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.
Delon Wright
Before acquiring Patrick Beverley at the NBA Trade Deadline, the Bucks were linked to Delon Wright in their quest to beef up their perimeter defense, per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer. If Beverley bolts out the door, Milwaukee should reignite that interest and make another pass at trying to land the guard.
There's plenty to like about Wright, but perhaps his greatest attribute is his perimeter defense, which should always perk up some ears in Milwaukee. At 6-foot-5, Wright also boasts quality height at the guard position, making it less likely for taller players to hunt for the mismatch and shoot over them, an issue the Milwaukee Bucks have faced year after year.
Offensively, Wright is a fine player, capable of taking on ball-handling duties in a floor general role or playing off ball and relying on his perimeter shot. That could make him a valuable fit next to leading man Damian Lillard, providing quality defense alongside him and simultaneously taking pressure off of him on that side of the ball.
After playing one of the smallest roles of his career this season, Wright will likely be firmly within the Bucks' price range this off-season. If they need a backup guard, the 31-year-old would be a nice fit, giving them a solid two-way combo guard who could do a lot for this Milwaukee Bucks team.
Kris Dunn
Another name the Bucks did homework on before acquiring Patrick Beverley was Utah Jazz guard Kris Dunn, once again according to Jake Fischer. With Dunn set to enter the free-agent pool and the Bucks possibly needing point guard help, it wouldn't be surprising if his name resurfaced once more.
After struggling to stick on the court over the prior few seasons, Dunn had a resurgence with Utah in 2023-24, showing he could help a team by serving as a jack of all trades. He scored, facilitated, shot the long ball well and, perhaps most importantly for Milwaukee's sake, provided relentless defense on the perimeter. There's plenty to like.
The guard could be a nice sparkplug off of the bench, primarily by playing hounding defense on the perimeter against opposing guards. This past season, Dunn held opposing guards to 123-of-294 field goal shooting (41.8 percent) while forcing 52 turnovers, both solid numbers for a 6-foot-3 guard, making a legitimate case to earn an All-Defensive nod.
Dunn could reasonably fall into Milwaukee's price range this off-season, as the guard may be looking for an opportunity with a contender to showcase himself. Having just turned 30, he's still fairly young and has plenty of gas left in the tank, especially if he can build off a solid 2023-24 showing with Utah. He could be another Malik Beasley-esque addition on a cheap deal, perhaps.
If he's available, this would be about as low risk as it gets, given the team's defensive needs.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.