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The Milwaukee Bucks will look for and wide for help, even from players who have been out of the NBA. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Bucks will have Will Barton in for a workout.
“The Bucks are in the market to sign a shooting guard and are expected to conduct a workout this week in Las Vegas. Eleven-year NBA veteran Will Barton will be among the players working out for the Bucks this week, league sources said,” Charania wrote in a July 15 story.
Barton last played in the NBA during the 2022-23 season, where he split the season with the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors. Barton had a sharp scoring decline during his last NBA season. Known as a scorer, Barton’s scoring average went from 14.7 points to 6.8 during his last NBA season.
Barton has been in the running for two separate Sixth Man of the Year races. One in 2016 and one in 2018. He finished fourth in voting in both. If Barton manages to rediscover his groove, he could be a reliable scoring source for the Bucks. However, given his decline, his one-year hiatus, and being 33 years old, they shouldn’t count on that if they bring him in.
Bucks Interested in Gary Trent Jr.: Report
In Charania’s story, he also added Milwaukee’s interest in Gary Trent Jr. Though there’s interest, he added that Trent will take time to make a decision.
“Milwaukee is also among several contenders pursuing the top free agent remaining, Gary Trent Jr., league sources said. Trent…is taking a patient approach to find the best opportunity for his seventh NBA campaign.”
Charania added that the league’s restrictions have led to players like Trent getting the short end of the stick.
“As the league’s harsher salary-cap rules with the second apron take an increasing effect, the landscape has left talented players such as Trent on the market because some franchises with salary-cap space are electing to use the room in ways other than free agency.”
Trent has plenty of time to make a decision. The likely factors will be both the money suitors offer and the role they would have him play. Milwaukee can offer him a starting job after Malik Beasley departed for the Detroit Pistons. Adding him and Barton could strengthen the Bucks’ rotation as a whole.
Bucks Also Interested in Landry Shamet: Report
Trent and Barton aren’t the only players who have drawn interest from the Bucks. HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that the Bucks are among the teams interested in Landry Shamet in a July 12 story.
“Free agent guard Landry Shamet has received exploratory interest from the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New York Knicks, league sources told HoopsHype. A possible return to the Washington Wizards also hasn’t been ruled out, HoopsHype has learned.”
Milwaukee clearly believes they need more help along the perimeter. They’ve put an emphasis on adding more perimeter help along the wing, adding Taurean Prince and Delon Wright. Adding Trent, Shamet, and/or Barton could boost their wing depth, both offensively and defensively.
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