Bucks could target former All-Star guard on the free agent market

The Milwaukee Bucks enter the offseason with plenty of uncertainty. After bowing out in the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive season with an aging roster, the Bucks will do whatever they can to salvage the rest of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s prime.

To make matters worse, star guard Damian Lillard is expected to miss most, if not all of, next season with a torn achilles, forcing the Bucks’ hand to make a serviceable upgrade at the position for the time being. 

NBA Writer Zach Buckley recently linked veteran point guard D’Angelo Russell to Milwaukee as a potential replacement for Lillard next season. 

“Russell, a former All-Star who won't turn 30 until February, could qualify as such. He has put together helpful stat lines in the past; just in 2023-24, he gave the Lakers an efficient 18 points and 6.3 assists per night,” Buckley wrote. “Milwaukee also needs someone to run the offense in place of Damian Lillard, who's out indefinitely after tearing his Achilles in April (and could be needed to make the money work if the Bucks go big on the trade market). Russell offers a similar—albeit far less dynamic—blend of scoring, playmaking and perimeter shooting.”

Russell is an unrestricted free agent after averaging 12.6 points and 5.1 assists per game last season with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. He has shown the ability to be more than capable of running an offense, and could be a solid addition should the Bucks be able to land him for a short, cheap deal. Russell was previously an All-Star in 2019 with the Brooklyn Nets as he averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game.