3 Milwaukee Bucks fighting for a bigger role after Malik Beasley's departure

As most expected, Malik Beasley has officially left the Milwaukee Bucks after one season together, inking a one-year deal with the Detroit Pistons.

Beasley's departure creates question marks at the shooting guard position, as he was a starter and eventually a second-unit cog for this team. With Beasley gone, the Bucks need to find players to eat minutes at the shooting guard position next season, and thankfully, their roster is plump full of them. With all of that said, let us look at three current Milwaukee Bucks who could earn more minutes now.

AJ Green

Of all of the players on this list, AJ Green resembles what Beasley brought the closest. Statistically, they were the two best 3-point shooters on the team this season among players to attempt more than one 3-pointer; Beasley shot 41.3 percent, and Green shot 40.8 percent. If the Milwaukee Bucks want to replace Beasley's sweet outside shooting, throwing Green out there would be a wise move.

Looking closer at Green's 3-point production, it's easy to see why many Bucks fans are believers in what he can bring to the table. Per NBA.com/stats, he shot 42.1 percent on his catch-and-shoot tries and an impressive 45.8 percent on his "wide open" triples in 2023-24. With numbers like that, he'd fit in next to Milwaukee's stars, giving them all an elite kick-out threat always waiting for an open shot.

Although perimeter shooting is his bread and butter, Green also showed signs of defensive potential under the hood last season. The 6-foot-4, 200-lb guard oftentimes held his own against other wings this past season, doing his part to pester them. He won't be on any All-Defensive rankings, but if he can be serviceable on that end, it would increase his chances of being a rotational player mightily.

AJ Green could be due for a breakout 2024-25 season if he continues developing his game and is given the opportunity to shine.