The Milwaukee Bucks signed Greg Monroe this summer to a free agent deal and that move has head coach Jason Kidd hopeful for some consistent success moving forward, as Giannis Antetokounmpo has major potential and Jabari Parker is on schedule in his rehab from ACL surgery. The Bucks have also signed Marcus Landry to compete for the back end of the roster heading into camp.
The Bucks have been an active team this offseason and their big move was signing Monroe to a free agent deal. Teams like the Knicks and Lakers were interested in Monroe, but he ended up with the Bucks and now he is another player the team can build around. The Bucks also signed Khris Middleton to a new contract and this came after acquisitions of Michael Carter-Williams and Tyler Ennis this past season. The team made the playoffs last season and now Kidd will be looking for the team to take the next step.
The Bucks have added some roster options heading into camp, as Pro Basketball Talk reports that the team announced a deal with Marcus Landry. PBT writes that Landry will likely compete for a roster spot in camp and the 29-year-old comes in after previously playing in the D-League and in Spain. Landry went to Wisconsin and played four years for the school and Landry also has past experience in the NBA with the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics.
The Bucks went to the playoffs last season and improved 15 wins from the previous year and the addition of Monroe could be a huge step for the team. Parker's return also should make a major impact, as the rookie was looking like a very solid NBA player when he went down with an injury. Parker only had the chance to play 25 games before getting injured and he ended the season averaging 12 points per game and shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor. Parker's return is on schedule, but general manager John Hammond told the Washington Post that the team will be "very conservative" regarding Parker's minutes.
Monroe will be the starting center this season and he can also play power forward depending on how Kidd wants to lineup in certain situations. Monroe comes in after averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per game last season and he will get the chance to play away from Andre Drummond after dealing with that situation in Detroit. Antetokounmpo could get some time at center as well, according to Hammond, but that likely won't keep Monroe off the floor much. Antetokounmpo played 81 games last season and averaged career highs of 12 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Landry played for CAI Zaragoza in Spain last season and averaged 10 points per game in 49 games for the team. Landry has played in China as well and he comes in after previously shooting 38 percent from three point range in Spain last season. Michael Scotto at Sheridan Hoops also points out that Landry has won the D-League 3-point shooting contest.
Check here for more on the Bucks offseason and Marcus Landry.
