Things didn’t go as perfectly as planned, but the Milwaukee Bucks made substantial additions to their roster during free agency this year.
So maybe Bogdan Bogdanovic isn’t going to land on the Milwaukee Bucks — Something tells me the team with the best regular-season record in the 2019-20 season will find a way to cope. Bucks general manager Jon Horst isn’t afraid to push the needle and take risks, going after players who fit his team’s construction and ultimately complement his star’s game.
Since fringe All-Star Jrue Holiday was acquired through a trade, he doesn’t count in this conversation. We’re honing in on the four players who’ve committed to new deals with the Milwaukee Bucks during this free-agency period. Each brings a special trait to the table that pushes toward the common goal of bringing glory to Cream City.
More so than that, these are the four players that Horst believes can help swing the pendulum for Giannis Antetokounmpo as he mulls over the potential super-max extension waiting for him in the United States. Generational money is at stake, but for a superstar like Giannis, there will be other opportunities to make that back. The Greek Freak is focused on winning and establishing himself as an all-time great.
Without much money to work with, Horst effectively recruited four quality players who can fill positions of need. It’s worth noting that key players from last year’s rotation, including Wes Matthews, George Hill and Ersan Ilyasova, are no longer with the team. For as much as they’re adding to this lineup, the Bucks are really hoping to replicate and improve upon the value they lost to an unpredictable free-agent market.
The team’s two-way signings, Mamadi Diakite and Jaylen Adams, won’t be discussed here. Horst also re-signed Pat Connaughton to a three-year contract, which was his worst decision of the offseason However, we’re here to focus on the new guys.