Having filled out the roster quite nicely, the Milwaukee Bucks have one main hole remaining: a starting-caliber small forward. Even failing that, they could use any wing defender capable of logging minutes there. A recently waived Charlotte Hornet is not the player the Bucks should be pursuing, despite potential temptations.
Milwaukee Bucks Need To Shut Door on Possible Wing Depth “Solution”
Phoenix traded Josh Okogie to Charlotte midway through last season, where he played 15 games amidst hamstring issues. Now a seven-year veteran, the former 20th overall pick is known for playing up from his 6-foot-4 frame, a stout force who makes his living as an on-ball defender.
The Hornets aren’t looking to win games anytime soon. They just want to dump salary and clear roster spots. In the open market, Okogie is expected to garner a veteran’s minimum paycheck.
On the surface, he’s a fine fit for a team like the Bucks looking for more true wing defender types to plug in at the three. But the specifics of his profile should give them pause. More than that, they should steer Milwaukee away from him altogether.
His size, for one thing. The Bucks already have a rash of players around his height who can defend the two or even smaller threes, at least in a pinch: Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., AJ Green, Gary Harris, Ryan Rollins, and Andre Jackson Jr. Among those, of course, only Trent and Jackson are legitimately wing-sized, or close to it, in Trent’s case. Milwaukee’s actual small forwards, Taurean Prince and Kyle Kuzma, aren’t wings at all.
They could use someone who fits that label on the small forward side of the spectrum. While Okogie can fill that role, he’s ultimately closer to a shooting guard.
Worse, he is a terrible shooter. He seemed to find something with the Suns last season, shooting 38.1% from beyond the arc (although on just 42 attempts – not a great sample size). In Charlotte, it was back to bricks. Inconsistent to boot, he owns a career mark of 29.9%. Yikes.
The Bucks already have issues with Jackson’s offensive limitations; Okogie is a worse shooter and has fewer facilitator abilities. By the time the season starts, he will be 27 years old. Hardly ancient, but seven seasons in he is what he is. Signing him would also require eliminating a player who should otherwise have a spot on the 15-man roster – probably Jackson.
Okogie’s might be a name floated alongside many teams in the coming doldrums of free agency, but the Bucks have no good reason to bite.
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