Bucks Make Several Moves Around Margins After Myles Turner Addition

The Milwaukee Bucks are stealing all the headlines after signing center Myles Turner and waiving All-Star guard Damian Lillard. But they haven’t stopped there.

Instead, the Bucks also made several moves around the edges of the roster on the second day of free agency — following a couple of moves on the first day.

On Tuesday, Milwaukee also traded wing Pat Connaughton and two second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets for guard Vasilije Micic, and agreed to likely minimum deals with reserve center Jericho Sims and guard/forward Gary Harris Jr.

All of the moves, reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, were made to hang on to All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and put the Bucks into serious contention. Time will tell if it works. And hey, there could always be more moves on the way.

Connaughton, 32, was a Bucks lifer, spending each of his first 10 NBA seasons in Milwaukee. But he averaged just 5.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 41 appearances last season, barely playing in the first-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Sims, 26, ended last season with the Bucks after being acquired from the New York Knicks at the trade deadline in February. He appeared in 14 games with Milwaukee and should serve as a solid backup to Turner.

Harris, 30, is your typical NBA veteran and has spent the past four-plus seasons with the Orlando Magic after nearly seven with the Denver Nuggets. He fell out of Orlando’s regular rotation last season, so it will be interesting to see if he has anything left.

The Bucks could certainly use the help at guard. As of this moment, Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. are likely slotted in as the starters.

That said, more moves could be on the way in Milwaukee. If there’s anything we’re learning about this offseason, it is that.