Bucks News: Insider Unpacks Surprising Roster Need For This Season

The Bucks have a need to fill in the roster that needs to be addressed soon.

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) defends against Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) during the third quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks still think that they are contenders for their third-ever NBA championship in 2024-25. With how well Giannis Antetokounmpo has played this season, that makes a lot of sense. They could not have started the season any worse than they did, but have since turned it around.

Milwaukee continues to win at a high clip. Beating the Hawks, 110-102, in the NBA Cup Semifinals on Saturday shows that they can win games, even in a neutral site. The Bucks have remedied their defense for the most part, but they still have a big roster flaw that needs to be fixed the end of the season.

They still need a wing who can play defense and shoot. They don't have anyone on the roster who can reliably do both. Khris Middleton is now coming off the bench since he had off-season surgery on both of his ankles. The team starts Andre Jackson Jr. at shooting guard and Taurean Prince at small forward.

Jackson has not shot it at a high enough clip to be relied upon in big games. Middleton might have a big game once a month at this point, but he's far from being the same All-Star he was when the Bucks made the Finals in the 2020-21 season. Milwaukee needs another option.

The problem is that is the most coveted kind of player in the NBA. Those kinds of players don't grow on trees. If the Bucks want that kind of guy, they are going to have to pay a heavy price on the trade market. Jimmy Butler is the hot name out there, but he might be too rich for Milwaukee

If they can get someone like Keldon Johnson, who is also young, that would be ideal. While Johnson's three-point shooting isn't great this season, he is a career 35% shooter. His length would help the Bucks on the defensive side of the ball, too. He wouldn't be too expensive to get in a trade.

The Bucks need to show that they are in win-now mode. They will be that way as long as Antekounmpo is on the team. Damian Lillard is also getting up there in age, so the team needs to do everything they can to make moves that will keep them at a championship level.

If the Bucks do make a move, it likely won't be until the trade deadline, posits Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

More Bucks: Bucks' Damian Lillard Makes Bold Statement Regarding NBA Cup Chances