Ahead of the G League’s 2024 Winter Showcase, the Wisconsin Herd (the minor league affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks) have added NBA veteran Dennis Smith Jr. to their roster. Smith, who was known as a draft bust early in his career, has rebuilt his reputation as a solid role player in recent years and is deemed by many to be one of the best free agents currently available. Especially if he performs well at the Showcase, Milwaukee could be smart to bring Smith back to the big leagues. Here are three reasons why signing Dennis Smith Jr. would benefit the Bucks.
#1: He’s an elite defender
While young Dennis Smith Jr. was an electric athlete and dynamic offensive threat, over time he has transitioned his game and become primarily a defensive stalwart. This development is what kept the former top ten pick in the league even after all his injuries and failed expectations. Smith is an absolute menace on D who has all the lateral quickness, core strength, and determination to shut down ball handlers on the perimeter. He’s also a walking forced turnover— he hasn’t averaged under one steal per game since 2019-20, and in 2023-24, his 3.2 steal percentage exceeded that of Alex Caruso, who was the official league leader. Smith hounds ball handlers, sheds off screens like they’re nothing, and collects more cookies than the blue guy from Sesame Street.
The Bucks are steadily ramping up their defensive intensity and have gotten some great point-of-attack play from Andre Jackson Jr. and A.J. Green, but they could still use some more help on that end of the floor if they are truly going to compete for a championship. Smith could be all the fortification they need to become an all-league force on both sides of the ball.
#2: He would give the Bucks a playmaking boost
Milwaukee currently relies heavily on their three All-Stars in the playmaking department. Nobody on the team outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton averages two or more assists per game. That’s not necessarily a massive problem, but still, the vast majority of the rotation is made up of guys with below average passing vision (Bobby Portis, Brook Lopez, Taurean Prince, A.J. Green…) and the offense could become even more dynamic with more ball movers in the lineup. Smith Jr., while not a real creator, is a highly intelligent passer who always makes the extra swing and knows how to find his teammates in the right spot in the half court. The NC State product also generates plenty of easy shots for others in the open floor when his steals result in transition opportunities.
#3: Milwaukee doesn’t currently have a viable backup point guard
When Dame and Giannis need a rare break, the Bucks don’t really have another ball handler to turn to. Delon Wright, who was supposed to fill the role this article is campaigning for Dennis Smith Jr. to fill, has underwhelmed severely and fallen completely out of Doc Rivers’ good graces. In fact, he hasn’t checked into a game since December 4th! Ryan Rollins, the two-way contract man who had leapfrogged Wright in the rotation, suffered a shoulder injury that brought his positive momentum to a complete halt. With both of those guys nowhere to be found at this point, picking up Smith Jr. to be the complementary two-way backup point guard Milwaukee needs would make up for their disappearance in a big way.
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So, how could Milwaukee get Dennis Smith Jr. on the squad? As their roster currently stands at 15 players, a spot would need to be opened up for him. This could potentially be done by buying out Delon Wright, as he doesn’t play at all right now. MarJon Beauchamp is also a candidate to get released, as the young wing hasn’t shown any signs of real development since he was drafted and would likely be better off in a new situation. How to make room for him is a decision for Jon Horst to make, but one thing is clear: Dennis Smith Jr. would make the Bucks better.
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