The Milwaukee Bucks could use a veteran ball-handler in their young backcourt, but the current free agent market is drying up incredibly fast. As they scour for options, the front office should have their fingers crossed that Marcus Smart of the Washington Wizards finds his way onto the buyout market, which seems like a legitimate possibility.
Wizards could cut ties with former Defensive Player of the Year
Following a recent trade involving the San Antonio Spurs, the Wizards have 17 players on their active roster, far more than the standard 15. They can carry extra because it is the offseason, but they must make some cuts in time. One logical option is letting go of Smart, who is among the veterans on this young roster.
While Smart could be a good veteran presence for the youngsters, he's likely looking to play and find his way onto a contender. The same could be said about Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum, but those two make $33 million and $31 million respectively. Smart is at just $22 million, so buying him out feels like the most realistic of the expiring trio.
The Milwaukee Bucks, who have shown interest in Smart before, would be a logical landing spot as they seek backcourt help. Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins are the lone "point guards" on the entire roster, so they could use some support. Adding a battle-tested, former Defensive Player of the Year could certainly be a shot in the arm, giving those two a great veteran to learn from.
While he's spent the past two years banged up, Smart still has the juice to be a quality defender. He served as a thorn in Milwaukee's side for years, and it would be great to get that type irritating chess piece on their side. Perimeter defense remains a major question mark for the Bucks, so adding Smart for cheap would make plenty of sense for that reason alone.
It's not like Milwaukee has plenty of better options. While Bradley Beal would be an excellent addition on a minimum, all signs point to him going to Los Angeles. Chris Paul seems destined to follow. Going after former MVP Russell Westbrook would certainly be a controversial move. Malcolm Brogdon may be an interesting option, but he has so many other suitors out there who can offer more money.
No matter how they go about it, the Milwaukee Bucks could use a veteran guard, and they are likely keeping an eye on Marcus Smart's situation.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.