1 Realistic free agent target the Milwaukee Bucks should pursue from each team

Memphis Grizzlies v Milwaukee Bucks
Memphis Grizzlies v Milwaukee Bucks / John Fisher/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 30
Next

Cleveland Cavaliers - Damian Jones

Although most Bucks fans would likely love to get their hands on a young, energetic wing such as Isaac Okoro, he's a restricted free agent, so Milwaukee's chances of doing so are essentially slim. Instead, sticking with the realistic angle, they could add youth at another position, center, by going after Damian Jones.

With Danilo Gallinari incredibly unlikely to return, the Milwaukee Bucks will need to add size and depth in the frontcourt this off-season. Jones fits the mold, as he's a 6-foot-11 center. He's a gifted athlete, flying high for lobs and rebounds. That would be a different type of big man than what the Bucks have had with Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis over the years, which could offer something new.

Although they don't have the athleticism or bounce, something that has made Lopez and Portis so successful in Milwaukee's lineups is their outside shooting. Jones has shown glimpses of being a quality floor spacer, shooting 35.1 percent from deep for his career, but the sample size is small. Perhaps the Bucks could aim to mold him into a stronger outside shooter like they did with Lopez.

In that same vein, they'd need to emphasize his improvement on defense, as it has never been his strong suit. At 28, Jones is not some raw prospect, but he is fairly young and can grow. People tend to forget that Brook Lopez was not much of a defensive threat before he came to Milwaukee. Now, he's been in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation consistently.

If the Bucks need a cheap, young big, Jones could be a low-risk pick.