching, rebounding and staying vertical when Brook Lopez couldn’t.
Look, it may have worked with PJ Tucker, but even the most cursory look at their high-profile landings through the years will tell you that it never worked again. That's because after the title season, these weren’t just luxury moves anymore. These were survival pivots. Moves that helped Milwaukee stay afloat late in the year and nearly extend their season despite injuries and coaching blunders.
The trap the Milwaukee Bucks fell into last year was trusting the names they knew instead of building for what the roster actually lacked: youth, athleticism, perimeter defense and players who can run in transition. They cannot afford to make that mistake again.
If Milwaukee runs it back by stacking the end of their bench with more veteran guards who can’t stay in front of anyone or wings who get frozen in playoff moments, they’re not just risking another early exit — they’re burning the last years of Giannis’ prime.
To be frank, there's some inward-looking to do as fans, too. The demand for Wright didn't come from nowhere, and we'll be the first to admit we were part of the calls advocating for that acquisition.
Obviously, nobody could have foreseen that it would not have worked out with Wright. But in hindsight, he fit the mold of that same mistake the Milwaukee Bucks have made over and over again: a cheap veteran on a prove-it deal with nowhere to go but with a supposedly storied history of good defensive play on the perimeter.
In an NBA where young teams are breaking through faster than ever — think the Thunder, the Pacers, the Timberwolves — the Bucks need to stop pretending continuity is the only virtue of a contender. It’s not. Mobility matters. Versatility matters. Youth matters. This is just where the league is now, and it's time to finally adapt. Maybe that means looking elsewhere around the league, but maybe that also means looking closer to the end of their bench.
No matter what the answer is, the reality is that Milwaukee needs a course-correction. They learned it the hard way this season. This time, they better act like it.
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