The Milwaukee Bucks have made some nice tweaks to their roster this off-season, but one sizeable question mark remains, and it revolves around who the starting two-guard will be in 2024-25.
Right now, those primarily in the mix are Pat Connaughton, Delon Wright and AJ Green. There isn't a clear-cut pick, so fans have been clamoring for the front office to look externally to beef up that spot. Well, it appears management has the same thought process.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania (subscription required), the Bucks are in the market to sign a two-guard and are conducting a workout later this week. Among the attendees will be NBA veteran Will Barton. Yet, the more exciting nugget from Charania is that the Bucks are indeed making a run at shooting guard Gary Trent Jr., who is arguably the best free agent still available.
Could the Bucks sway Gary Trent Jr. to sign with them for cheap?
Trent's market clearly is not as robust as he hoped it would be, given that he's still unsigned this late in the off-season. Like Malik Beasley or Kelly Oubre Jr. last year, he's likely looking at a one-year prove-it deal to showcase his talent on a contending team in an attempt to earn a larger deal next off-season. He'd have a nice chance to do so in Milwaukee.
Trent would immediately be penciled in as the starting shooting guard for 2024-25, forming a lethal shooting backcourt alongside Damian Lillard. Though the guard isn't a formidable defender, he has the size and length to hold his own on that end, and he wracks up steals constantly, turning defense to offense in a hurry.
Though they don't have a ton of spending money to entice Trent, one advantage the Bucks have over other teams interested in him is that they have Damian Lillard. Of course, the two played together with the Portland Trail Blazers, and with Lillard known to be recruiting this off-season, he's likely been pitching the idea of a reunion to Trent.
It should excite Bucks fans that the team is going after a fan-favorite target and one of the top names still left on the board. If they can ink his signature with a minimum, it would be one of the best moves the team has made in free agency in quite some time. It's welcoming to hear that they are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to beef up the shooting guard position.
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