Following the signings of Delon Wright and Taurean Prince, the Milwaukee Bucks now have one standard roster spot open.
There are a lot of different directions they could go here. First off, they could very well opt to leave it open and keep some roster flexibility heading into the season. However, with several high-end names still on the free agent market, the Bucks may be wise to fill that vacancy sooner rather than later.
That said, based on the team's current needs, let us highlight five remaining free agent targets who should be on Milwaukee's radar.
Daniel Theis
The Milwaukee Bucks could use another big body in the frontcourt, especially at the center position. Behind Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, there is no one for the team to turn to, which could create an issue if the team deals with any form of injury or absence from those two. One name who could help them fill that void is Daniel Theis.
Theis makes this list for two reasons. First off, the center market right now is incredibly bare, as there are not a lot of names left. Second, The Athletic's Kelly Iko has reported that the Bucks do have an interest in the veteran big man, so there is a legitimate chance a partnership could indeed happen if Theis feels the same way.
At 6-foot-8, Theis is undersized at the center spot, but he could offer the Bucks a different look at the position compared to Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, as he's more mobile. Something Theis does have in common with those two is his ability to space the floor, especially as he's coming off a season where he shot 36.6 percent from deep, the second-best mark of his NBA career.
If the Bucks could get Theis on a cheap deal, it would be a fine signing to beef up their frontcourt.
Josh Okogie
After their slew of free agent signings, perhaps the biggest question left for the Milwaukee Bucks is who will be the fifth starter. Josh Okogie might not be the perfect fit for the job, but as the team eyes targets still up for grabs, perhaps they could swoop in and bring him in. At the bare minimum, he'd be a nice depth piece at the two-guard spot, but he also has the potential to play a nice role.
Okogie's biggest strengths come on the defensive end, where he's a flat-out pest to his opponents. The 6-foot-4 guard is incredibly versatile, able to switch between matchups and take on players who are larger than him. A player like that could do the Milwaukee Bucks plenty of good, helping them add a stout perimeter defender.
The prominent concern with Okogie is his nightly offensive output. He's averaged just 6.3 points while shooting a poor 29.3 percent from three for his NBA career; those numbers don't exactly jump off the page. With such poor 3-point shooting, it may be tough to have Okogie on the floor consistently with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who relies heavily on the floor spacing he gets from shooters.
Despite the concerns offensively, if the Milwaukee Bucks can snag Okogie on a minimum contract, they should. The perimeter defense he brings would outweigh the poor offense, giving this team a versatile chess piece that can be used as a sparkplug. At 25, he's also still very young and has plenty of good basketball left to be played.
Lonnie Walker IV
Sticking with shooting guards, Lonnie Walker IV is a very different player than Josh Okogie, but he should also be firmly on Milwaukee's wish list.
Walker's eye-popping athleticism has always been his greatest feature. Standing at 6-foot-4, he can jump out of the gym for a thunderous dunk of a rebound at any point. Of course, adding athleticism and youth have been key objectives for the Milwaukee Bucks this off-season, and while they've done a great job thus far, landing the 25-year-old Walker would help continue the trend.
Yet, he's far more than just a dunker offensively, as Walker is a strong outside shooter, having made 1.8 triples per game this past season, a new career high. Throughout his six NBA seasons, Walker has sunk 35.6 percent of his triples (37.5 over the past two years), so he could slide into the lineup and provide quality perimeter shooting and floor spacing for the Milwaukee Bucks' star players.
Walker could be an energizer for this team, especially in the athleticism department. If the Bucks can convince him to take a minimum to prove himself on a contender for one year - think of what they did with Malik Beasley last season - it would be the definition of a low-risk, high-reward move as they aim to get their starting two-guard problem resolved.
Dennis Smith Jr.
Many think that since they signed Delon Wright, the Milwaukee Bucks have no need for another point guard on the roster. While Wright could very well be the team's new backup point guard, him starting next to Damian Lillard should also not be ruled out of the equation. In that scenario, this team would need a backup floor general, and Dennis Smith Jr. is one of the best names still out there.
Smith has had a tough time finding a home in the NBA over the past few seasons, but he showed his value with the Brooklyn Nets this past season as a defensive-minded backup point guard. He could handle the ball off the bench and also take on tough guard matchups, hounding his opponent down the court constantly. Averaging 1.2 steals per game, he created more opportunities constantly.
Wright and Smith could give the Bucks two defensive-minded guards who are not afraid to take on the difficult assignments, giving this team a needed boost on the perimeter. On that same not, they could both take pressure off of Damian Lillard, allowing him to focus more on his offense while those two tackle the tough scorers. That could elevate Lillard's offensive game mightily.
Like the aforementioned Okogie, the big concern with Smith is the outside shot, as he's sunk a mere 29.8 percent of his career triples, which could cause fit issues. Yet, with the defense and playmaking he could bring off of the bench, the Bucks should be willing to take the gamble. Perhaps Lillard could do some recruiting of his former teammate with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Gary Trent Jr.
Listen, this is unquestionably the most pie-in-the-sky name on this entire list. If Gary Trent Jr.'s name was brought up right when free agency started, no Milwaukee Bucks fan would have thought it was even possible. Yet, with teams filling out their rosters and spending their big money, Trent is unsigned, and per Sportsnet's Michael Grange, there is doubt Trent will even fetch a mid-level exception.
If the wing wants to bet on himself with a short-term deal on a contender, the Milwaukee Bucks would be a nice fit for him. The money wouldn't be bountiful, but there would be a legitimate shot for him to start and showcase his skills on a contender in hopes of earning a payday the following off-season. For the Milwaukee Bucks, he'd be a huge get, given their limited financial tools.
Trent's greatest attribute is his outside shot. For his career, he's shot 38.6 percent on 6.4 attempts, averaging 14.3 points per game in that same timeframe. He's an electric scorer and shooter, making him a great fit alongside Milwaukee's Big 3. Bucks fans just saw Malik Beasley have his best year as a shooter with the Bucks, and Trent could very well follow suit.
Defensively, Trent is fine. At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, he has the height and length to be a disruptive force off the ball, averaging 1.2 steals per contest in his career, while also holding his own when matched up with opposing wings. He won't be making any All-Defensive teams anytime soon, but he'd be a decent rotational piece for the Milwaukee Bucks in that regard.
If Trent remains on the market, perhaps he will end up settling for a minimum to set his sights on a much larger payday next off-season. For example, think of Kelly Oubre Jr., who was signed by the Philadelphia 76ers late in the 2023 off-season and earned a nice raise a few weeks ago for a nice showing in 2023-24. Trent could follow that blueprint in Milwaukee.
Again, perhaps Lillard could do some recruiting, delivering a strong pitch to the former Trail Blazer to join him in the 414.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.