Training camp and preseason for the upcoming 2024-25 NBA campaign are on the horizon, and the Milwaukee Bucks are ready to hit the hardwood.
After falling short of expectations last season, they spent the offseason retooling and patching many of the roster's biggest holes. With a new and improved group, the Bucks will now resume their quest to win another NBA title. While their standard 18-man roster is full, Milwaukee can still bring players on the roster for training camp and the preseason, giving them a chance to further evaluate talent.
With the way the roster is currently constructed, the Bucks could not bring anyone else aboard on a standard contract, but perhaps they could keep them in the G-League with the Wisconsin Herd, their affiliate. That would give NBA players seeking a comeback an opportunity to showcase their talent like the team has done with Glenn Robinson III and Tyreke Evans over the past several years.
That said, let us highlight 10 players the Milwaukee Bucks should bring in before camp begins.
Justise Winslow
The Milwaukee Bucks held a workout in Las Vegas recently that featured a ton of recognizable faces, one of which being Justise Winslow.
On paper, Winslow is exactly the type of player the Bucks could use. He's incredibly versatile and can play shooting guard, small forward and power forward, utilizing a sturdy 6-foot-6, 222-pound build to switch onto opponents and hold his own defensively. Offensively, he's never been much of a scorer, but he can occasionally put the ball in the hole and is a strong secondary facilitator.
The big problem with Winslow is injuries. Over his last four NBA seasons, he appeared in a combined 114 games, spending plenty of time on the sidelines. Bringing in an oft-injured player might seem like a puzzling move for the Milwaukee Bucks, given how injured they have been over the past few years, but perhaps they could believe in Winslow's potential and are willing to risk it.
Last season, in 20 G-League contests, Winslow showed that he still had something left to give on the basketball court, averaging 16.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, doing everything on the court. If he can stay healthy and translate that type of do-it-all impact to the NBA level, there's no doubt he could help a team like the Milwaukee Bucks.
Seeing what Winslow, a former teammate of Bucks guard Damian Lillard, has in training camp would be a low-risk move for Milwaukee in their hunt for more help defensively. Interestingly, Rickie Winslow, Justise's father, also played for the Milwaukee Bucks back in 1987-88, so, at the bare minimum, this would be a nice full-circle moment.
Hamidou Diallo
Another rumored player in attendance at the Bucks' Las Vegas workout was Hamidou Diallo.
Throughout his six-year playing career, the most prominent attribute that always stuck out with Diallo was his high-flying athleticism. At any given moment, the guard could detonate for an explosive dunk, leaping out of the gym and being pasted across all of the highlight pages on social media. It was that athleticism that helped him win the NBA's 2019 Slam Dunk Contest.
The Bucks, one of the oldest teams in the NBA, could always use an injection of youth and athleticism into the roster. Diallo, having just turned 26, checks off both boxes. Furthermore, he's a 6-foot-5 wing who was always a stout perimeter defender when he was in the association, something else this team should be stocking up on at the moment.
Diallo showed NBA teams that he still had something to give with an assertive performance down in the G-League last year, averaging 20.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 29 games. Those are certainly captivating numbers, and the Bucks, or any other team, may be wise to take an extended look at him in camp because of them.
This is a player who still may have some good NBA basketball left in them.
Amari Bailey
A second-round pick of the Charlotte Hornets just over a year ago, Amari Bailey already finds himself pondering the next steps of his playing career as he's looking for his next home. If he's looking to stick around in the NBA and willing to prove himself to do so, the Milwaukee Bucks should bring him aboard for camp and see what he has to offer.
Bailey didn't show much during his 10 appearances with Charlotte last season, but he dazzled in the G-League, putting up 19.3 points, five rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 42 percent from 3-point land in 23 games. Those are impressive numbers for a recently-turned 20-year-old, and there's no denying he has some untapped potential on both sides of the basketball court.
The Bucks should invite him to camp with the intention of making him a member of the Herd for the 2024-25 season. That would give him an opportunity to see some legitimate minutes on a team and be in Milwaukee's back pocket if they ever needed another point guard. It'd be low-risk to invite him and then offer him an opportunity to suit up with the Herd as he aims to get back to the NBA.
Wenyen Gabriel
The Milwaukee Bucks could always use another big body in the frontcourt. Behind the veteran trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis, they are a tad thin, with Tyler Smith, a rookie, and Anzejs Pasecniks, who has played 28 career games, serving as depth. If they want a big man with more experience, an option worth bringing to camp is Wenyen Gabriel.
The Bucks are quite familiar with Gabriel, as he's played for their G-League affiliate, the Herd, over the past few years. In 26 games this past year, Gabriel impressed by averaging 16.7 points, 10.2 boards, 3.2 assists, 1.9 blocks and a steal per game, showing that he can do a bit of everything. At 27, he still has some good basketball left, and he's certainly angling to get back to the NBA.
Gabriel has never managed to consistently stick in the NBA, but he does have plenty of experience there, suiting up for seven teams in five years. He did play 68 contests for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23, by far the biggest role of his career, showing glimpses that he had the potential to be in a rotation nightly due to his mobility, shot-blocking and floor spacing.
Bringing Gabriel to camp would help the Milwaukee Bucks get a closer look at a big man in the event they need some experienced depth at any point this coming season. It would also be a great gesture to reward him for his service with the Wisconsin Herd.
Terence Davis
HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported recently that the Milwaukee Bucks recently hosted swingman Terence Davis for a workout, so there is a good chance this one becomes a reality.
The Bucks wanting to get a closer look at Davis is justifiable. Too many wings is not an issue this team has been met with in recent memory, as they've constantly battled injuries at the spot. Having one or two more in their back pocket to call upon in the event of an injury or absence would help this team rest easier at night after years of dealing with injured wings.
Davis is also coming off a ruptured Achilles, so the Milwaukee Bucks, who also showed interest in the wing last year, wanted to see what he looked like coming back from that. They've clearly been keeping tabs on him for a while, so it would make sense if they invited him to camp to see what he has to give coming off this brutal injury.
During his four NBA seasons, Davis was a serviceable player, averaging eight points, 2.7 boards and 1.3 assists while shooting 36.6 percent from distance. Having just turned 27, Davis is still young and could certainly bounce back from this injury. If the Bucks invited him to camp, it would likely be to get him on the Herd for the 2024-25 season to see what he still has in the tank, evaluating him there.
Lonnie Walker IV
It's shocking that Lonnie Walker IV remains unsigned this deep into free agency. Had the Bucks not filled their final standard roster spot with Gary Trent Jr., it feels like they maybe would have snatched him up to bulk up their shooting guard depth instead. While they don't have room for him on their primary roster, they should certainly try to get him into the organization one way or another.
Walker's most desirable attribute is his athleticism. He's the definition of a leaper, as he can jump out of the gym at any moment for a highlight dunk. He could give Milwaukee a needed spark in transition, an area they struggled in last season. Furthermore, he's shot 35.8 percent from deep for his career, so he's much more than just a dunker. The guard could be a second-unit sparkplug offensively.
While Walker would be a nice pickup, the odds of him taking a camp deal are slim. While the days are winding down, it feels like someone will end up signing him on a standard deal, even if he holds out for the best offer until the very last moment. Unless the Bucks make room, they cannot offer him that at this time. Still, that should not stop them from extending a camp invite his way.
At 25, Walker hasn't even hit his prime yet, and some team may end up getting a hidden gem if they get him in their organization.
Markelle Fultz
This late in the offseason, Markelle Fultz is worth a flyer.
The former No. 1 overall pick never lived up to expectations in Philadelphia, but since landing with the Magic several years ago, he's developed into a decent role player. In addition to battling an injury that limited him to 43 games, an abundance of guards phased him out of Orlando's rotation last season mightily compared to the year before. Those are two of the prominent reasons why he's unsigned.
Bringing Fultz to camp would allow the Milwaukee Bucks to get a closer look at a defensive-minded guard who can also handle the ball. As highlighted time and time again in this article, the Bucks are always hungry for more defense, so examining a strong defender in the backcourt would be a wise move as they fill out their camp roster.
In 2022-23, when he appeared in 60 games, he had the best year of his career, averaging 14 points, 5.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and an impressive 1.5 steals per game. The big question is whether or not Fultz can stay healthy, as he's played more than 43 games twice in his seven-year career, but there's no arguing the potential he has on the court.
Having recently turned 26, Fultz has plenty of time to find his footing. He may never grow into the star guard many thought he'd be when he was drafted, but if he stays healthy and hones in on his potential defensively, he could be a steady role player in this league.
Lamar Stevens
This particular writer has been high on Lamar Stevens for many months now.
That infatuation spawned from the 27-year-old's eye-catching build at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds and his defensive motor fueled by said build. At his size, he's always been capable of matching up with bigger wings and forwards. It's an archetype the Bucks have been trying to find for years - see Semi Ojeleye and Jae Crowder - but have had little luck ultimately tracking down.
As they aim to find this particular archetype, inviting Stevens to training camp would help them cast a wide net to find their potential solution.
The big question mark with Stevens has always been his offense. Throughout his four-year career, he has shown little improvement in that regard. In Milwaukee, it's preferred that a player can at least be a serviceable shooter from downtown to space the floor for the Bucks' stars, but Stevens has shot just 28.6 percent from behind the arc for his career. That could be a bit problematic in this system.
Despite his offensive shortcomings, a camp deal wouldn't hurt. Bring Stevens in to see what he has to offer defensively. If he impresses, the organization could keep him in mind if a spot opens up at some point down the line.
Dennis Smith Jr.
Like the aforementioned Lonnie Walker IV, it's shocking that Dennis Smith Jr., his teammate with the Brooklyn Nets this past season, remains unsigned with camp right around the corner.
The point guard put up respectable numbers in Brooklyn last season, averaging 6.6 points, 3.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game, but the best thing he put on tape was his defensive intensity. The guard's impact was noticeable on that end often as he picked up opposing guards and hounded them, which helped Smith average 1.2 steals per game.
In addition to being a strong defender, Smith is also an electric athlete. A good chunk of his highlights stem from gravity-defying dunks. Whenever he forces one of those previously mentioned steals, the guard runs out in transition and provides a needed boost of energy. There's no doubt that the Bucks could use a spark in transition, given how lackadaisical they were in that regard last year.
Smith, a 29.8 percent career 3-point shooter, won't do much for Milwaukee's floor spacing, but his defense, athleticism and facilitating could make him a worthwhile pickup. It'd be a bit surprising if he inked a camp deal over a standard contract with someone in the coming weeks, but crazier things have happened in the NBA.
John Wall
This is not a situation like most other players on this list. John Wall is not an unproven, young player who may be a hidden gem. He's a five-time All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive player who was one of the best point guards in the league at his peak. Injuries ultimately derailed his career, as appeared in 147 games over the last seven seasons, including three seasons where he didn't play a single game.
Despite missing all of last season, Wall has made it clear that he's not giving up on getting back into the NBA, saying that he's willing to accept any role offered to him. With that in mind, the Bucks may make sense as a team willing to take a flyer on him to, at the bare minimum, see what he has left in the tank at 33 years old.
Delon Wright is currently set to serve as Milwaukee's backup point guard, but if Wall has anything left to give at the NBA level, those two could be a nice one-two punch off the bench to back up the duo of Damian Lillard and Gary Trent Jr. Can you imagine what rookie guard AJ Johnson could learn from that collection of talent in the backcourt? Whew.
Wall will likely never return to his 20-point, 10-assist-per-game form, but if he can still put points on the board while facilitating and playing decent defense while staying healthy, his story might not be over. A camp deal would be the definition of low-risk for the Bucks.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.