3 Patrick Beverley replacements the Bucks could target in NBA Free Agency
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks will have five players who were employed on standard contracts hit the market in NBA Free Agency this off-season.
Perhaps the biggest domino is Patrick Beverley, someone the team would likely love to have back for another go-round, especially considering they gave up a pick to get him. Beverley himself has said on his podcast, The Pat Bev Podcast, that he'd love to return, but he also feels like he's deserving of a bump in pay.
That could undeniably put the Milwaukee Bucks in a difficult spot, given their limited spending money and many other roster needs. If Beverley does swiftly bolt, here are replacements the Bucks could go after in free agency to replenish their backcourt depth.
Dennis Smith Jr.
A player like Dennis Smith Jr. could do Milwaukee's second unit a lot of good. He provides excellent athleticism, an attribute this roster needs more of, quality defense and facilitating. On top of all that, he's 26, so he could add a needed dose of youth to this roster. There's not much to dislike with what he brings to the table.
One hole in Smith's game is that he's never been a quality outside shooter, hitting just 29.8 percent of his career triples. Obviously, on a team with Giannis Antetokounmpo, that's not ideal offensively, but it should not be the end all be all, especially when considering the other boxes he checks off and the impact he could have for the Milwaukee Bucks.
If Beverley departs, Smith could slide into his shoes and be that tremendous perimeter defender this team needs. He could take on the challenging assignments at the guard position while also helping the team's effort in transition, an area he thrives in and one that the Bucks struggled in last season, and giving them another quality ball-handler to orchestrate the reserves.
Yet, with Smith telling HoopsHype's Michael Scotto that he hopes to secure a multi-year deal in the near future, the Milwaukee Bucks may not be a realistic suitor. Perhaps if no one gives Smith that deal, he'd be willing to accept a prove-it deal to cash out the following off-season, a path that players such as Philadelphia's Kelly Oubre Jr. and Milwaukee's own Malik Beasley took last off-season.