With Damian Lillard likely to miss a sizeable portion, if not all, of next season due to a left Achilles tear, the Milwaukee Bucks will need to address the point guard position this offseason. Depending on how things shake out, the New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets could both offer suitable guards if the Bucks need reinforcements.
Houston has a $4.9 million team option on Aaron Holiday, the brother of former Buck Jrue Holiday, while the Pelicans have Jose Alvarado on the books for $4.5 million next season. With a new trade exception worth $7.2 million at their disposal, the Milwaukee Bucks could easily acquire either of these guards if the opposing team is willing to move off of them.
Point guard will be a fascinating spot for the Milwaukee Bucks
First and foremost, the Bucks should try to retain both Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins. Both players flexed their potential this past season, and they have familiarity with the franchise. Continuing to build with them rather than bringing in external help could be the way to go, but with both of them likely to hit the free agent market, it could all come down to just how much the team can spend.
In the event they need help or depth at point guard, Holiday and Alvarado would be solid options who likely wouldn't cost the Milwaukee Bucks too much asset-wise.
Alvarado is the more compelling of the two, making a living due to his pesky defense and perimeter shooting capabilities. He could fill the role Jevon Carter played so well several years ago by picking up players the full length of the floor and making it difficult for them to get across the halfcourt line. He's also a great facilitator, averaging a career-best 4.6 assists per game this past season.
Holiday isn't as well recognized, but he's still a decent player. For his career, he shoots 38.2 percent from 3-point range while averaging 6.5 points and two assists per game. He'd be a fine reserve or depth piece for any team, especially one that needs to address the point guard position as much as the Milwaukee Bucks do.
Despite the team's newfound flexibility, fans should not expect splashy moves this summer. The plan will likely revolve around retaining a good chunk of their own free agents while making tweaks around the edges. Some of those tweaks could possibly involve trading for a suitable backup point guard.
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