Milwaukee Bucks: Complete grades for the 2019 NBA offseason
By Jordan Foote
3. Wesley Matthews signing
Another bargain bin signing, Wesley Matthews joins the Milwaukee Bucks coming off a season in which he played for three different franchises. At 32 years old (33 by the beginning of the season), he is what he is as a player at this point.
Matthews’ defense is falling off and certainly isn’t what it used to be. With that said, he still brings a valuable skillset to the table.
Long known as being a prototypical “3-and-D” type of player, Matthews certainly still has the 3-point shot under control.
Making 37.2 percent of his attempts from deep a season ago, Matthews will have ample catch-and-shoot opportunities with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s proficiency as a drive-and-kick player.
On the other hand, Matthews is no longer a player you want guarding the opposition’s best, or even second-best, scorer.
He’s not a dreadful defender but coming off a season in which he posted the worst defensive rating of his career, how he attempts to avoid further regression will be worth keeping an eye on.
This offseason move gets a good grade simply based on value alone. Bringing in a double-digit scorer and sharpshooter for the veteran’s minimum, regardless of his age and/or defensive woes, is a positive.
Matthews will likely receive quite a bit of playing time this year, so you can’t do much better at $2.56 million if you’re Milwaukee.
Grade: B+