Amir Coffey comments hint Bucks may have had clear plans for him all along

It was a bit surprising that, coming off a career year, Coffey was seemingly forgotten in NBA free agency. Bucks reporters asked him how he came to see Milwaukee as a potential home.

“Definitely a different offseason,” he admitted. “I feel like things happened a little late, but just sticking to what I do, continue to work and let everything take care of itself. Closer to the end, I got on the phone with Doc and we had a couple good conversations. I felt comfortable with the decision I made to come here and start back up with him.”

Eric Nehm of The Athletic then asked Coffey about the roster spot uncertainty that came with a non-guaranteed contract.

“Yeah, like I said, just some good conversations with the coaching staff, with Doc. You know, looking at the roster, it’s a good roster. And I feel like what I do can be in playing with this team pretty well. Just knowing what I bring to the table, talking with the coaches, looking at the roster, and I’ve already been in Doc’s system so I know how he coaches, the style he plays. It felt like the right decision for me.”

Of course, one would expect a free agent to feel things out before signing with a team. That doesn’t seem unusual. Coffey wouldn’t want to take a deal somewhere he did not expect to get a fair chance. Based on his comments, it sounds like he expects at least that much in Milwaukee.

Contrary to growing expectations about Coffey’s tenuous place on the roster, reading between the lines suggests that it may in fact be his spot to lose. In itself, that the Bucks put him on the mic for media day gives credence to the theory that he may be sticking around. Why put him up there, wasting his and reporters’ time as well as fans’, if he was going to be gone in two weeks – if the contract was basically meant as a courtesy audition to open up opportunities elsewhere?

Maybe that’s reading too much into it, but he sounded like a guy secure in his prospects with the team. And he’s right, he is a good fit for the Bucks and a more established wing option than, for example, Chris Livingston.

If Coffey is indeed here to stay, there are two primary possibilities. One, Livingston or Smith could be the presumptive second cut alongside Andre Jackson Jr., whose departure is all but inevitable (the Bucks owe him only $800K in guaranteed money, he hasn’t panned out so far, and played poorly in Summer League.)

Two, the Bucks could clear roster space via trade. Maybe it’s as simple as flipping Smith for a second-round pick or cash, but it could also be something a bit bigger despite an utter lack of a prologue. As Bucks fans know well, GM Jon Horst does his dealing in the dark.