The Milwaukee Bucks, to put it bluntly, had one of the weirdest seasons in the NBA last year. Acquiring Damian Lillard via trade from the Portland Trailblazers for Jrue Holiday (Grayson Allen was sent to the Phoenix Suns) was their most noteworthy move in regard to their player personnel. However, the trade was done so late in the offseason that Lillard and his new team barely had any time to prepare for the season together.
Of course, there was also the highly debated and questionable hiring of Adrian Griffin as the Bucks’ head coach. During his brief stint with the Bucks, it was clear that there was not much of a defensive strategy and that he was quickly losing the locker room.
Of course, Griffin was fired despite being 30-13 and replaced by Doc Rivers.
The Milwaukee Bucks Struggled to Find an Identity in the 2023-24 NBA Season
When Mike Budenholzer was the head coach of the Bucks, Milwaukee had a reputation for being both an elite offensive and defensive team. It was clear, back then, that Giannis Antetokounmpo was the primary star and the rest of the team fed off of him.
The addition of Lillard, while a smart move to make, was done too late in the offseason for the two stars to find the best way to play together. As a result, the Bucks found themselves without a specific identity last season.
While Giannis still dominated and Lillard was voted as an NBA All-Star Game starter, the product on the floor was far less than what was expected. After Griffin’s firing, the Bucks went 16-19 under Rivers.
To be fair, health played a significant role in the Bucks’ struggles. Giannis, Lillard, and Khris Middleton played only six games together after Rivers took over. With their stars dealing with various injuries, it became apparent very quickly that Milwaukee’s roster was not properly constructed to be serious contenders.
The Milwaukee Bucks Sign Former Miami Heat Point Guard Delon Wright
One of the players that Milwaukee brought in last season to help right the ship was point guard Patrick Beverley, whom they acquired in a trade for Cameron Payne. While Beverley played well in Milwaukee and helped improve the defense (if only slightly), he is too expensive for the Bucks to bring back going forward.
Instead, the Bucks turned to free agency where they can only sign players to veteran minimum contracts. Earlier today, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reported that Milwaukee had agreed to sign point guard Delon Wright:
In their first move in free agency, the Bucks found a way to help shore up that first need [guard size] by signing Delon Wright to a one-year deal, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.
A six-foot-five point guard, Wright split last season between the Washington Wizards and Heat. He averaged 4.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in 47 games.
In the past, Wright has also played for the Toronto Raptors, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, and Atlanta Hawks.
A career 35.4% three-point shooter, the Bucks hope that Wright can bring some needed sharpshooting and defense off of the bench.
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